Praise the Lord! For He is worthy to be praised! He is so worthy that He is exalted with praise over 300 times in scripture! His praises are called out from Genesis through Revelation, and from Noah to Paul.
However, many of us think of praise as part of Sunday service, when the choir sings and we are participants with others in worship service. Some of us only have praise on our lips when we have survived some sort of mayhem. But praising God is more than an act of worship and mediocre gratitude; it is a statement of faith and thanksgiving for a loving and merciful God. Praise is an acknowledgement of God’s power over our lives and circumstances no matter what we are facing. We should praise God for everything and at all times!
Praise is a powerful weapon that is readily at our disposal to usher in God’s anointing and to battle the enemy. When we praise God, especially when our praise is genuine and heartfelt; He is pleased. Our praise brings us into the presence of God, and He dwells in the praises of His people (see Psalm 22:3). The Lord loves each of us and is delighted to fellowship among us, particularly when two or more are gathered in Jesus’ name (see Matthew 18:19-20). Collective praise was enough to fight off an army (see 2Chronicles 20:22), and enough to tear down prison walls (see Acts 16:25-26).
There are so many extraordinary things that we can praise God for, and so many ways in which we can praise Him. We are not limited to just singing our praises. We can glorify God by dancing, writing, painting, preaching, teaching or just sitting still and meditating on His word. The Book of Psalms is filled with ways we can express our thanks to a loving and awesome God. So start praising the Lord:
Wherever and however (see Psalm 150).
Praise the Lord! For He is worthy to be praised!
Scripture: I will extol the LORD at all times; His praise will always be on my lips. Psalm 34:1 NIV
Let everything that has breath praise the LORD… Psalm 150:6 NIV
Prayer: Father God, we exalt you and praise your Holy Name! We come before you thanking you and glorifying you with all that we are, and all that you have created us to be. Help us to understand that praise and worship is not just a part of Sunday service, but is a part of our ongoing relationship with you. Your presence is crucial to our growth and development in our walk with Christ, and we need you every day, all day. As we lift our praises to you, fill us with the Holy Spirit that we may be lead in your righteousness and guarded against those that seek to destroy us. We pray these and so many other blessings, in Jesus’ name...Amen!
