(Third part)
Memory verse: (Hebrews 13: 15) " Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name ".
True praise to God is a sacrifice not a hobby. Praise is not what you do because something good has happened to you. All of us we feel good when something good has happened and we can feel like praising even sing a new song to God. But God is looking for those who worship him in Spirit and in truth (Jn 4: 24). So, Praise is not a product of our feelings but a sacrifice that originates from our spirits, i.e. our hearts. Praise comes from the revelation we have of God.
A sacrifice is something we painfully give. God painfully gave His son Jesus to die for our sins. It was not fun God seeing his Son die, but he had no other way to redeem us. Abraham decided to obey God and sacrifice his son Isaac he had waited for 25 years. It wasn’t fun but painful. Job lost his children in one day and all his wealth, but he said it is God who gave and it is Him who has taken away, let the name of the Lord be praised. Praise does not depend on circumstances, it depends on who God is. Situations can change but God remains the same. God is God and is worthy of all our praise.
There’s another woman that touched the heart of God, She was a gentile Canaanite (Matt15: 21-28). She had a big problem of her demon-possessed daughter; She came to Jesus and asked him to heal her child. But Jesus kept silent, his disciples told Jesus to send her away. Jesus told her that He was not sent to the gentiles but to the house of Israel. She never got discouraged but instead came and fell at his feet and worshipped him. This woman touched God’s heart and she got her answer from God. If we knew the ways to God’s heart many of our problems would be solved. When you touch God’s heart, God’s hand will begin to move and deal with your issues. When we enter our place of prayer, our family altars and our churches should be filled with believers’ full of Praise to God. A praiseful church will be full of God’s power, life, presence, glory, joy, miracles and wonders. A life full of praise will be full of testimonies. It’s praise that opens the gates of heaven. In spite of situations of your life, never let the river of praise cease to flow out of your mouth to God.
Tomorrow’s subject: “ The prayer that touches God’s heart "
