THE POWER OF PRAISE
(First part)
Memory verse: (Psalms 103:1-5) “ Bless the LORD, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with loving kindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s ”.
Praise is the expression of our love, appreciation, honor and reverence to God. We praise God because we love Him. We praise God because of who He is. We praise God because of His love for us. We praise the Lord because of His greatness and the great things He has done. When our spiritual eyes see the wonder of God’s creation, we begin to praise because of His sovereignty. We praise Him because of all the good things he always does for us, he saved us by the sacrifice of His Son, He provides for our needs, He heals us, He protects us, He guides us, He prospers us etc…
The psalmist records some reasons to praise the Lord in the above scripture, that He forgives our iniquities, He heals our diseases etc. Gratitude will determine your altitude in life. Praise will raise you. As your praises rise to God, God will raise above your situations. Praise touches God’s heart. David was a man after God’s heart because he was a man of praise. Some people choose to complain in life, but complaining only compounds your problems but praise erases your mountains. When king Jehoshaphat and Judah decided to praise God in the midst of their troubles, God intervened and erased their enemies. God instructed Joshua and Israel to take up instrument of praise and raise a shout of praise and the walls of Jericho fell flat. Complainer and murmurers have never won God’s favor but God’s anger. Praise makes God’s heart happy. In fact the scripture says God is worthy and enthroned in the praises of His people, Israel (Ps22: 3). Whenever we praise God, our praise becomes a throne for our God, and God can descend in our midst because he has gotten a seat. When people come to visit us in our homes, offices and churches, the first thing we offer them is a seat. God needs his seat in our lives, homes, churches, etc and his seat is our praise. It’s time we begin to offer God true praise. Let’s give the praise a place in our lives, in our homes, churches, offices etc and God will dwell in our midst. God’s presence is attracted by praise.
Tomorrow’s subject “Praise produces multiplication”
