Dear Roger,
Our Bible study group is working through the book of Psalms. Of course, there’s a lot to say about praising God. I know that God desires praise and that we give all the glory to him. What I’m wondering is, do we get anything out of it for ourselves?
Sincerely, Darlene
Dear Darlene,
God loves to have His heart “delighted.” We delight it through praise. As we praise Him, our lives dramatically change as well.
Praise is all about God. If I may paraphrase, a statement from Jesus in John chapter four, Jesus makes it clear that God’s heart tingles when his children express the kind of praise that God loves. He seeks after those who are involved in praise and worship. Think what it means to be the kind of person that God is seeking! That can blow your mind!
Many benefits come to us when we are in the process of praise. I call these benefits, the “Practicality Of Praise.”
Psalm 104:1: Praise the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me. Praise His Holy Name.”
I know of no greater thoughts this: “I can bless the Lord.” Think what that does to God’s heart. Now, we will consider what it can do for our hearts.
Let Me Give To You Six Suggestions As To What Praise Is and How It Revolutionizes Your Relationship With God.
When I was 25 I came across John MacArthur’s definition of praise. I’ve used it as a model for over four decades. It’s that good. I want to share it with you for use in your own life of praise.
1. Praise Is Recalling God’s Mighty Acts Of Power (What He Has Done Through History And In Our Lives).
One of the best reasons for studying the Old Testament is so that we can recite in praise what we have learned about Him.
Let me show you a wonderful way to praise God when you get up in the morning.
Maybe you have a problem or some anxiety and so you start like this:
“Lord, I want to praise you for a few moments. You are the God who always was and who always will be and you’re the God who one day you stepped out on the edge of nothingness and scattered the stars and you are the God who created the world and you’re the God who made man you are the God who began his redemption in the garden and you brought Israel out of Egypt and parted the Red Sea and guarded Israel by the pillar of fire and brought water out of the rock and provided manna from heaven and you’re the God who protected the people with angels and you’re the God who did this and that and you keep marching through history . . .
“…You’re the God who raised the dead and sent the Messiah and raised the Messiah from the dead and gave power to the Apostles,” and Lord I have this little problem!
Think of the practicality of this: we think that he can’t handle our little problems! What he’s done in the past as recorded in Scripture is what he can do today in our present!
2. Praise Is Reciting God’s Surpassing Greatness, Powerful Character And Unchangeable Attributes (In Other Words, His Stellar Characteristics).
We are talking here about God’s love, mercy, justice, righteousness, kindness, peace, gentleness, etc.
A constant recitation of the characteristics of God in the midst of trouble brings great peace.
Habakkuk is a Bible book with just three chapters. Habakkuk asked God five questions!
Habakkuk asked, “How long will I cry God and you won’t bring a revival in Israel? Do something, God. Do something! Bring Revival!”
God said, “I am doing something. I am bringing the Babylonians to wipe you guys out.”
Habakkuk responded, “Wait a minute. I didn’t ask for that! How can you send those nasty Babylonians? They are worse than the Israelites. We are at least more righteous than they are!”
Then, he begins to recite God’s attributes. “Wait a minute, God. You’re a mighty God. You are a God that we can trust. You are eternal. You were here before it all began and you will be here long after it is all ended. After all, you are loving and you always have our ultimate best interests at heart. All right. I believe that you know what you are doing. Go ahead and handle it your way. I don’t care if the storms come, the crops fail. And there are no oxen in the bar. When the Babylonians invade, I still will trust and believe in you.”
When we recite His attributes and remember His works and thank Him for everything, we discover the power of praise. As we praise God we find a resource that provides incredible strength for our own lives.
3. Praise Is Reciting God’s Great Works And character And Thanking Him For Both.
Praise With Thanksgiving Opens The Door Into The Throne Room Of God.
PSALM 100: 4: “Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.”
There is a gate that opens to the worship experience. Trying to come into worship without praise is like trying to crash through the courtyard fence. The gate is thanksgiving and praise, and it ushers us into the mid-court of God’s glorious presence.
1. In the throne room we discover that nothing is out of control.
As the stones were pummeling Stephen, God opened up heaven and Stephen saw Jesus standing up looking down on what was happening to him.
Consider that Jesus, who sits upon the throne, got up from his seat and peered over the balustrade of heaven because he was so involved with what was happening.
Consider what Stephen saw. Jesus was not wringing His hands over a world catapulting into oblivion. He does not walk around the throne with a furrowed brow and a worried look. He is the sovereign God. He is running the show.
2. In the throne room, in the midst of praise, we see God for Who and What He is, we begin to see ourselves for what we really are.
We need some one bigger and greater than ourselves to be able to take care of our problems
3. We had best think twice before talking without thinking in the throne room.
Ecclesiastes 5:1-2: “Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong. Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few.”
4. Praise Ofter Precedes Miraculous Deliverance.
PSALM 50:23: “He who sacrifices thank offerings honors me, and he prepares the way so that I may show him the salvation of God.”
Paul and Silas were chained in prison in Philippi. At midnight they were singing, praying and praising God when an earthquake came and said them free.
5. Praise Pulls the Rug Out from Under Satan.
Praise is the Believer’s chief weapon against Satan.
PSALM 8:2: “From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.”
James 4:7: “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you”.
Why is this true? In his original state he was the praise leader in Heaven. Pride got him and he and his hosts lost the rebellion and have been in Hellish misery ever since.
Praise is clearly etched into the memories of every fallen angel. In their aborted rebellion they lost their lofty positions and the result is hauntingly clear in their minds.
As very few creatures do, they know the power, joys, and delights of Praise. When they hear Biblical praises they are irritated and devastated.
6. Praise Allows Us to Exchange Our Clothes of Despair for Garments of Joy.
ISAIAH 61:1-3: “The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me … to provide for those who grieve in Zion — to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.”
Notice that Praise is a garment. We may consciously choose to put it on like a shirt, or skirt, or coat. We put it on and it will ward off the spirits of depression, discouragement, and despair.
A Kingdom Is An Area Over Which A King Rules.
In the Kingdom of Light, God’s will is done. His influence is felt. The basic rule of the Kingdom of Light is, “Let’s do it God’s way!” “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven…”
The language of the Kingdom of Light is p-r-a-i-s-e.
“In everything give thanks for this is the will of God for you.”
“I will bless the lord at all times, his praise will continually be in my mouth.
“The lord gives the lord takes away, blessed be the name of the Lord!” And
We can usually tell who is living in the Kingdom of God. They spend a lot of time praising God.
On the other hand, the basic, rule of the Kingdom of Darkness is, “Let’s do it my way,” and, “My will be done” and, “I want to live independent from God.”
Satan says, “I will exalt my kingdom above the stars! I will… I will…”
The language of the Kingdom of Darkness is G-R-I-P-E.
These people gripe, murmur and complain just about everything: weather, job, family, God, …
Unfortunately, too many of us Christians live on the border.
In border towns languages may blend together.
For example, the state I live in, Texas, shares a border with the country of Mexico. A new language has evolved. We call it Tex-Mex. It’s a blending of the two.
Unfortunately, too many Christians are like that! They are living too close to the border!
They begin speaking a language called GRIPE-PRAISE.
“I feel lousy—but praise the Lord anyway.”
The only trouble with straddling the fence is that it always hurts in the middle.
God wants us to get away from the border and start living on the Glory side. It all begins with praise.
Well Darlene, I hope that this expands your knowledge and understanding of praise and that you will utilize its practicality often in your life.
Sincerely, Roger