Praise: Glorifies God, Encourages Us, Draws our spirit into His presence

 By Brooke Momblow

-The act of expressing admiration, the offering of grateful homage in words or song. 

-The entire basis of praise is on Who God IS.

 

“Great and marvelous are your deeds, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are your ways, King of the nations. Who will not fear you, Lord, and bring glory to your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.” Revelation 15:3-4 NIV

 

 “Mankind needs a song to sing. In order to sing the heart and mind must have something to sing about. I sing through His redeeming grace. It comes from the depths, for it comes from being in Christ.” E. Stanley Jones, In Christ

 

After we’ve personally witnessed the miraculous glory of God we often feel our hearts will explode if we don’t praise God and tell of his faithfulness.

 

“David, ceremonially dressed in priest’s linen, danced with great abandon before God. The whole country was with him as he accompanied the Chest of God with shouts and trumpet blasts… Oh yes, I’ll dance to God’s glory - more recklessly even than this.  And as far as I’m concerned… I’ll gladly look like a fool…” 2 Samuel 6:14,22 MSG

 

-Is there a time when you were so thankful to God or so in Awe of Him that you might describe your celebrating as possibly ‘undignified’ in the eyes of others but you didn’t care?

 

Again, E. Stanley Jones talks of singing “in spite of." “Because our song is based on His worthiness. It must be sung or the stones would cry out.” He tells the story of persecuted Christians in Madagascar declaring “We must sing!” and they did, even as they died.

 

Right before the comforting words in Psalm 23, there is Psalm 22. The psalmist cries the very words Jesus cried from the cross “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” Then he goes on to say that God inhabits or is enthroned (KJV or NKJV) in the praises of his people. He says “You are He who has” done these things worthy of praise. V.22 ”I will declare your name to my people; in the assembly I will praise you.” (NIV)

 

-Can you recall a time when your circumstances weren’t cause for celebration but you lifted your heart and voice in Praise of the One who is redeeming you and who is worthy of it all?   

 

Psalm 24:7 “Lift up your heads, you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in.”  Traditionally, these gates are a symbol of Praise and when we lift our faces in praise the King of glory enters in.  v.8 ”Who is the King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle.”

 

“God hold us to that which drew us first, when the Cross was the attraction, and we wanted nothing else.” Amy Carmichael

–      Let all God’s people say Amen.

 

If you’d like, spend some time singing praise:

To Be Grateful https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpqsE4mhJmc&feature=youtu.be

Draw Me to Your Presence O Lord! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQyQExRD2TI&feature=youtu.be

10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXDGE_lRI0E&feature=youtu.be

 

If you’d like more Scripture for meditation:

“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.”

1 Chronicles 16:34

 

“Then I will praise God’s name with singing, and I will honor him with thanksgiving.” Psalm 69:30

 

“Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth! Worship the Lord with gladness. Come before him, singing with joy. Acknowledge that the Lord is God. He made us, and we are his. We are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation.” Psalm 100

 

“Has no one returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” Luke 17:18

 

“Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused.” Romans 1:21

 

“But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 15:57

 

“and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.” Colossians 1:12

 

“Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Ephesians 5:19-20

 

Isaiah 42:10-17

 

Psalm 103