One of the most important keys that will make it possible for us to walk in kingdom living is our expression of praise. The Lord's prayer begins in an attitude of worship and praise, "Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth" (Luke 11:2). Praise is the will of God, and heaven overflows with it.
"And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great. And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready" (Revelation 19:5-7).
Since the presence of praise is voiced continually in heaven, our voices should also be lifted up in praise to our Lord. In 1Thessalonians 5:16-18 we are told to, "Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." The Lord tells us here that we are to have an attitude of joy, thanksgiving and prayer at all times, no matter what the conditions or circumstances are that surround us.
This verse does not mean that we are to thank God for bad things and tragedies that come our way. It means that we are to remain joyful no matter what is happening in our lives because we have the Lord, and in Him we shall overcome no matter what the devil is trying to do to us. The Lord does not want us to thank Him for the bad things that happen to us because He did not send them. He is not the author of evil. We are not to become bitter over life's circumstances, but rather to continue to rejoice in the Lord. It is the will of God for us to rejoice no matter what comes. It is not the will of God to receive evil things as from Him. It is an insult to God to thank Him for accidents, sickness, tragedy, etc. He does not send those things to us, the devil does. We are told to resist the devil, and submit to God. (James 4:7, "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.") We are to love and rejoice in the Lord in spite of what the devil tries to do to us.
One of Satan's favorite schemes is to send something bad into someone's life and blame it on God. If he can get people to believe it is from the Lord, he has an easier time convincing them of his next lie, that God has failed them and deserted them. He follows this up with a further lie, "Why go on serving a God who does these kinds of things to you?" Satan's real target is to destroy our faith in God. He just attacks different areas to get at different people.
Our prayers should be in an attitude of praise even in the midst of our trials. We should lift our voices and praise the Lord like this, "Father, I praise You and love You, and no matter what the devil is doing to me I know that You shall bring me through victoriously! Show me what I need to do, Lord. Show me the door that I have opened to the enemy. I resist him in the name of Jesus, and I command him to leave with all of his oppression and attacks. Jesus, You are the Lord of my life, and I submit to You and will never deny You no matter what happens. Praise God!".
Instead of praying like that, many Christians fall for the enemy's lies and come under condemnation and suffering. They begin to question God and even become mad at Him. The fault is not the Lord's, but our own. We miss His complete victory because we have attributed Satan's attack to the Lord. We can even open the door for the enemy to come against us by not having a cheerful and rejoicing heart. We may complain and gripe to God about our plight in life instead of using the weapons He has given us to overcome the devil. One of the greatest weapons is our weapon of praise.
David in writing the Psalms expresses many praises to the Lord. Psalm 34 is a typical psalm of praise:
"I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together. I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears."
We are to bless God at all times, not just when things go smoothly. We are to bless Him when things go wrong, too. We are to boast in the Lord even when all looks bleak. Our prayer should be similar to David's or one like this,"Father, I love and appreciate You. I know You are going to bring the answer I need because You are a good God, and You care for me. I trust You, Lord, no matter what I see with my natural eyes. I am looking through the eyes of faith, and I believe You are sending my answer. I love You, Lord, no matter what happens." When we keep this attitude of praise in the midst of our trials, we come through victoriously.
Praising God when we do not feel like praising Him is called a "sacrifice of praise". Hebrews 13:15 says, "By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name." Feelings fall into the emotional and soulish realm of our being. If we wait until we feel like praising God, we may never do it. Our spirits desire to praise God because of His nature in us. However, the soulish part of us resists that desire, until our carnal minds have been completely renewed in this area. That is why it is important to go ahead and praise God to a point beyond our soulish feelings until we press on into the spirit. We will then sense a real joy, and praise will come forth. Psalm 103 is a wonderful praise psalm:
"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 forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with loving-kindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's. The Lord executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed."
David is saying, "Soul, you are going to bless the Lord regardless of whether you feel like it or not." If we would begin our praises in the natural, they would soon end up in the Spirit, even as David said that all that was within him would bless the Lord. What kind of benefits do we receive from the Lord? He forgives our sins, heals all our diseases, shows us His love and kindness, is merciful toward us, gives us good things to eat, restores our youth and strength, delivers us from oppression and judges us righteously. We have so much to praise God about because He is a wonderful and loving Father!
Praise is a wonderful method we can use to bring healing and deliverance to our souls and bodies! Many people are depressed today; one of the quickest ways to receive deliverance from depression is to praise God. We must make our souls bless the Lord when we are not feeling well. It will bring liberation and healing.
Psalm 30:1-4, "I will extol thee, O Lord; for thou hast lifted me up, and hast not made my foes to rejoice over me. O Lord my God, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me. O Lord, thou hast brought up my soul from the grave: thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit. Sing unto the Lord, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness."
Singing unto the Lord also can bring quick relief from despondence and oppression. We all feel like we are in the "pits" when that horrible sensation of apathy and depression comes over us. Singing praises can bring us up out of that pit. Music plays an important part in a worship service and we have all experienced how our hearts have been lifted by singing and worshiping in church. We do not have to wait until we go to a service to receive this same benefit. We can worship out of our hearts wherever we are.
In the Old Testament there is an account of a battle that was won by God's people simply as a group of appointed singers went before the army as it marched toward battle. They sang and praised God, and the Lord did their battling for them. They won the battle without a sword even being drawn.
2 Chronicles 20:21-22: "And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the Lord, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the Lord; for his mercy endureth forever. And when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten."
Our battles can also be won through praise. In Psalm 22:3 the word declares that God himself inhabits the praises of His people: "But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel." As we sing and praise God, we begin to feel the presence of the Lord upon us. It can also be helpful to listen to gospel music when we are fighting a spiritual battle. It will liberate our spirits, too. When we praise and bless God, we find that other people around us respond to that spirit of praise also. Conversely, when we complain and grumble, we exude that kind of spirit and drive people away from us because no one wants to be around a pessimist. Lonely people filled with self-pity have not found the key of praise in their lives. They lack the joy of the Lord and do not make good companions. As we rejoice in God, we spread a spirit of joy to others. If we complain about things, it works against us. No one wants to be around someone who causes them also to get into a bad mood. Let us all bless and praise God and conquer the enemy in this important area.
The overcomers in the book of Revelation are praisers, and they sing a new song before the throne. The hundred forty-four thousand seen here are representatives of the tribes of Israel. One of these tribes is the tribe of Judah. The name Judah means "praise." We can clearly see that one of the attributes of the hundred forty-four thousand is an attitude of praise (Revelation 7 and 14). Praise is a heavenly characteristic, and if we are to be overcomers, we too will strive to possess this quality.
"And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great. And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready" (Revelation 19:5-7).
Since the presence of praise is voiced continually in heaven, our voices should also be lifted up in praise to our Lord. In 1Thessalonians 5:16-18 we are told to, "Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." The Lord tells us here that we are to have an attitude of joy, thanksgiving and prayer at all times, no matter what the conditions or circumstances are that surround us.
This verse does not mean that we are to thank God for bad things and tragedies that come our way. It means that we are to remain joyful no matter what is happening in our lives because we have the Lord, and in Him we shall overcome no matter what the devil is trying to do to us. The Lord does not want us to thank Him for the bad things that happen to us because He did not send them. He is not the author of evil. We are not to become bitter over life's circumstances, but rather to continue to rejoice in the Lord. It is the will of God for us to rejoice no matter what comes. It is not the will of God to receive evil things as from Him. It is an insult to God to thank Him for accidents, sickness, tragedy, etc. He does not send those things to us, the devil does. We are told to resist the devil, and submit to God. (James 4:7, "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.") We are to love and rejoice in the Lord in spite of what the devil tries to do to us.
One of Satan's favorite schemes is to send something bad into someone's life and blame it on God. If he can get people to believe it is from the Lord, he has an easier time convincing them of his next lie, that God has failed them and deserted them. He follows this up with a further lie, "Why go on serving a God who does these kinds of things to you?" Satan's real target is to destroy our faith in God. He just attacks different areas to get at different people.
Our prayers should be in an attitude of praise even in the midst of our trials. We should lift our voices and praise the Lord like this, "Father, I praise You and love You, and no matter what the devil is doing to me I know that You shall bring me through victoriously! Show me what I need to do, Lord. Show me the door that I have opened to the enemy. I resist him in the name of Jesus, and I command him to leave with all of his oppression and attacks. Jesus, You are the Lord of my life, and I submit to You and will never deny You no matter what happens. Praise God!".
Instead of praying like that, many Christians fall for the enemy's lies and come under condemnation and suffering. They begin to question God and even become mad at Him. The fault is not the Lord's, but our own. We miss His complete victory because we have attributed Satan's attack to the Lord. We can even open the door for the enemy to come against us by not having a cheerful and rejoicing heart. We may complain and gripe to God about our plight in life instead of using the weapons He has given us to overcome the devil. One of the greatest weapons is our weapon of praise.
David in writing the Psalms expresses many praises to the Lord. Psalm 34 is a typical psalm of praise:
"I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together. I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears."
We are to bless God at all times, not just when things go smoothly. We are to bless Him when things go wrong, too. We are to boast in the Lord even when all looks bleak. Our prayer should be similar to David's or one like this,"Father, I love and appreciate You. I know You are going to bring the answer I need because You are a good God, and You care for me. I trust You, Lord, no matter what I see with my natural eyes. I am looking through the eyes of faith, and I believe You are sending my answer. I love You, Lord, no matter what happens." When we keep this attitude of praise in the midst of our trials, we come through victoriously.
Praising God when we do not feel like praising Him is called a "sacrifice of praise". Hebrews 13:15 says, "By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name." Feelings fall into the emotional and soulish realm of our being. If we wait until we feel like praising God, we may never do it. Our spirits desire to praise God because of His nature in us. However, the soulish part of us resists that desire, until our carnal minds have been completely renewed in this area. That is why it is important to go ahead and praise God to a point beyond our soulish feelings until we press on into the spirit. We will then sense a real joy, and praise will come forth. Psalm 103 is a wonderful praise psalm:
"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 forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with loving-kindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's. The Lord executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed."
David is saying, "Soul, you are going to bless the Lord regardless of whether you feel like it or not." If we would begin our praises in the natural, they would soon end up in the Spirit, even as David said that all that was within him would bless the Lord. What kind of benefits do we receive from the Lord? He forgives our sins, heals all our diseases, shows us His love and kindness, is merciful toward us, gives us good things to eat, restores our youth and strength, delivers us from oppression and judges us righteously. We have so much to praise God about because He is a wonderful and loving Father!
Praise is a wonderful method we can use to bring healing and deliverance to our souls and bodies! Many people are depressed today; one of the quickest ways to receive deliverance from depression is to praise God. We must make our souls bless the Lord when we are not feeling well. It will bring liberation and healing.
Psalm 30:1-4, "I will extol thee, O Lord; for thou hast lifted me up, and hast not made my foes to rejoice over me. O Lord my God, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me. O Lord, thou hast brought up my soul from the grave: thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit. Sing unto the Lord, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness."
Singing unto the Lord also can bring quick relief from despondence and oppression. We all feel like we are in the "pits" when that horrible sensation of apathy and depression comes over us. Singing praises can bring us up out of that pit. Music plays an important part in a worship service and we have all experienced how our hearts have been lifted by singing and worshiping in church. We do not have to wait until we go to a service to receive this same benefit. We can worship out of our hearts wherever we are.
In the Old Testament there is an account of a battle that was won by God's people simply as a group of appointed singers went before the army as it marched toward battle. They sang and praised God, and the Lord did their battling for them. They won the battle without a sword even being drawn.
2 Chronicles 20:21-22: "And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the Lord, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the Lord; for his mercy endureth forever. And when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten."
Our battles can also be won through praise. In Psalm 22:3 the word declares that God himself inhabits the praises of His people: "But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel." As we sing and praise God, we begin to feel the presence of the Lord upon us. It can also be helpful to listen to gospel music when we are fighting a spiritual battle. It will liberate our spirits, too. When we praise and bless God, we find that other people around us respond to that spirit of praise also. Conversely, when we complain and grumble, we exude that kind of spirit and drive people away from us because no one wants to be around a pessimist. Lonely people filled with self-pity have not found the key of praise in their lives. They lack the joy of the Lord and do not make good companions. As we rejoice in God, we spread a spirit of joy to others. If we complain about things, it works against us. No one wants to be around someone who causes them also to get into a bad mood. Let us all bless and praise God and conquer the enemy in this important area.
The overcomers in the book of Revelation are praisers, and they sing a new song before the throne. The hundred forty-four thousand seen here are representatives of the tribes of Israel. One of these tribes is the tribe of Judah. The name Judah means "praise." We can clearly see that one of the attributes of the hundred forty-four thousand is an attitude of praise (Revelation 7 and 14). Praise is a heavenly characteristic, and if we are to be overcomers, we too will strive to possess this quality.
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