Keys to Powerful Living: Praise

GIVING GOD THE GLORY NO MATTER WHAT YOU ARE FACING

Witnessing a magnificent fireworks display, hearing a stunning symphony, or seeing a glorious sunset can evoke a response of praise.

But often, it's easier to praise a sunset than the Creator of the sunset. In that same way, the difficulties of life often cloud our vision and keep us from praising God. What can we do to restore a heart-attitude of praise?

THE NATURE OF PRAISE

Praise, according to the Scriptures, is an act of our will that flows out of an awe and reverence for our Creator. Praise gives glory to God and opens us up to a deeper union with Him. It turns our attention off of our problems and on the nature and character of God Himself. As we focus our minds on God and proclaim His goodness, we reflect His glory back to Him. The results can fill you with peace and contentment (Isaiah 26:3CloseIsaiah 26:3 You will keep in perfect peace  all who trust in you,  all whose thoughts are fixed on you! OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt) ) and transform your outlook on life.

REASONS TO PRAISE

Very simply, we praise God because He is worthy of our praise (1 Chronicles 16:25Close1 Chronicles 16:25 Great is the LORD! He is most worthy of praise!  He is to be feared above all gods. OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt) ; Revelation 5:11-14CloseRevelation 5:11-14 Then I looked again, and I heard the voices of thousands and millions of angels around the throne and of the living beings and the elders. And they sang in a mighty chorus:"Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered—  to receive power and richesand wisdom and strength  and honor and glory and blessing." And then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea. They sang:"Blessing and honor and glory and power  belong to the one sitting on the throne  and to the Lamb forever and ever." And the four living beings said, "Amen!" And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped the Lamb. OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt) ). He is the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He is our Creator, Provider, Healer, Redeemer, Judge, Defender, and much more.

Another foundational reason to praise God is simple obedience. The Bible says God is a "jealous" God who demands and desires our praise. "You shall have no other gods before Me," says the first commandment (Deuteronomy 5:7CloseDeuteronomy 5:7 "You must not have any other god but me. OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt) ). As the psalmist said, "Let everything that has breath praise the LORD" (Psalms 150:6ClosePsalms 150:6 Let everything that breathes sing praises to the LORD!Praise the LORD! OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt) ).

As we praise God, we will discover incredible benefits for our lives. That's because human beings were created by God to praise Him (see Isaiah 43:7CloseIsaiah 43:7 Bring all who claim me as their God,  for I have made them for my glory.  It was I who created them.'" OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt) , Matthew 21:16CloseMatthew 21:16 They asked Jesus, "Do you hear what these children are saying?"  "Yes," Jesus replied. "Haven't you ever read the Scriptures? For they say, `You have taught children and infants to give you praise.'*" OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt) ). Due to man's original sin, however, this relationship was disrupted. Praising God helps restore us to that right relationship, for God actually dwells in the praises of His people (Psalms 22:3ClosePsalms 22:3 Yet you are holy,  enthroned on the praises of Israel. OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt) ). As we draw near to the Father in praise, He draws near to us (James 4:8CloseJames 4:8 Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt) ).

Praise is also our ultimate destiny. When the Lord Jesus Christ returns again to earth, all creation — including prideful mankind — will recognize His glory and praise Him (Philippians 2:9-11ClosePhilippians 2:9-11 Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor  and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,  in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,  to the glory of God the Father. OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt) ).

PRAISE FOR PROTECTION

God also gives us assurances of additional blessings as we praise Him. When we praise God, He honors us as His children and provides His loving protection (see 2 Samuel 22:4-7Close2 Samuel 22:4-7 I called on the LORD, who is worthy of praise,  and he saved me from my enemies. "The waves of death overwhelmed me;  floods of destruction swept over me. The grave* wrapped its ropes around me;  death laid a trap in my path. But in my distress I cried out to the LORD;  yes, I cried to my God for help.He heard me from his sanctuary;  my cry reached his ears. OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt) , 2 Samuel 22:51Close2 Samuel 22:51 You give great victories to your king;  you show unfailing love to your anointed,  to David and all his descendants forever." OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt) ). Failure to praise God, however, leaves us out of fellowship with God and out of His divine protection (see 1 Samuel 2:27-32Close1 Samuel 2:27-32 One day a man of God came to Eli and gave him this message from the LORD: "I revealed myself* to your ancestors when the people of Israel were slaves in Egypt. I chose your ancestor Aaron* from among all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer sacrifices on my altar, to burn incense, and to wear the priestly vest* as he served me. And I assigned the sacrificial offerings to you priests. So why do you scorn my sacrifices and offerings? Why do you give your sons more honor than you give me—for you and they have become fat from the best offerings of my people Israel! "Therefore, the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I promised that your branch of the tribe of Levi* would always be my priests. But I will honor those who honor me, and I will despise those who think lightly of me. The time is coming when I will put an end to your family, so it will no longer serve as my priests. All the members of your family will die before their time. None will reach old age. You will watch with envy as I pour out prosperity on the people of Israel. But no members of your family will ever live out their days. OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt) ).

Our praise can also serve as a powerful witness to those who do not know the Lord (see 1 Peter 2:12Close1 Peter 2:12 Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world.* OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt) ). Also, God can work miraculously through our praises. The ancient walls of Jericho came crashing down, giving victory to God's people, as a result of shouts of praise (see Joshua 6:1-21CloseJoshua 6:1-21 Now the gates of Jericho were tightly shut because the people were afraid of the Israelites. No one was allowed to go out or in. But the LORD said to Joshua, "I have given you Jericho, its king, and all its strong warriors. You and your fighting men should march around the town once a day for six days. Seven priests will walk ahead of the Ark, each carrying a ram's horn. On the seventh day you are to march around the town seven times, with the priests blowing the horns. When you hear the priests give one long blast on the rams' horns, have all the people shout as loud as they can. Then the walls of the town will collapse, and the people can charge straight into the town." So Joshua called together the priests and said, "Take up the Ark of the LORD's Covenant, and assign seven priests to walk in front of it, each carrying a ram's horn." Then he gave orders to the people: "March around the town, and the armed men will lead the way in front of the Ark of the LORD." After Joshua spoke to the people, the seven priests with the rams' horns started marching in the presence of the LORD, blowing the horns as they marched. And the Ark of the LORD's Covenant followed behind them. Some of the armed men marched in front of the priests with the horns and some behind the Ark, with the priests continually blowing the horns. "Do not shout; do not even talk," Joshua commanded. "Not a single word from any of you until I tell you to shout. Then shout!" So the Ark of the LORD was carried around the town once that day, and then everyone returned to spend the night in the camp. Joshua got up early the next morning, and the priests again carried the Ark of the LORD. The seven priests with the rams' horns marched in front of the Ark of the LORD, blowing their horns. Again the armed men marched both in front of the priests with the horns and behind the Ark of the LORD. All this time the priests were blowing their horns. On the second day they again marched around the town once and returned to the camp. They followed this pattern for six days. On the seventh day the Israelites got up at dawn and marched around the town as they had done before. But this time they went around the town seven times. The seventh time around, as the priests sounded the long blast on their horns, Joshua commanded the people, "Shout! For the LORD has given you the town! Jericho and everything in it must be completely destroyed* as an offering to the LORD. Only Rahab the prostitute and the others in her house will be spared, for she protected our spies. "Do not take any of the things set apart for destruction, or you yourselves will be completely destroyed, and you will bring trouble on the camp of Israel. Everything made from silver, gold, bronze, or iron is sacred to the LORD and must be brought into his treasury." When the people heard the sound of the rams' horns, they shouted as loud as they could. Suddenly, the walls of Jericho collapsed, and the Israelites charged straight into the town and captured it. They completely destroyed everything in it with their swords—men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep, goats, and donkeys. OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt) ). The prison doors shook open when Paul and Silas praised God (see Acts 16:25-26CloseActs 16:25-26 Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening. Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off! OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt) ).

OBSTACLES TO PRAISE

Praise is both important and powerful. So why is it so difficult at times to praise God?

The Bible explains that, even with the power of the indwelling Jesus, our hearts are still deceitful above all things (see Jeremiah 17:9CloseJeremiah 17:9 "The human heart is the most deceitful of all things,  and desperately wicked.  Who really knows how bad it is? OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt) ). We sometimes forget that we are always dependent on God to live victoriously in this life.

Satan therefore tries to persuade us that we will eventually reach a point where we can "do it ourselves." The Scriptures are clear that Satan prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour" (see 1 Peter 5:8Close1 Peter 5:8 Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt) ).

Disguised as an "angel of light," the devil and his host seek subtly to subvert the praises the children of God owe to their heavenly Father.

God, however, has given us grace in times of need, provided we humble ourselves (see Matthew 23:12CloseMatthew 23:12 But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt) ; James 4:5-10CloseJames 4:5-10 What do you think the Scriptures mean when they say that the spirit God has placed within us is filled with envy?* But he gives us even more grace to stand against such evil desires. As the Scriptures say,"God opposes the proud  but favors the humble."* So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor. OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt) ). Praising God allows us to defeat the strategies of the enemy. As God's adopted children, we no longer have to remain slaves to sin (see Galatians 4:6-7CloseGalatians 4:6-7 And because we* are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, "Abba, Father."* Now you are no longer a slave but God's own child.* And since you are his child, God has made you his heir. OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt) ). We have a powerful spiritual weapon in praise, and it is guaranteed to be effective (see 2 Corinthians 10:4-5Close2 Corinthians 10:4-5 *We use God's mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ. OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt) ).

LIVING A LIFE OF PRAISE

It is vitally important to live in an attitude of praise toward God. But what can you do if you are having difficulty maintaining a life filled with praise?

1. Commit your life to Christ. First, be absolutely sure that you have placed your complete faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of your life. The Bible says that if you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved (see Romans 10:9CloseRomans 10:9 If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt) ). The life of praise begins here, with the confession of your mouth that "Jesus is Lord."

2. Confess sin and repent. Sin, including prideful self-reliance, separates us from God and from His love and protection. But we have the assurance of forgiveness if we come to Him in repentance (see1 John 1:9Close1 John 1:9 But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt) ). Confess any known sin and ask God to search your heart. Then, receive His forgiveness.

3. Praise God anyway! Despite your present feelings, it is important to offer praise to God, whatHebrews 13:15CloseHebrews 13:15 Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to his name. OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt) calls a "sacrifice" of praise. Despite our feelings or circumstances, God often asks us to take the first step, especially when He is trying to help us grow in our faith (seeJames 1:2-4CloseJames 1:2-4 Dear brothers and sisters,* when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt) ).

4. Join together with other believers. Sharing your struggles with another brother or sister in Christ is not only a good idea (see Ecclesiastes 4:9-10CloseEcclesiastes 4:9-10 Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt) ), it is commanded (seeJames 5:16CloseJames 5:16 Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt) ). Uniting with other believers in regular worship is also a key to being able to praise God (see Hebrews 10:24-25CloseHebrews 10:24-25 Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near. OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt) ).

AS YOU PRAY

Are you living a life filled with praise for God? If not, take a few moments to examine your life and your relationship with Jesus. If you have not made Him Lord of your life, start there. Then, confess any known sin and receive His forgiveness. Ask Him to renew you and refresh your spirit.

"Lord, You have made me and You love me. Forgive me for failing to give You the praise which You deserve. I confess my need of You in all things. I desire to walk in joy and praise. Release me now into a deeper understanding of who You are, so that I may truly praise You. I ask all this in Jesus' name. Amen."

GOD'S WORD ON PRAISE

"Sing to the Lord, all the earth; Proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day. Tell of His glory among the nations, His wonderful deeds among all the peoples. For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; He also is to be feared above all gods" ( 1 Chronicles 16:23-25Close1 Chronicles 16:23-25 Let the whole earth sing to the LORD!  Each day proclaim the good news that he saves. Publish his glorious deeds among the nations.  Tell everyone about the amazing things he does. Great is the LORD! He is most worthy of praise!  He is to be feared above all gods. OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt) ).