IV- Praise is commanded by God
Many times in scriptures, God commands us to praise Him.
Psalm 150:6
Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD.
Praising God is not a suggestion, but a command. Now, God does not want people to praise him because they feel like they have to do so. Gos is always looking at the heart.
1 Samuel 16:7
But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.
God is not looking for “professional praisers”. People who read, cite, and sing prayers and songs that have already been written. What God is looking for are men and women that have been transformed from the inside out, and who really want to praise Him for revealing himself to him. People who will let praise flow out of them like a mighty stream of living waters. God is looking for a people that’s not ashamed to praise him. People like King David, who are not worried about what other people around them would think of them if they praised God. If you do not want to Praise Him, God can make the stones, rocks and creation shout out a praise for Him. I do not know about you, but I ain’t about to let no rocks outpraise me, give my God, the praise that He deserves in my place. I am a child of God, I am saved, I have been redeemed by the blood of jesus. That’s enough for me to praise God everyday of my life for evermore.
John 4:23
But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him
Romans 1:16
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
Acts 5:29
Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.
John 12:43
For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.
2 Samuel 6:14-16, 20-23
14And David danced before the LORD with all his might; and David was girded with a linen ephod.
15So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet.
16And as the ark of the LORD came into the city of David, Michal Saul’s daughter looked through a window, and saw king David leaping and dancing before the LORD; and she despised him in her heart.
20Then David returned to bless his household. And Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, How glorious was the king of Israel to day, who uncovered himself to day in the eyes of the handmaids of his servants, as one of the vain fellows shamelessly uncovereth himself!
21And David said unto Michal, It was before the LORD, which chose me before thy father, and before all his house, to appoint me ruler over the people of the LORD, over Israel: therefore will I play before the LORD.
22And I will yet be more vile than thus, and will be base in mine own sight: and of the maidservants which thou hast spoken of, of them shall I be had in honour.
23Therefore Michal the daughter of Saul had no child unto the day of her death.
We praise God, not only because he commanded us to do it.
Matthew 21
16And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?
Luke 19:37-40
37And when he was come nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen;
38Saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest.
39And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples.
40And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.
We need to be reminded that because we love Him, our heart is overwhelmed with praise and thanksgiving toward him. We do not praise God, because it is our Chistian duty, although it is. We do not praise God just because He commanded us to do so, although he did. Praising God out of fear or sense of duty will only produce a form of godliness that is empty of the presence, power, and blessing of God.
Luke 6:45
A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.
2 Timothy 3:5
Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
The Bible encourages us to praise Him at all times.
Psalm 34:1
I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
When we praise God, we are doing the will of God. We are doing that which God created us to do. Dogs bark, eagles fly, and man was created to have communion with God, to praise and worship Him. Praise and Worship is one thing that we will be doing in heaven for all eternity.
Ephesians 1:12-14
12That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.
13In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
14Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
Revelation 19:1,3,5-6
1And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God:
3And again they said, Alleluia And her smoke rose up for ever and ever.
5And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great.
6And 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.
Praising God is not only a commandment from God, but it is a commandment of love. God commands us to praise Him, because it is right and comely to do so, but also because when we do praise Him, his blessings pour down on us like the ld gospel song says; “when the praise goes up, His blessings come down.
Psalm 22:3
But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.
Nehemiah 9:5
Then the Levites, Jeshua, and Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabniah, Sherebiah, Hodijah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah, said, Stand up and bless the LORD your God for ever and ever: and blessed be thy glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise.
