7 Things Concerning Praise – 2
Last Sunday morning I spoke on “Praise Changes the Atmosphere.” Then Sunday night I started a message called, “7 Things Concerning Praise” and we were able to get through three of the benefits that praise gives us.
I. PRAISE IS A WEAPON
II. PRAISE ACTIVATES THE SPIRIT WORLD
III. PRAISE CAUSES THE ENEMY TO RETREAT
I felt compelled to finish this message this morning. Praise is a powerful force in the life of the believer. There is something that happens supernaturally when a believer starts to praise God in spite of his circumstances.
IV. PRAISE IS A LIFESTYLE
Praise is a weapon; praise activates the spirit world; and praise causes every enemy in hell to retreat. The only way this works for the believer is if praise is a lifestyle for them. Praise is not to be used like Papa Smurf’s magical potion. It doesn’t work that way. It is not just to be used when trouble arises, it needs to become a lifestyle, praising the Lord needs to be second nature to us.
Hebrews 13:15, “Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.”
This word “continually” is referring to a lifestyle. We need to continually offer praise through our lips. That doesn’t mean just in our thoughts, we must speak out something. We must say, “Thank you Lord, for you are good and your mercy endures forever.” We can’t just think it.
Colossians 3:15, “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.”
I Thessalonians 5:16-18, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
Psalm 71:5-6, “For You are my hope, O Lord God; You are my trust from my youth. By You I have been upheld from birth; You are He who took me out of my mother's womb. My praise shall be continually of You.”
Psalm 104:33-34, “I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. May my meditation be sweet to Him; I will be glad in the Lord.”
Praise is something you do everyday, not just when you feel like it and things are going good. Praise is something you fill your mind with all week long. We must live a life of praise if we expect to loosen the devil’s grip on us and our circumstances. Every one of these Scriptures makes it clear that our praise to God needs to be a lifestyle, not a get out of jail free card. God loosens all the resources in heaven when we begin to praise Him.
V. PRAISE IS SIMPLY RECOUNTING THE FAITHFULNESS AND GREATNESS OF GOD IN TIMES PAST
Luke 19:37, “Then, as He was now drawing near 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 they had seen.”
God requires thanksgiving and praise! He is good and when we begin to reflect on all that He has done in the past, it causes our focus to get off our current circumstances and we are reminded that God has been faithful in the past and He will continue to be faithful in the future. There is no reason to fear. Praise dispels fear from our lives because confidence rises once again in His ability and character. If God saw you through last time, you can mark my words, He will see you through again.
Deuteronomy 8:10, “When you have eaten and are full, then you shall bless the Lord your God for the good land which He has given you.”
My mind goes back to the ten lepers. Only one came back to give Him thanks and praise for what God had done in his life. Only 1 out of 10!
➢ Every time we eat, we should give Him thanks that we have food on our table.
➢ Every time we drive somewhere in a car, we need to thank God because not everyone has that blessing.
➢ Every time we kiss our spouse good night or good morning, we should give God thanks and praise that we have a loving relationship with someone that we can trust.
➢ Every time our children ask us to do something or play with them, we should be giving God praise that we have healthy children that want to stay busy.
➢ Every time we get in the shower, we should be praising God for hot water, some don’t have that.
➢ Every time we put money in the cashiers hand at the grocery store, we should be giving God praise that we have food on our table.
We have so much to be thankful for, so much to praise God for. He is SO good!
Psalm 100:1-5, “Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands! 2 Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before His presence with singing. 3 Know that the Lord, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture. 4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. 5 For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations.”
When we begin to praise Him, it changes our whole perspective. We are reminded that God is so faithful! God is so great! God is so awesome! The Lord is good and His mercy is everlasting! His truth endures to all generations! Thank you Jesus!
Not only does praise change our lives:
VI. PRAISE FREES OTHERS
When we begin to praise God in spirit and in truth, other people are listening and will be blessed as well. There are times that we stifle our praise because we are afraid of what others will think. I can’t think of too many times that I got frustrated because someone else was praising the Lord. Most of the time, it blesses my socks right off! I love to hear people praising! I love to hear people shouting during a worship service! I love seeing others get involved in praising God. Don’t allow other people to keep you bound in your praise. Your deliverance is counting on your praise! Your breakthrough is counting on your praise. There is a tremendous freedom in the atmosphere of praise.
Remember the story of Paul and Silas? They were in prison and in the middle of the night, in the middle of their beatings and right in the middle of torn up backs and blood, they stood up and starting praising God. Because they praised in their dark hour, others were set free! It wasn’t just them that God delivered, everyone around them were delivered as well. There is power in the atmosphere of praise. Listen to what happened:
Acts 16:25-26, “And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands (chains) were loosed.”
When you praise the Lord in your house, you create an atmosphere where deliverance comes to everyone in that house. When you praise the Lord in church, you create an atmosphere where deliverance comes to everyone in that church that wants it! God desires our praise! God requires our praise!
Acts 2:46-47, “And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.”
When we praise God and when it becomes a lifestyle for us, people will be saved! People will travel and go see a house that is on fire because of their curiosity. When the fire of God is falling in a place, people will come and be affected by that fire! Lord, send down the fire of the Holy Ghost!
VII. PRAISE MUST BE WHOLEHEARTED
I Peter 2:9, “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvellous light.”
Psalm 9:1-2; “I will praise thee, O LORD, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works. 2 I will be glad and rejoice in thee: I will sing praise to thy name, O thou most High.
If you want to flow with God’s power and anointing in your life, you cannot be half-hearted about your commitment to God. God wants all of us, not just a portion.
