‘tis The Season For Praise Series

Turn your Bibles to Psalms 118:1, 4-9

Title: ‘Tis the Season for Praise

Theme: Reasons for Continual Praise unto the Lord

Introduction: This Psalm is a triumphant song of praise and it is to be sung with great joy and expression. It is a call to communal thanksgiving. Many believe it was written by King David after a period of anxiety. When he saw the Lord bring about victory and a fulfillment of His promise, David calls the nation to praise God for His goodness and faithfulness. (Matthew Henry; The Treasury of David; The Expositors Bible Commentary) What we do know for sure it that it is to be sung to God and Him alone. The writer of this psalm is very careful to give recognition to the Lord.

It is right that the whole body of Christ gathers in public worship and sings and gives thanks unto the Lord.

There should be no murmuring spirit and no forgetting to praise Him. All complaining should come to an immediate halt and all self-glorification is to be destroyed.

Why? Because in at least eight places we read in the Bible that God is good. (1 Chronicles 16:34; 2 Chronicles 5:13;7:3; Ezra 3:11; Psalm 106:1; 107:1; 118:1,29;136:1 KJV) Goodness is His nature and those who only praise the Lord when He does well for them should rise to a higher note and praise God because of who He is. He is good all the time.

The children of God should never tolerate one moment of unbelief, but rest upon what the Bible says about God, Christ and the Holy Spirit’s influence. And the Holy Spirit moves all with ears to hear and a heart to obey to;

“Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. Go to verse 4 - …Let those who fear the LORD say: ‘His love endures forever.’ In my anguish I cried to the LORD, and He answered by setting me free. The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? The LORD is with me; He is my helper. I will look in triumph on my enemies. It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes.” (Psalms 118:1, 4-9)

Pray!

Proposition: I would propose to you that those who learn to praise the Lord in every season of their lives are the ones who walk joyfully and victoriously over life’s situations down here. They walk in a renewed strength, a continued hope and in full assurance that God’s promises are true.

Interrogative Sentence: Just what are reasons for continually praising God?

Transitional Sentence: We can give continued praise to God because when we pray according to His will He is pleased to answer those prayers according to His plan. It is Christians who do not use the Lord as a bellboy; meeting childish whims give heartfelt praise that is pleasing to God.

1 John 5:14-15 says, “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us--whatever we ask--we know that we have what we asked of Him.”

Christians often miss the importance of having the same heart in prayer that Jesus did, “Father… yet not My will but yours be done.” (Luke 22:42; Matthew 6:10; Mark 14:36) When prayer is kept in its proper perspective, Christians can know that God longs to hear from his obedient surrendered children.

Christians not only can walk in confidence in Jesus Christ for their salvation and the sure hope of the resurrection, but they can have a special fellowship of prayer with the Lord as long as they stay linked to the qualifying clause, which is asking according to His will. Prayer becomes not only a time for petitioning but of yielding their lives to the will and work of the Lord. When Christians learn to want God’s will as Jesus did, they will have the joy of receiving His answer to their prayers. (The Expositors Bible Commentary; Matthew Henry; Barnes notes;)

Now that the foundation has been laid, let us focus on the very special kind of “confidence” (parresia) Christians have in God hearing their prayers. This “confidence” means to have a freedom to enter into the “Throne of Grace” (Hebrews 4:16) with a freedom to speak all that is on the heart. We need never force our way in or compel God to hear us; He is waiting for us to come. (The Complete Word Study Dictionary; William Barclay)

Let this truth be placed deep within your heart. Christians who surrender to the will of God are able to enter the presence of God, know God personally and intimately. They have the same confidence as the beloved John who wrote, “And if we know that He hears us--whatever we ask--we know that we have what we asked of Him.” (1 John 5:15) They know the joy of actually having the Lord guide and direct, look after and care for them just as parents care and look after their children. They have full assurance of the Lord’s provision and protection, and strength, a grasp of His joy and victory over trials and temptations. (Practical Word Studies in the New Testament)