Praise is to express approval and commendation of; applaud, pay tribute to, speak highly of, compliment, to express adoration of; or admiration for a person. Praising God is the expression of awe, respect and thankfulness for God with our lips.
Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we enter the third month of the year 2019, God deserves our praise and thanksgiving. We read in Luke 19: 37-40, as Christ rode into Jerusalem that “the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, saying, and “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.” God’s Word teaches us clearly, we are to praise the Lord. If the disciples had kept quiet, the stones will cry out and God will receive His due, if not from us the vessels of Praise, then stones. God wants to hear our praise. True praise is the outward expression of our heart by our lips.
Praise gives God the glory and honor due unto Him; it gives pleasure to the Lord. Psalm 147:1 says “Praise the LORD! For it is good to sing praises to our God; for it is pleasant, and a song of praise is fitting.” Praise humbles us and takes the focus off of ourselves and puts our focus where it belongs – on God. We decrease and God increases in us.
Praise helps us have a greater awareness of how much God really has blessed us daily. Psalm 68:19 “Blessed be the Lord, Who daily loads us with benefits, the God of our salvation!” Praising the Lord increases your awareness of God in your life and the role that God plays in your life. As you praise God you begin to see His hand in your life. Praise helps us reveal the Gospel of God’s grace to others. Praise draws us into a closer relationship with God. (Psalms 66:17-20)
Beloved, God inhabits the praise of His people. As we lift His name, as we draw near to Him in praise so He draws near to us. Psalm 22:3 “But Thou art holy, O thou that inhabiteth the praises of Israel.” Let us Praise God sacrificially. Let us Praise God continually. PRAISE THE LORD.
PRAYER POINT: Our Father and our Lord, we praise you with our hearts and songs, we praise you for your faithfulness, we praise you for your great power and love.