Word of the Week - Praise
Praise the LORD, my soul; all my inmost being, praise His holy name. Psalm 103:1
Praise is an amazing spiritual offensive weapon in our journey of faith that is the secret to possessing the joy of the Lord. Throughout the bible God makes it clear that He desires to be praised by us His sons and daughters and that His praise draws Him close to us “He inhabits the praises of His people” Psalm 22:3 We have so much to praise God for. He is all powerful and worthy to be praised as our Creator, Savior and King. Praise is the active posture of expressing our love and gratitude for God and what He has done for us. Most of us engage in praise and worship at church, and this can be a powerful experience, but this is only one aspect of praise. We have the opportunity to praise the Lord daily and receive the benefits of praising His holy name. A few aspects of Praise to keep in mind: 1) Praise focuses on God and not ourselves, 2) Praise reminds us of the eternal not the temporal and 3) Praise is outward not inward.The original Hebrew definition of the word praise is much more descriptive with 7 aspects that are very expressive and excitable to include: 1) Halel – to rave, boast, celebrate, to be clamorously foolish, 2) Yadah – to acknowledge in public, 3) Barak – to bless by kneeling or bowing, 4) Zamar – making music to God with strings, 5) Shabach – to address in a loud tone, to shout, 6) Towdah – to lift hands in adoration, and 7) Tehilah – exuberant singing. As we understand the true definition of praise we begin to see the heart of praise and how it pleases the Lord for us to get really excited about what He has done and in doing so we encourage one another and find the Joy of the Lord, which makes us strong and sustains us in our lifelong journey of faith.Sometimes it is really a sacrifice to offer praise, especially when we are struggling and don’t feel like it. This is our biggest opportunity, when we make the decision to fix our eyes on Him and give Him praise. No matter what we are facing, we realize that God is bigger than the issues or challenges we are facing. It doesn’t matter if were alone, with a few, or in a big group. It doesn’t matter if we feel like it or not, what matters is that our hearts are in tune with our Creator and King. The following is what happens when we choose to praise the Lord: 1) Praise gets our focus off of ourselves and back on God, 2) Praise humbles us and gives us perspective, we are reminded who God is and who we are, 3) Praise makes the enemy flee and brings spiritual victory and protection, 4) Praise invites God’s presence and makes room for His blessing, and 5) Praises refreshes our soul and invites God’s power to be displayed and allow room for miracles. “From the rising of the sun to the going down of the same, the Lord’s name is to be praised” Psalm 113:3So praise the Lord with all of your heart because He is worthy of the praise of His people and we are blessed and joy filled as we praise the Lord!!!!Hope you are having a great Labor Day Holiday.Blessings,-Duane