Praising God
Scripture Reading: Psalm 108
“I will praise thee, O Lord, among the people: and I will sing praises unto thee among the nations,” Psalm 108:3.
Praising God
Wonderful Jesus, gracious living God, the Alpha and the Omega, the eternal Rock of Ages, the I Am that I Am, the soon-returning King, Lord Jesus we worship your majesty. Holy Father, you are a faithful God, a powerful God, an omnipresent God, and an omnipotent God. Great is your name and it is greatly to be praised.
“O God, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise, even with my glory. Awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early. I will praise thee, O Lord, among the people: and I will sing praises unto thee among the nations. For thy mercy is great above the heavens: and thy truth reacheth unto the clouds. Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: and thy glory above all the earth; That thy beloved may be delivered: save with thy right hand, and answer me. God hath spoken in his holiness; I will rejoice, I will divide Shechem, and mete out the valley of Succoth. Gilead is mine; Manasseh is mine; Ephraim also is the strength of mine head; Judah is my lawgiver; Moab is my washpot; over Edom will I cast out my shoe; over Philistia will I triumph. Who will bring me into the strong city? Who will lead me into Edom? Wilt not thou, O God, who hast cast us off? And wilt not thou, O God, go forth with our hosts? Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man. Through God we shall do valiantly: for he it is that shall tread down our enemies,” Psalm 108.
We often praise people because of what they have done or because of their character. Our praise to God should be no different. When we praise Him, the object and total focus of our praise must be God Himself. Praise His character as expressed in His hidden names. To God’s children, He has multiple and meaningful names: Jehovah for “Covenant Father”; Jehovah Shalom for “God of my Peace”; Jehovah Shamaah for “my Ever-Present God”; Jehovah El-Shaddai for “the All-Sufficient One”; Jehovah Roi for “God my Shepherd.”
Calling His hidden names and praising Him will cause God to honour your praise.
When you are praising God, meditate on what He has done. Then begin to praise His power, His wonderful works, and His lovingkindness in your life. How often should you praise God? Praise Him daily; praise Him even continually at least seven times a day. Yes, praise Him at midnight, in the morning, and throughout the day.
There are different kinds of praise, specific to each individual. The praise that David gave to God was of total freedom and fervor. His wife looked at him as though he were dancing disgracefully like a common man, but he said he was praising God. David’s son, Solomon, learned from him and praised God fervently also. He praised by sacrificing a thousand burnt offerings far beyond the norm. I pray that God will give you your particular kind of praise so that you praise God zealously and please Him with that praise.
Praise can be verbal or musical or a combination of both. There are three different types of music: sensual, soulish, and spirit-filled. Music for the body is sensual and gratifies the flesh. It is very popular in the unsaved world but it offends the spirit that is saved. Music for the soul uplifts us emotionally.
When the saints face severe hardship, they sing these songs for encouragement. While this music refreshes your soul, the ultimate note of music is for the spirit. This music is for God; it edifies the spirit and increases intimacy with God. I pray that God will give you the grace to differentiate between the three different types of music so that you will praise His holy name with revelation.
Prayer Points:
Praising God is easy for those who are filled with the Holy Spirit. But for those who do not have His Holy Spirit operating actively in them, praise is difficult. If you have never given your life to Jesus and received His Holy Spirit, pray with me: “Dear Lord Jesus, I surrender my life to you. I confess and forsake my sins. Cleanse me from my sins with your blood. Write my name in the book of life. Fill me with the Holy Spirit and give me the grace to keep praising God in Jesus’ name.” Amen.
Father God Almighty, tune our hearts to sing your praise because you alone are worthy. Thank you for all you have done, all you are doing, and all you will do. You are the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. Lord, continue your loving kindness. Take all the glory, honour, and adoration; it all belongs to you.
