Written by
Uyoyou Christiana Charles-Iyoha
Praise unlocks
divine blessings. Divine blessings are myriad and diverse. You can unlock divine
blessings through praise; I mean quality, genuine and glorious praise of God
and to God. The praise to God and for God flows from your heart in appreciation
of who God is to God and for God. Such praise is not designed for showmanship
that you are the best singer or the one who knows how best to praise God. No.
such praise is your acknowledgment of God’s supremacy, sovereignty, Lordship
and headship over you, that He is your Creator and you are grateful to Him for
who He is. In essence, you celebrate God for who He is and not necessarily for
what He did or what He will do for you. You celebrate Him because He is God.
Praise is also a
worthy sacrifice to God (Psalm 50 verse, Jeremiah Chapter 33 verse 11 and
Hebrews Chapter 13 verse 15) and if offered from the depths of the heart with genuine
and best intent, praise becomes a precious seed (Psalm 126 verses 5 to 6) that
always yields bountiful harvests of joy, peace, increase, salvation,
deliverance, abundance, protection, celebration, victories and promotions
(Psalm 67 verses 1 to 7).
It is
significant that not everyone can bring the sacrifice of praise to God.
However, those who do so always give it to God and they bring it into the house
of God.
King David always
praised God – he woke up in the early hours of the day to praise God (Psalm 108
verses 1 to 4) for His mercies, praised God seven times a day (Psalm 119 verses
164) and progressed to praising God at all times (Psalm 34 verse 1, 71 verses
6, 14 to 15). Also, when the Ark was to be brought to Jerusalem from the house
of Obed-Edom, David ensured that the music ministers were carefully selected to
praise God (1st Chronicles
Chapter 15 verses 14 to 29, 16 verses
1 to 42) with resounding joy – so it was not just the ability to sing.
The condition of the heart was critically important to the quality of praise –
gladness, resounding joy.
In the days of
King Hezekiah, the Levites appointed to minister in songs also ministered songs
of praise to God with gladness (2nd Chronicles Chapters 29 verses 25
to 30, note verse 30, and then 30 verse 21).
The Judeans
under King Jehoshaphat praised God when they were attacked by three enemy
nations allied together against Judah. As they praised God, the enemy nations
attacked one another, eliminated one another and left huge loot that took the
Judeans three days to cart away. Please see 2nd Chronicles Chapter
20. God certainly inhabits the praises of His people.
Email:
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