Praising Your Way to Victory
Right now we are in a time when praise is of the utmost importance. Scripture tells us that we are in the last days, and while there is nothing new under the sun, this is the first time that many in this generation have experienced the level of adversity that we have seen in the last several months. The news is full of discouraging events, and endeavor to get our attention off of the One who is our refuge and strength, an ever-present hope in times of trouble. Praising God is one of the most important parts of your relationship with your Heavenly Creator.
Many articles and commentaries have been written over the years about praise, and we are thankful to those who have gone before us to bring understanding to this topic. The purpose of this blog, and the ones to follow in this series, is to give revelation of scriptural praise that exalts the name of Jesus above all circumstances. Praise that brings victory to the believer and honor to our Lord and Savior. So much of our praise is rooted in the soulish realm of carnality, and at best brings only temporary relief from the cares of this life. There is, however, a level of praise that involves entering into the presence of God through the revelation of Jesus Christ that allows the believer to praise in spirit and in truth, which guarantees victory in every situation!
So Dear One, read on to discover how you can praise your way to victory!
What is Praise?
In part one of our series, we’re going to take a look at what praise is, as defined by God! We also want to look at how God views worshippers. In future blogs, we are also going to look at what praise isn’t, and the different types of praise recorded in scripture. This is very important for the believer, because we want to come before the throne of God understanding the difference. It’s not that God will be upset or mad with us if we don’t fully have the correct revelation, but it always blesses God when we do things His way, as well as yields a better result for us!
According to ?? [please provide clarification on your source], praise means to comment, to approve, to give a favorable opinion, to glorify, and to highly esteem. When we praise God, we are honoring, esteeming very highly, and expressing our admiration of Him. Praise is an environment that is conducive to the presence of God. Psalm 100:4 tells us that we “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise (Emphasis mine).” The psalmist is using the illustration of the temple to help us understand that we can come before the throne of Heaven via having the right heart attitude.
God enjoys and basks in the praise of His people! In his excellent post entitled The Power of Praise, Jentzen Franklin states,
“You know what perfume does. It makes you smell nice: it draws people to you. In the Bible, incense represents people's praise to God. There was an altar of incense in the Old Testament Tabernacle. When the priest poured the perfume on the hot coals of the altar of incense, the scent would go up to heaven. The Bible says that God received the incense offering as a sweet-smelling savor of praise. (see Leviticus 2:)
Of course, under the New Covenant, we don't have to sprinkle incense on a fire. All we have to do is open up our mouths and give God the fruit of our lips, which is the fragrance of Praise in His nostrils. (see Hebrews 13:15.) When we praise God verbally, it's like spraying the most expensive perfume or cologne; it goes up to heaven and creates an aroma that gets God's attention. Praise is more than making a noise. When you praise Him, you invite the presence of God, the calm of God, and the serenity of God into your life. Praise is called the oil of myrrh. Remember the wise men who came to Bethlehem when Jesus was born? They brought frankincense and myrrh, which denote praise and adoration. Learn to be a worshipper.”
Friends of God
Beloved, God has given us so much. Praise and worship are the only things we can truly give to God. And really, they are the natural response to the love poured out for us by our Creator. King David understood this. He says in Psalm 116:17:
What shall I give to the Lord for all He has done for me? I will offer the sacrifice of thanksgiving.
Praise was one of the reasons David was chosen to be king over all of Israel. The following scriptures tell us that because David was a worshipper, he was a man after God’s own heart:
But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the Lord hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be captain over his people. ~1 Sam 13:14
I have found David, the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfill all of my will. ~Acts 13:22
This does not mean David was perfect, but he was a man of praise. Even as a youth, David spent his time praising God and composing psalms to Him while caring for the sheep in the wilderness. It is believed that Psalm 23, one of the most memorized and beloved psalms, was written during this time.
How Does God Respond to Praise?
Brothers and Sisters, God basks in the praises of His people! Scripture goes as far as to say that He inhabits the praises of His people! Stop for a moment and imagine if you can, that the Creator of the heavens and the earth, and of all the stars and galaxies takes up residence in the moment that the believer is worshipping Him.
But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel. ~Psalm 22:3
We’ve given you a lot to meditate on in part one of this series. We encourage you to remember the scriptures as you take time this week to praise God and enjoy time with Him. We’ll be back next week with part two. Until then, we trust God to keep watch over you and be your refuge and strength.
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