As we reflect on intentional spiritual growth this month, let’s take a closer look at praise. What role does praise play in your daily life?
A year ago, I was leading a woman through prayer at the conclusion of a workshop we’d attended on spiritual and emotional healing. There were so many burdens on Lisa’s heart that she wanted to give to the Lord, but she was stuck. The freedom I had seen in many others over the past few days wasn’t coming to Lisa.
As we sat quietly listening for the leading of the Spirit, one of the workshop facilitators turned on a praise song. After a few moments, Lisa stood up. She began to softly sing the familiar words. Then she raised her hands. At the chorus, she began to march circles around our chairs as she sang.
When the song finished, Lisa returned to her chair beside me. Her face was streaked with tears, but she was ready to continue. We returned to the shame and hurt she had struggled to give over to the Lord. Now, everything had changed. She laid it all at the feet of her Lord and readily received His forgiveness, acceptance, and blessing. It was amazing to see her transformation over the next hour. She walked out of the church with a new peace.
Witnessing the power that followed Lisa’s worship made a profound impression on me. In the months that followed, the Lord began teaching me more about praise.
Praise as Battle Strategy
The role of praise is so significant that it was King Jehoshaphat’s front-line military strategy in a battle described in 2 Chronicles 20. The praise singers were sent out ahead of the army.
This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s.”
…As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem! Have faith in the Lord your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful.” After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the Lord and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying: “Give thanks to the Lord, for his love endures forever.”
As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated.
(2 Chronicles 20:15b, 20b-22)
What a great battle cry! “Give thanks to the Lord, for his love endures forever.” Read the last verse again. As they were singing and praising, the LORD set ambushes against their enemies. The battle itself was not their responsibility. Worship was.
For the Lord is Good
Why do we praise God? The following verses give a few of the reasons the Bible tells us to praise God.
“Know that the Lord, he is God!
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise!
Give thanks to him; bless his name!For the Lord is good;
his steadfast love endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations.
(Psalm 100:3-5)Sing to the Lord; praise the Lord!
For he has delivered the life of the needy from the hand of evildoers.
(Jeremiah 20:13)
We proclaim His glory, His goodness, His everlasting love, His righteousness, His faithfulness, His mercy, and His deliverance. In short, we praise God for Who He is and for what He has done. This simple recognition has helped me examine the motives of my heart as I approach the Lord. Apart from intercession, aside from asking anything of God, am I spending substantial time in pure adoration?
Daily Praise
Praise is as vital to our daily walk with God as prayer. As we follow Jesus with intention this year, how can we add more praise to our lives? Following Lisa’s example, I’ve let myself become a bit more vocal and a bit more active in my praise. I moved my quiet reading and writing time from a local coffee shop to our guest room to allow my self to stand, to sing, maybe to dance.
What can you do to make worship a bigger part of your life?
Consider one of these possibilities in the next week:
- Sing Psalm 118 with Shane and Shane
- Recite or read aloud Psalm 100 as your day begins or before quiet time with the Lord.
- Have you ever been on a prayer walk around a neighborhood or a building? Try taking a praise walk. Sing the Lord’s praises through your home. Sing in the kitchen, praise Him in the living room, and declare His goodness in the bedrooms of your home.
[…] newest team writer, Jennifer, encouraged us to Praise God. She tells us, “Praise is as vital to our daily walk with God as prayer. As we follow […]