The Word says unto us: “Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise His holy name.” Psalm 103:1
Webster defines Praise: “To express approval or admiration of, to glorify as in song, to commend, recommend, applaud, cheer, acclaim, endorse, admire , elevate, give an ovation to, appreciate, honor, rave over, adore, worship.” We can praise a person for a job well done. We can praise a Leader for making good decisions. We can praise the Lord, and keep life in perspective.
There is power in praise because it is a gift from God. When we learn to use this magnificent gift we are lifted up to a new level of happiness and joy as we walk on a higher road on this journey of life.
The enemy loves to keep us on the road of “mumbling and grumbling”, with little to no expectation of good things happening for us and thinking it is all in our hands. This makes us very tired, and makes us walk around with a frown on our face, and not very kind to those around us. But when we praise, we get a smile on our face, and a strength in our walk, and have the ability to lift others up to where we are.
Praise, of course, starts with a praise of Him who gives all good things. The Psalmist David wrote: “Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise His holy name. Praise the Lord, O my soul , and forget not all of His benefits – who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” (Psalm 103: 1-5) So when we realize we are cleansed of our sins through faith in the love and blood of Christ Jesus, when we realize ‘by His wounds we are healed’, when we realize we have been crowned with love and compassion by our Abba Father, that he has given us the Holy Spirit who renews us day by day, and that He satisfies our desires with good things, we gratefully look to Him and praise Him. As we praise Him for what He has done, and does every day, we look at the good things in our lives. We more clearly see the good things in those around us. We praise them at every given opportunity. We are lifted up; they are lifted up. Attitudes are as they should be. Good things are expected – good things happen. There is power in praise.
Someone said, “Those who praise will be raised.” May it be so for each of us.
Blessings and love to you, and yours, God’s Beloveds. Let us praise ourselves to a perfect day in Him.
Poppa B.