When You Praise God

"When You Praise God"

Psalm 28:6, 7 “Blessed be the Lord, because He has heard the voice of my supplications! The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in Him, and I am helped; therefore my heart greatly rejoices, and with my song I will praise Him.”

The power of praise is not a religious application of the emotional and psychological effects of music. It is much more than that.

Praise is:

-The release of the power of God in us and rebuking of the spirit of fear around us.

-The honoring of God for His attributes and His actions toward us.

-The recognition of God's person and His concern for His beloved.

Praise is not: 

-Always synonymous with music or in other word's much music is not praise, and much praise is not music. 

-The same as worship or as prayer, but it is an important part of both.

 -Synonymous with singing, but singing is the most common vehicle of praise.

Psalms 149:6-9 the Psalmist joins the action of praise with the action of warfare to defeat his fears. He sings:

"Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two edged sword in their hand, to execute vengeance on the nations ad punishments on the peoples, to bind their kings with chains and their nobles with fetters of iron-To execute on them the written judgment."

Psalms 8:2 declares:

"Out of the mouth of babes and infants you have ordained strength, because of your enemies, that you may silence the enemy and the avenger." 

Acts 16:25 "And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them."

What happens when you begin to praise the Lord?

-You resist Satan and the frustration he is the author of.                                                     - You make a declaration to earth, heaven, and hell that you are loyal to Jesus, that you ascribe greatness to Him, and that you acknowledge Him for His good nature and His good works.

-You are inviting God's presence into your heart and rebuking the ungodly spirits that attempt to paralyze and demolish you. 

Psalm 22:3 "But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel."

Psalm 100:4 "Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name." 

In 2 Chronicles 5:13, 14 there is the story of the dedication of the Temple. It is a story of praise:

"It came to pass, when the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord, and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the Lord saying, "for He is good, for his mercy endures forever, " that the house, the house of the Lord, was filled with a cloud, so that the priests could not continue ministering because the cloud for the glory of the Lord filled the house of God." 

-When you praise God you are confessing and cleansing your own heart.

In Isaiah chapter 6 the prophet encounters a vision of the throne room with the angels in full praise. Verse 3 declares, "And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory." 

Isaiah's response in Verse 5? "Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts." 

-When you praise God you are confirming the work of God in defeating the doubts that have dominated your life previously.

Revelation 12:11 tells us, "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death." 

The "word of their testimony" is the story of what God has done. It is the same thing as giving praise to God. It is not in song, it is not in poetic rhyme or meter, but it is praise nonetheless. 

You and I must face the devil daily. The enemy undermines us, he attacks us directly, he tries to wear us down, he tries to discourage us, and he tries to deceive us. It is the power of unceasing, unstopping praise that gives us the ability to defeat him when he comes against us. 

-As we praise our Father we frustrate the devil's attempt to receive glory and stop the presence of God.

-As we exalt our Savior we cleanse and confirm our souls in Christ rather than allow Satan to separate us from Him. 

-As we bless the Lord we invite His presence on our behalf and rebuke whatever element of doubt and fear that Satan seeks to leave behind.

-Praise strengthens our hearts while it weakens the heart of the enemy. 

-Praise clears our heads while it confronts the problems we are dealing with. 

-Praise brings the presence of the one we adore and also brings the presence of the one that Satan despises.

-When you praise God you ambush your problems-2 Chronicles 20:22. 

-When you praise God you give the devil a nervous breakdown. 

-When you praise God you have a Hallelujah Breakdown-Philippians 4:4. 

-When you praise God you're too much for the devil to handle. 

-When you praise God the enemy and avenger of your life is paralyzed-Matthew 21:16. 

-When you praise God your seen and unseen enemies turn back, and finally fall and perish at God's presence-Psalm 9:1-3. 

-When you praise God you start feeling joyful again-Isaiah 12:1-3. 

-When you praise God the presence of God begins to manifest around you-Psalm 9:1-3 and Psalm 100:2. 

-When you praise God demons and darkness have to flee-1 Samuel 16:23. 

-When you praise God you’re doing the right thing-Psalm 147:1.

-When you praise God your attitude changes. Habakkuk 3:17-19.

-When you praise God you’re walking in your dominion as a believer-Psalm 47. 

-When you praise God you are practicing for heaven-Revelation 4:4-10.

-When you praise God you are doing what you’ll be doing for all eternity-Revelation 4:4-10. 

-When you praise God you’re putting down your self-conscious flesh as you offer an acceptable spiritual sacrifice that’s pleasing to the Father-Hebrews 13:15. 

-When you praise God your emotions and thoughts come back into divine order. Peace and soundness of mind are reinforced-Philippians 4:8. 

-When you praise God you’re creating a corridor into  the very presence of God; an open portal into the realm of His glory. 

-When you praise God you are demonstrating your humility before God to obey Him in this simple matter that simultaneously prepares you to obey Him in more crucial matters. 

-When you praise God you are being DIFFERENT and UNIQUE compared to others that don't know the Lord. 

-When you praise God you are acting like you're part of a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and a special people-1 Peter 2:9. 

-When you praise God you’re correcting your focus back to what really matters. 

-When you praise God it can be a whole lot of fun. 

-When you praise God is glorified, and you are edified-Psalm 50:23. 

-When you praise God you’re doing what you were designed for-Revelation 4:11. 

It was in the context of praise, as Paul and Silas sang hymns to God, that the earthquake shook the prison and broke apart the stocks, snapped apart the chains, and opened the doors of their cell. Instead of being afraid, they praised the Lord and miracles took place.