- Praise exalts God. It invites His presence and moves God to act on our behalf. When King Jehoshaphat (2Chr 20:21-22) and the entire Israelite nation faced a great army and they knew the odds were against them, they mobilized a great choir and in songs and praise marched towards the enemy. God came down in a mighty way and struck down the enemies of God and His people. Paul and Silas after a grueling ordeal in the hands of their persecutors raised praise. The enemy had completely immobilized them but forgot one of the very vital weapons in Christian warfare, their mouth. Imprisoned, their hands and feet chained (Acts 16) they began to raise praise unto God and suddenly there was an earthquake and the prison gates opened to grant them freedom. It’s impossible to hold in prison a praising soul. They have the secret of releasing every weight in their soul through praise to God and slip out of the snares of the enemy. A praising soul is an anointed soul.
2.
Praise silences the enemy and gives us strength
to face the challenges of life. Psalm 8 says that God perfects praise coming
out of the mouth of infants and nursing babes. Meaning you don’t need to be so
experienced to praise God. If God can perfect praise out of the mouth of a nursing
infants and a babe what about an adult.
Verse 2b of Psalm 8 says that God does perfect strength or praise (NIV)
because of the enemy. To silence the foe and the avenger. Your mouth is a critical weapon to defeat
any enemy that rises against you. Don’t keep silent even if it appears like you are
totally besieged. Raise praise and you will be delivered.
3.
Praise changes the environment around us and
makes the conditions favorable for increase and harvest (psalm 67). Despising
praise or Lack of it leads to barrenness (2 Sam 6:20)
4.
When people praise, their hearts are liberated
from negative emotions and begin to demonstrate gratitude and generosity. That
is why people who understand how the psychology of man works, when they want
something from someone, they first praise the person. Men can be deceptive in
their praise to you but God looks at the heart and He cannot resist a heart
that is full of praise for Him.
5.
Our praise to God is an indicator of faith, hope
and victory. The best way to know which team is losing in a soccer march is not
to look at the scoreboard but to just listen to the fans. The losing team will
be the one making the least noise.
6.
As believers we are called to praise God. We are
made to praise God (1Pet 2:9).
