DELIBERATE PRAISE (Part II)

As you know, the flesh can be satisfied for only - so long. If not satisfied, you may become restless and uncomfortable. So therefore shouting, clapping and dancing do not necessarily constitute true worship. The flesh is capable of that with no regard to God at all. A look at the world will confirm this. True worship, however, is much deeper. It is to give yourself (in thought, word and deed) to God.

The music, the people around you, even your life's circumstances, become secondary to worship as you commit everything to God. Praise and worship is something to be expressed in our homes, on the job, throughout our every day life.

We must lay a foundation of praise and worship in the good times of life - not just during the seasons of trial. We may be walking along in life and all is well and then suddenly tragedy strikes.

Hebrews 13:15 "Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise--the fruit of lips that confess his name"

It is continuing to praise God, whether in a trial or when we don't really feel like it. It is not contingent upon being happy or feeling good. We often want to praise God only when we feel like there's something to praise about (that is, in times of reaping rather than sowing). But, it doesn't require much to rejoice and praise God when everything's going our way. It's when we get turned down for that mortgage loan, are presented with a pink slip, perhaps losing someone you love or ... you fill in the blank. These things take what the Bible calls the sacrifice of praise. God wants us to take up residence in a house constantly flowing in praise and worship to the Lord. Tell someone--Build a House of Praise. If we do this, then during times of trouble we don't have to seek Him, He will already be there!

When we worship God through our praise and worship, we make an investment in the future; we give God something to work with. When a time of need arises in our lives, the seeds for victory have already been sown.

Learn to worship God in the midnight hour. God inhabits, dwells in, the praises of His people. INTENTIONAL PRAISE AND WORSHIP releases the authority of God into our lives as we exalt Him. Worship says to God, "Sit down upon the throne I build for you. Take the weapon of my praise in your hands and destroy my enemies and break the awful power of the devil from my life."

As we exalt Him, we build His throne higher and higher in our lives. A lack of praise and worship gives the opposing forces of the enemy a higher place of dominion than the level to which we have exalted Jesus. Every day of our lives we can find new areas to give Him dominion over through our INTENTIONAL WORSHIP AND PRAISE.

We must be diligent to build a throne of praise in each area of our lives, so He can rule and reign from the place of authority we have given Him. God sits on the throne of praise that we build. He looks at the devil and all his striving against us, and the Lord begins to laugh.

Psalm 2:1-4 (Amplified Bible)

1. WHY DO the nations assemble with commotion [uproar and confusion of voices], and why do the people imagine (meditate upon and devise) an empty scheme?
2. The kings of the earth take their places; the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and His Anointed One (the Messiah, the Christ). They say,
3. Let us break Their bands [of restraint] asunder and cast Their cords [of control] from us.
4. He Who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord has them in derision [and in supreme contempt He mocks them].

Oh yes, the adversary is coming. He has his arsenal of disease, defeat, discouragement, dismay and dissatisfaction. He will try to cause us to question the Word of God, the love of God and the power of God in our lives. He is coming, are you ready?

The way to be ready is to intentionally praise and thank Him. "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most high shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty." The way that we dwell in the secret place is through a continuous worship - INTENTIONAL PRAISE AND WORSHIP that leads us into constant communion with Him. Where are you today in your relationship with Him?

Are you spending time praising and thanking God? I know for some - it's not easy to just wake up in the morning and start praising the Lord in our homes. Because there IS no ORGAN, no drums, no trumpets, but we still have to praise God without all the helps. It is just as important to worship God in our homes as it is to worship in the church! Express your praise to God. Pursue God in praise, INTENTIONALLY PRAISE GOD, watch what happens as you build a throne of praise. The mountains will move!