Supernatural Power in Praise
Central Thought: God inhabits the praises of His people.
Text: 2 Chronicles 20:1-24; Psalm 149:1-9
Praises and Worship are the main activities in the kingdom of God. It is the eternal duty of the Angels and other hosts of Heaven to render praises to God continually, Revelation 4:8, 5:9-13. When genuine praises are offered to God by Men, a common platform is provided for Heaven and Earth to relate cordially. The true nature and power of Heaven is brought to bear on Earth through praises to God.
Much of the power of godliness in the lives of believers comes from making God our chief joy. Our faith in Christ is made clear and manifest by our level of thankful rejoicing in Him. Praise, therefore, is of cardinal centrality in our Christian race. By it we give glory to God for the triumphs already received, and through it we receive further recompense for being truly thankful to God.
In this study, we shall examine the various scriptural basis for praising God and the numerous benefits that follow.
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Scripturally, what is praise? Hebrews 13:15; Jonah 2:9
Praises are communicated expressions of reverence for, confidence in and gratitude to God for His majestic power and His benevolence toward us. It is a vertical ministration or upward ministration expressing our acknowledgement and submission to the rule of God. It is an organized and joyful noise made to honor God. Gratitude is the basic index of praise to God. The use of musical instruments to praise God is very scriptural. King David raised a choir of 4,000 men and 284 instrumentalists whose life duty was to praise God continually on behalf of the king and the kingdom of Israel, 1 Chronicles 23:5, 25:1,6-7.
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Why should we praise God?
The reasons for praising God are inexhaustibly numerous. Some of them are as follows:
-We are the works of His hands, created for His own glory, Psalm 100:3
-He is to be praised as the supreme authority, whose pleasure and delight is the praises of His people, Psalm 22:3.
-For the salvation of our souls, Romans 5:8
-For diverse benefits and blessings, Psalm 103:1-5
-For answers to our prayers, Psalm 50:15
-We praise God for the divine health and healing He has given to us, Isaiah 53:5; Exodus 15:26
-We praise God for making us fruitful and resourceful, Deuteronomy8:18
-For qualifying us to be joint heirs of the kingdom with our Lord Jesus Christ, Romans 8:17
-For His loving discipline and chastisement on us when we deviate, Hebrews 12:6
-For His abiding presence and guidance, John 14:16
-We must not forget to praise Him for His grace, which is beyond understanding, Ephesians 1:6
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Discuss the features of an acceptable praise.
Today, many things go on in the name of praises among Christians. Some have come to regard any song in church as praise. This is not true. Some songs are motivational or exhortational, others call to prayers or positive confessions. Some other songs in church today, sad to say, are trouble-making and abusive to perceived human enemies.
Praise songs are determined by their component words. Their words ascribe glory, power and honor to God and represent the depths of our gratitude to Him. In praises we visualize His presence with us and this visualization influences our posture, whether we stand, sit, kneel, lie down, lift up our hands, bow out heads or lift up our eyes. This is the demonstration of faith in praises. To the best of our ability, praises should be offered in a state of grace, humble, unworthy attitude, which results in deep gratitude with joy and gladness. A session of praises should be undertaken with a focused attention, under the influence of the Holy Spirit and not the intoxicating influence of wine and drugs. The words that make up a praise song should be in harmony with the scripture, and could be in any intelligent language of the participants.
Musical instruments are a necessary part of praises but the words we speak are the kernel, the real thing. There must be a harmonious balance between both. Dancing is also part of the package of praises, but such should not be distractive, immodest, immoral, competitive or occultic in congregational service.
In a praise session, songs must be carefully selected that actually glorify God. Praise leaders must be humble, Spirit-filled, modest and moderate in appearance.
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Give some scriptural examples of people who praised God acceptable and the result of such.
In the days of the Bible, there were many individuals who understood the place of praises in relating with God. Among them, we have the following
Moses and the children of Israel after crossing the Red Sea, Exodus 15:1:
They sang of the might and majesty of God. Thereafter God did more for them for a span of 40 years.
Joshua and the children of Israel, at the wall of Jericho, Joshua 6:8, 20:
The great impregnable wall collapsed at the praise to God for six days and the joyful shout of the children of God; and Jericho was conquered.
David at the relocation of the Ark of God, 2 Samuel 6:14-23:
This resulted in great blessing for David and Israel as a nation. It also brought a curse to Michal, David’s wife, for her arrogance and criticism.
King Solomon at the Dedication of the Temple, 1 Kings 9:1-5:
Solomon and the nation of Israel offered much in praises and materials to God. In response, God blessed Israel and reaffirmed his covenant with the generation of Solomon.
Jehoshaphat in battle, 2 Chronicles 20:22:
Against tension and against logic, Jehoshaphat mustered singers with musical instruments in place of soldiers. As they sang the praises of God, their enemies were defeated and utterly destroyed.
Paul and Silas in jail, Acts 16:25-26:
The praises at midnight resulted in freedom and refreshment for them and salvation for the warder’s household.
In conclusion, this same package of praise is available to every believer for exploits in battles of life, in our prayers and in our quest to live holy lives in line with the word of God. Praise is the most exciting thing to do in the face of contrary physical evidence. The results are sure.
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What benefits do we derive through praising God?
Praises bring us into the realm of true fellowship with God. By it we experience the atmosphere of Heaven. Our God-consciousness is renewed and reinforced leading to personal edification. Genuine praises will move God more than any form of alarm. Our victory over the enemy is thus accelerated by supernatural intervention of Heaven. Withheld blessings are released, obstacles are cleared away and captivating forces of our lives are put to fight by genuine praises to God. When praises go up, God comes down! Spiritual gifts and the fruit of the Spirit begin to manifest in abundance in a community of praise. When we give God His praise, He makes Himself fully known to us, we begin to abide under his pleasure, and our battles become His.
Finally, there are health benefits medically associated with a proper praise session. Laughter, cheerfulness, dancing, singing, clapping and shouting with demonstrations, are known to relieve tension, soothe nerves, heal and reinvigorate organs of the body, while also helping to eliminate organic waste of the entire body.
Daily Living Application:
Praising God is an outward expression of inner gratitude to God for who He is, what He has made of us and what He has made for us. It is the primary duty of every man to praise God because we were created for His glory. Praise is speaking or singing about God’s great acts and mercies towards us, with a joyful, merry and thankful heart. It is the sweet savor and great delight of God from His children. Praise must be rendered in holiness, faith, obedience and submission to the will of God. Let us learn to praise God, so that His glory can come down. Obstacles and opposition crumble in an atmosphere of acceptable praise.
Memory Verse:
Psalm 135:3 – “Praise the Lord; for the Lord is good: sing praises unto His name; for it is pleasant.”