Recently, after years of trying to do everything, control everything, handle everything and be everything to everybody – I received a revelation. I am NOT Superwoman … so I gathered up all my “capes” and returned them. However, there is one power that I've kept and plan to activate at all times…the power of praise.
It doesn’t matter what it looks like in the natural. It doesn’t matter what obstacles I may be facing. It doesn’t matter who or what may be trying to come against me. It doesn’t matter if relationships are failing. It doesn’t matter if I have been hurt. I will continue to praise God faithfully.
On the flip side, it doesn’t matter how incredible things are in my life. It doesn’t matter if I received that promotion I wanted. It doesn’t matter if my family is prospering. It doesn’t matter how many breakthroughs I am experiencing … I will still continue to praise God faithfully. (I had to add that part in because often we save God for when we are going through dark times and not when the sun is shining in our lives).
Praise is one of our most powerful tools that we sometimes forget we have. I know sometimes you just don’t feel like praising but it’s in those times that you probably really need to praise Him. Your praise will help you push through whatever has you bound.
“I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will tell of all Your marvelous works. I will be glad and rejoice in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.” Psalm 9:1-2
You know how it’s hard to stay angry if you are purposely smiling. Or how it’s hard to stay in a negative funk, if you purposely look for the positive in all situations. Praise works the same way. It allows you to break through and rise above the situations, conflicts, stress, etc.
So don’t wait another moment … activate your power … the power to PRAISE!
Scripture Of The Day: “I will be glad and rejoice in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.” - Psalm 9:2 (NKJV)
Showing posts with label the power of praise. Show all posts
Showing posts with label the power of praise. Show all posts
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Good Manners
All of us, at some point or another, have seen folks who publicly have not displayed good manners. We’ve seen it in restaurants where people do not follow the rules of etiquette with their table manners. Things like licking your knife, chewing with your mouth open, talking with food in your mouth, eating before everyone gets their food, slurping your food, or even taking on too much food at one time. All of these are an improper display of manners. We’ve been in public places where folks are holding loud conversations on their phones distracting everyone within an ear-shot of the conversation. This is not good manners. We have all seen folks who take public displays of affection to the extreme and begin to display behaviors that should probably be reserved for more private settings. We have also all probably contacted a business to only have the ‘professional’ representative not display good phone manners with us. Instead their ‘professional’ behavior is condescending, offensive, and discourteous. It is quite frustrating.
I haven’t even mentioned good manners with driving. The amount of good etiquette today with driving is scarce. Impatient maneuvers, inconsiderate behaviors, and indecent communication abound with people and their cars and driving. It is just not good manners.
But did you know that bad manners are sometimes practiced by God’s children? I’m not referring to our eating, affection, phone interactions, or even driving (although many of us have been guilty!). I’m specifically referring to that notion of expressing gratitude for accomplished work.
In its most basic form, good manners are about consideration and respect. Good manners are the declaration that we respect others enough to display thought and sensitivity to them in how we conduct ourselves. One of the most thoughtless and offensive things in the world is to not say Thank You or express gratitude to people who have provided a service to you. It’s even more boorish and crude to not express appreciation when someone performs an act or completes a favor for you when it wasn’t even expected, mandated, or necessary. When they do it out of the kindness of their heart, it should be expected that gratitude is the rightful response.
Psalms 92: 1, the writer shares, “It is a good thing to give thanks.” At all times, in all cases it is the PROPER thing to do – give thanks to God. For his righteousness, right treatment, and right care of His children.
Like a good newspaper editor, the John Gill Commentary shares,
“For all mercies, temporal and spiritual; for Christ, and salvation by him; for the Gospel, and for Gospel opportunities and ordinances;… it is due unto him, and is our reasonable service; it is well pleasing unto God through Christ; it is pleasant work for the saints themselves, and is profitable unto them; to be thankful for what they have is the way to have more.”
As I have taught my children, when there is no gratitude expressed, there is the assumption that they are ungrateful or unmindful of what it took for them to receive what they’ve received. I have also shared with them that there is the possibility that some ‘blessings’ within our home may no longer be extended if there is consistent ingratitude. I am attempting to imbed good manners in them.
Although God is creator and a BIG God, he rightly deserves our good manners. Good manners to God are a reasonable expectation in return for all of the work that He does for us.
Worship is what we attribute to God because of His nature and character. Thanksgiving is personalized praise for the individual works of God in our lives. Praise is a general act of admiration for the general work that He performs. He is due each of these – worship, praise, and thanksgiving. If by chance, you have not been displaying good manners, it is never too late. As a matter of fact, it is also very simple. It starts with humble and modest statements like, “Thank You”, “I appreciate you”, and “You’re awesome”. Simple statements that simply display good manners.
Scripture of the Day: "It is good to give thanks to the Lord, And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;" - Psalm 92:1
Monday, March 19, 2012
A Praise that Produces Results
There is nothing that gets attention like praise!
Every year we celebrate Jesus entering Jerusalem for the culmination of His earthly ministry through the crucifixion, burial, and resurrection which brought restoration for humanity. Praise is associated with the triumphal entry. Praise is powerful, it is causative, and it initiates blessings. As Jesus entered Jerusalem people recognized who He was and acknowledged Him by praising Him.
Luke tells us that Jesus stood outside the city and wept. Doubtless, He did so because those who should have known Him were spiritually blind. They were blinded by their own sin, by a sense of self sufficiency, and by their empty vain religion. The gospel of Mark 10:46-52 depicts a blind man on the outskirts of town who made a sincere praise that got Jesus attention. There is nothing that gets attention like a shout of praise. It can irritate men but it can glorify God. If you want to connect with the blessings of God praise is a way to execute it. It will cause the Lord to stop to meet your request even when others say hold your peace. The blind man did not just make empty vain noise, rather he cried “Jesus thy son of David, have mercy on us.”
Imagine, on the outside of Jerusalem was a man who recognized his condition and cried out for mercy. Inside the city were religious people who failed to recognize their condition. Outside the gates was a man with revelation but no sight and inside the gates were men with sight but no revelation. The blind man cried” thy son of David have mercy on me.” The title connected Jesus with the heritage of King David. God had promised that the throne of David would be established forever. Jesus came through the linage of David.
These blind men knew how to activate and tap into the blessings and mercies of God. We must recognize our own deficiencies and inadequacies and learn to cry out to God with sincere praise and we can experience the blessings and mercies of God too. We don’t have to scream and holler over what we need with empty and insignificant words, we simply need to release strategic praises that will get the Lord’s attention. Jesus said to the man “Go thy faith hath made thee whole. Immediately the man received his sight and followed Jesus.
That was a praise that produced favorable results. Praise Him today no matter your current condition. Praise in faith and expectation and receive the mercies of God.
Scripture of the day: "Be merciful to me, O Lord for I cry to You all day long. Rejoice the soul of Your servant for to You O Lord I lift up my soul For You Lord are good and ready to forgive and abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You." - Psalm 86:3-5 (NKJV)
Every year we celebrate Jesus entering Jerusalem for the culmination of His earthly ministry through the crucifixion, burial, and resurrection which brought restoration for humanity. Praise is associated with the triumphal entry. Praise is powerful, it is causative, and it initiates blessings. As Jesus entered Jerusalem people recognized who He was and acknowledged Him by praising Him.
Luke tells us that Jesus stood outside the city and wept. Doubtless, He did so because those who should have known Him were spiritually blind. They were blinded by their own sin, by a sense of self sufficiency, and by their empty vain religion. The gospel of Mark 10:46-52 depicts a blind man on the outskirts of town who made a sincere praise that got Jesus attention. There is nothing that gets attention like a shout of praise. It can irritate men but it can glorify God. If you want to connect with the blessings of God praise is a way to execute it. It will cause the Lord to stop to meet your request even when others say hold your peace. The blind man did not just make empty vain noise, rather he cried “Jesus thy son of David, have mercy on us.”
Imagine, on the outside of Jerusalem was a man who recognized his condition and cried out for mercy. Inside the city were religious people who failed to recognize their condition. Outside the gates was a man with revelation but no sight and inside the gates were men with sight but no revelation. The blind man cried” thy son of David have mercy on me.” The title connected Jesus with the heritage of King David. God had promised that the throne of David would be established forever. Jesus came through the linage of David.
These blind men knew how to activate and tap into the blessings and mercies of God. We must recognize our own deficiencies and inadequacies and learn to cry out to God with sincere praise and we can experience the blessings and mercies of God too. We don’t have to scream and holler over what we need with empty and insignificant words, we simply need to release strategic praises that will get the Lord’s attention. Jesus said to the man “Go thy faith hath made thee whole. Immediately the man received his sight and followed Jesus.
That was a praise that produced favorable results. Praise Him today no matter your current condition. Praise in faith and expectation and receive the mercies of God.
Scripture of the day: "Be merciful to me, O Lord for I cry to You all day long. Rejoice the soul of Your servant for to You O Lord I lift up my soul For You Lord are good and ready to forgive and abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You." - Psalm 86:3-5 (NKJV)
Saturday, March 26, 2011
When Praise Becomes a Sacrifice
There are times when it is a sacrifice to offer praise to God, quite frankly, because we don't really want to. There are times when we are down or depressed or things aren't going that well. We don't really feel like praising the Lord.
Yet the Bible is filled with admonition after admonition to give glory and praise and thanks to God. Psalm 106:1 says, "Praise the Lord! Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever."
Notice that the Bible does not say, "Give thanks to the Lord when you feel good." Rather, it says, "Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!" I don't praise God because I feel like it. I praise God because He is worthy, regardless of what I am going through.
Praise can be a sacrifice sometimes. I have found that when, out of obedience, I begin to praise the Lord, the emotion will begin to engage with my act of obedience in time. The point is, I should do it because God tells me to.
In the Gospel of Luke, we find the story of ten men who were miraculously touched by Jesus. Because these men had leprosy, they were the outcasts of their society. Yet Jesus went out of His way to touch them and heal them of this dread disease. Only one, a Samaritan, returned and gave thanks and praise to God.
Jesus then asked a provocative question: "Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?" (Luke 17:18). In many ways, I think He is still asking this question today.
Scripture Of The Day: "Praise the Lord! Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever." - Psalm 106:1 (NKJV)
Yet the Bible is filled with admonition after admonition to give glory and praise and thanks to God. Psalm 106:1 says, "Praise the Lord! Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever."
Notice that the Bible does not say, "Give thanks to the Lord when you feel good." Rather, it says, "Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!" I don't praise God because I feel like it. I praise God because He is worthy, regardless of what I am going through.
Praise can be a sacrifice sometimes. I have found that when, out of obedience, I begin to praise the Lord, the emotion will begin to engage with my act of obedience in time. The point is, I should do it because God tells me to.
In the Gospel of Luke, we find the story of ten men who were miraculously touched by Jesus. Because these men had leprosy, they were the outcasts of their society. Yet Jesus went out of His way to touch them and heal them of this dread disease. Only one, a Samaritan, returned and gave thanks and praise to God.
Jesus then asked a provocative question: "Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?" (Luke 17:18). In many ways, I think He is still asking this question today.
Scripture Of The Day: "Praise the Lord! Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever." - Psalm 106:1 (NKJV)
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
The Praise Parade
Parades create excitement. There is the beat of the rhythm section and the syncopated response of the pavement pounding marchers. There are the ruffles and flourishes of the brass section, the “umpa pas” of the tubas, the wave of the flag bearers, the swish of the majorettes, and the arrogant high steps of the drum major.
A parade has the power to create excitement and anticipation with or without marching bands, floral floats, beauty queens, circus animals or convertible cars with waving celebrities. A parade can be a source of inspiration. It can inspire people to learn, practice or replicate what they see. It can be used to sell an idea, make a statement or support a cause.
It can signal an event. The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade announces the official start of the holiday shopping season. The Presidential Inaugural Parade signals a transition of power from one president to the next, a bloodless transfer of power.
A parade also has the power to draw a crowd. And, the parade described in Mark’s gospel was no different the day that Jesus was the divine dramatic drum major or the marshal of his own parade.
This parade made a statement. The people draped garments on a never been ridden donkey and spread leafy branches that they had cut from the fields. It was an act of honor similar to Israel’s pattern of royal processions.
This was a parade of praise. There is something powerful about praise. It is infectious. It inspires people to participate not just spectate. The praise in this parade was not done to manipulate the crowd or God. It was an honest to goodness praise for who God is and what God can or has done. There were perhaps those in the crowd who had just witnessed the miracle of he formerly blind man named Bartimaeus. Those in front and back of Jesus shouted Hosanna meaning save us or save now. Hosanna blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord has become a liturgical formula for praising God.
Thus, this parade supported a cause, the salvation plan of God. As the people were rejoicing in a praise parade, they were also saying “Save Us” to the only person who could really grant them salvation, Jesus, the King of Kings, Lord of Lord, the only Savior who could save.
The praise parade signaled the transition that was about to take place. This would be no bloodless transfer of power, but a blood shedding event on a cross. Jesus had a date with death. The parade would culminate on Resurrection morning as Jesus rose from the grave with all power in His hands.
Those who have experienced the power of Jesus in their lives continue the praise parade daily. Let’s join the Hosanna crowd shouting “Save Now” to the only Savior who can.
Scripture Of The Day: "And those who went before and those who followed were shouting, "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!" - Mark 11:9-10 (ESV)
A parade has the power to create excitement and anticipation with or without marching bands, floral floats, beauty queens, circus animals or convertible cars with waving celebrities. A parade can be a source of inspiration. It can inspire people to learn, practice or replicate what they see. It can be used to sell an idea, make a statement or support a cause.
It can signal an event. The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade announces the official start of the holiday shopping season. The Presidential Inaugural Parade signals a transition of power from one president to the next, a bloodless transfer of power.
A parade also has the power to draw a crowd. And, the parade described in Mark’s gospel was no different the day that Jesus was the divine dramatic drum major or the marshal of his own parade.
This parade made a statement. The people draped garments on a never been ridden donkey and spread leafy branches that they had cut from the fields. It was an act of honor similar to Israel’s pattern of royal processions.
This was a parade of praise. There is something powerful about praise. It is infectious. It inspires people to participate not just spectate. The praise in this parade was not done to manipulate the crowd or God. It was an honest to goodness praise for who God is and what God can or has done. There were perhaps those in the crowd who had just witnessed the miracle of he formerly blind man named Bartimaeus. Those in front and back of Jesus shouted Hosanna meaning save us or save now. Hosanna blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord has become a liturgical formula for praising God.
Thus, this parade supported a cause, the salvation plan of God. As the people were rejoicing in a praise parade, they were also saying “Save Us” to the only person who could really grant them salvation, Jesus, the King of Kings, Lord of Lord, the only Savior who could save.
The praise parade signaled the transition that was about to take place. This would be no bloodless transfer of power, but a blood shedding event on a cross. Jesus had a date with death. The parade would culminate on Resurrection morning as Jesus rose from the grave with all power in His hands.
Those who have experienced the power of Jesus in their lives continue the praise parade daily. Let’s join the Hosanna crowd shouting “Save Now” to the only Savior who can.
Scripture Of The Day: "And those who went before and those who followed were shouting, "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!" - Mark 11:9-10 (ESV)
Monday, March 21, 2011
Praise is What I Do
I have come to know that as the challenges and temptations of life come my way, that if I can just make my way into a praise, if I can just turn my attention to the goodness of God, if I could just position myself to praise him, it is in my praise that I find the strength to deal with whatever it is facing me.
There’s something about the praise. It’s in the praise that I recount how good God is, has been, and will be to me. It’s in the praise that the pain lessens, the struggle subsides, and the spirit begins to rise.
We spend every day, sometimes all day, tangling with temptation, fighting with frustration, following God’s voice with hesitation...and that will wear you out. Every time we deal with a challenge, we have to release a portion of what God deposited in us the last time we spent time with him. He can only deposit in us if we’re hooked up to him. We hook up to Him through worship; we hook up to Him through prayer; we hook up to him through praise. When you feel like you’re running on empty, just praise Him. When you need refueling, praise Him. When the day has you feeling defeated, the situation has you subdued, and the problem has you paralyzed, just praise Him. Praise is what I do.
In 1 Samuel 30, we see David and his men coming home to Ziklag after battle only to find that the Amalakites, the enemy, had raided Ziklag and burned it to the ground. In addition to this, the Amalakites, the enemy, had carried off the women and children and everyone else but without killing anyone.
What has it been like when you have come home only to find that your home has been broken into, your car has been broken into, your personal stuff taken; your material possessions messed with? The flesh rises up, the pressure goes up, your vision is blurred; you’re just angry. When you have to battle the flesh in the moment, it takes every ounce of strength you have to stay holy.
When the emotions take over, that’s when we must dig deep and allow the Holy Ghost to stay in control. The bible says in verse 3 that when David and his men saw the ruins and realized what had happened to their families, they wept until they could weep no more. What does this say to us today? There will be tears, there will be discouragement, there will be fear, but it’s through our praise that we remember “greater is He who is in us, than he who is in the world.”
It is through our praise that we remember that if God be for you who can be against you?
It is through our praise that we remember, we’ve been through this before, we’ve seen this before.
It is through our praise that we remember how God delivered us last time.
Acts 16:25 tells us that at around midnight, Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises to God, and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was an earthquake so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bands were loosed.
Somebody called on the Lord in the midnight hour. And when they called on the name of Jesus, he answered them.
He turned their midnight into morning.
He turned their sorrow into a shout.
He turned their problem into praise.
He turned their worry into worship.
When Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises to God, the prisoners heard them.
There are some prisoners sitting right next to you.
There are some prisoners who need the bands loosed.
There are some prisoners who need to know what to do to get loose.
The answer is simple. Tell them, “Praise is what I do!”
Scripture Of The Day: "Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God." - 1 Samuel 30:6 (NKJV)
There’s something about the praise. It’s in the praise that I recount how good God is, has been, and will be to me. It’s in the praise that the pain lessens, the struggle subsides, and the spirit begins to rise.
We spend every day, sometimes all day, tangling with temptation, fighting with frustration, following God’s voice with hesitation...and that will wear you out. Every time we deal with a challenge, we have to release a portion of what God deposited in us the last time we spent time with him. He can only deposit in us if we’re hooked up to him. We hook up to Him through worship; we hook up to Him through prayer; we hook up to him through praise. When you feel like you’re running on empty, just praise Him. When you need refueling, praise Him. When the day has you feeling defeated, the situation has you subdued, and the problem has you paralyzed, just praise Him. Praise is what I do.
In 1 Samuel 30, we see David and his men coming home to Ziklag after battle only to find that the Amalakites, the enemy, had raided Ziklag and burned it to the ground. In addition to this, the Amalakites, the enemy, had carried off the women and children and everyone else but without killing anyone.
What has it been like when you have come home only to find that your home has been broken into, your car has been broken into, your personal stuff taken; your material possessions messed with? The flesh rises up, the pressure goes up, your vision is blurred; you’re just angry. When you have to battle the flesh in the moment, it takes every ounce of strength you have to stay holy.
When the emotions take over, that’s when we must dig deep and allow the Holy Ghost to stay in control. The bible says in verse 3 that when David and his men saw the ruins and realized what had happened to their families, they wept until they could weep no more. What does this say to us today? There will be tears, there will be discouragement, there will be fear, but it’s through our praise that we remember “greater is He who is in us, than he who is in the world.”
It is through our praise that we remember that if God be for you who can be against you?
It is through our praise that we remember, we’ve been through this before, we’ve seen this before.
It is through our praise that we remember how God delivered us last time.
Acts 16:25 tells us that at around midnight, Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises to God, and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was an earthquake so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bands were loosed.
Somebody called on the Lord in the midnight hour. And when they called on the name of Jesus, he answered them.
He turned their midnight into morning.
He turned their sorrow into a shout.
He turned their problem into praise.
He turned their worry into worship.
When Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises to God, the prisoners heard them.
There are some prisoners sitting right next to you.
There are some prisoners who need the bands loosed.
There are some prisoners who need to know what to do to get loose.
The answer is simple. Tell them, “Praise is what I do!”
Scripture Of The Day: "Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God." - 1 Samuel 30:6 (NKJV)
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Worship
Skip Heitzig
There are a lot of activities that we do now that we won't do in heaven. You will never evangelize anyone in heaven. You will never share the gospel or give out a tract in heaven. You will not pray in heaven; there will be no need for prayer as we know it now. There'll be no need for discipleship in heaven. What's the one activity we do now that we will do in heaven? Worship. We will be doing that forever. In fact, you can sort of look at the present as a time of practice!
The English word "worship" means to ascribe worth to something. We worship God for who He is, because He is worthy. "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!" (Revelation 4:8).
We worship God not only based on His character but His conduct, not only his attributes but his activity. "You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created" (v. 11). He is worthy because he did what no one else could ever do; He created everything. But more than that, He also redeemed us through His Son, Jesus Christ. Look at Revelation 5:9. "You are worthy...for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood." That's what He did.
Worship involves the physical and the emotional, and it involves music and our voices, but fundamentally, it's an acknowledgment of who God is and what He has done. It is an intelligent response to God that involves the mind. Worship is not working ourselves up into some frenzy. Jesus said the Father was looking for those who would worship in spirit and in truth (John 4:23-24).
God's action prompts my reaction of praise. Jesus said we are to love the Lord our God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength (Mark 12:30). Worship should fully engage us as we dwell on the greatness of God.
One final point. There is never a time in a person's life, or any experience, where God can't be worshipped. There is no valley, there is no depth, there is no darkness where God is not worthy of all praise and all glory. Read the stories of Job or David or Paul in prison, and you'll see that sometimes their praise was the sweetest and most genuine in those dark times.
God is worthy to be praised!
Scripture Of The Day: "God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." - John 4:24 (NKJV)
Skip Heitzig is the founder and senior pastor at Calvary of Albuquerque in New Mexico. His teachings are heard across the country and around the world on The Connection. For more information on Skip, visit http://www.connectionradio.org.
There are a lot of activities that we do now that we won't do in heaven. You will never evangelize anyone in heaven. You will never share the gospel or give out a tract in heaven. You will not pray in heaven; there will be no need for prayer as we know it now. There'll be no need for discipleship in heaven. What's the one activity we do now that we will do in heaven? Worship. We will be doing that forever. In fact, you can sort of look at the present as a time of practice!
The English word "worship" means to ascribe worth to something. We worship God for who He is, because He is worthy. "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!" (Revelation 4:8).
We worship God not only based on His character but His conduct, not only his attributes but his activity. "You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created" (v. 11). He is worthy because he did what no one else could ever do; He created everything. But more than that, He also redeemed us through His Son, Jesus Christ. Look at Revelation 5:9. "You are worthy...for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood." That's what He did.
Worship involves the physical and the emotional, and it involves music and our voices, but fundamentally, it's an acknowledgment of who God is and what He has done. It is an intelligent response to God that involves the mind. Worship is not working ourselves up into some frenzy. Jesus said the Father was looking for those who would worship in spirit and in truth (John 4:23-24).
God's action prompts my reaction of praise. Jesus said we are to love the Lord our God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength (Mark 12:30). Worship should fully engage us as we dwell on the greatness of God.
One final point. There is never a time in a person's life, or any experience, where God can't be worshipped. There is no valley, there is no depth, there is no darkness where God is not worthy of all praise and all glory. Read the stories of Job or David or Paul in prison, and you'll see that sometimes their praise was the sweetest and most genuine in those dark times.
God is worthy to be praised!
Scripture Of The Day: "God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." - John 4:24 (NKJV)
Skip Heitzig is the founder and senior pastor at Calvary of Albuquerque in New Mexico. His teachings are heard across the country and around the world on The Connection. For more information on Skip, visit http://www.connectionradio.org.
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