Since it’s that holiday time of the year, I thought I would share some thoughts on being thankful. Through all the years of my Christian walk, the most important part of my life is my personal devotional time with the Lord. The time that I spend worshiping Him is so vital to my daily walk. I want to take this time to share with you some specifics about that personal time, and praise and worship, that are important. You see, worship is a result; it’s not a cause. It’s the result of what you’ve been doing all week long.
John 4:22-24 says, “Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship Him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.”
The supernatural is not enthusiasm. Enthusiasm is being excited, but that doesn’t make it supernatural. Excitement can sometimes be a by-product, reaction, or response to our being in a supernatural moment. Sometimes our emotions respond to the anointing, but that‘s not necessarily spiritual. Enthusiasm is not what shows your devotion to the Lord. What shows your devotion to the Lord, and one of the keys to your devotion to the Lord, is your private time with God. Your personal devotional time is what feeds you on a personal level.
The degree of power that you have in your life depends on your degree of personal commitment to your fellowship time with the Lord. You can say it like this: you’ll only praise Him to the degree that you know Him. You know Him by spending quality time with Him in fellowship and praise. Personal praise and worship time with the Lord will truly change your life.
Jesus never promoted His own agenda. Whose did He promote? His Father’s! The key lesson here is that if you promote God, He’ll promote you. That’s a key in leadership and in the lives of those who have great vision for their lives. Promote God and He will promote you. One of the ways you can promote God in your personal life and have a supernatural walk with the Lord is through praise and worship.
Praise and worship will draw or pull you into His presence and bring you great strength and joy! The Bible says in Nehemiah 8:10, “The joy of the Lord is our strength.” Psalm 16:11 says, “In His presence is fullness of joy.”
Psalm 150:6 says, “Let everything that has breath and every breath of life praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, Hallelujah!”
Psalm 22:3 “But You are holy, Enthroned in the praises of Israel.”
When you praise God, you open up a realm in your life, a supernatural realm of His presence.
I was recently reading from Oswald Chamber’s book, “My Utmost For His Highest”. He said some powerful things about praise and worship and it’s effect on our personal lives. He wrote that: praise breaks personal ego, self-centeredness, defensiveness, hostility, and aggressive anti-social behavior. Praise is vital because it takes your eyes off of your self and places the attention upon Jesus.
In Luke 9:24 Jesus said, “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. “ Mr. Chambers continued saying that one cannot truly praise without letting go of self. When praise becomes a way of life, the infinitely loving God becomes the center of worship rather than our bankrupt self. “Amen” or “Oh me!”
Worship is the fire of our communication with the Lord. True praise brings the manifested presence of God into our lives on a personal and powerful level. As the body of Christ, we have the responsibility to worship the Lord. It is a vital part of our fellowship and communion with the Lord. When you praise and worship the Lord, you set an atmosphere that is conducive to the Holy Spirit of God. The first part of Acts 13 tells us that as they worshiped, the Holy Spirit spoke. Worship truly opens a door for the supernatural in our lives.
Worship is you and the Lord in communion and fellowship together. Sometimes in my devotional time of fellowship in the Word and in praise, I just don’t feel like it. I’m like you, I get tired and want to sleep a little longer or feel I’m just too busy. Notice what Leviticus 22:29 says, “And when ye will offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving unto the Lord, offer it at your own will.”
Hebrews 13:15 says, “By Him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His Name.” The Amplified Bible reads, “Through Him, therefore, let us constantly and at all times offer up to God a sacrifice of praise, which is the fruit of our lips that thankfully acknowledge and confess and glorify His Name.”
While grocery shopping, driving, mowing the lawn, or just walking, you can praise God! If we want to draw closer in our walk with God we must live a life of praise and worship. With thanksgiving we give Him praise. Be thankful! It’s the fruit of YOUR LIPS giving thanks to His Name!
Based on what we’ve just discussed, here are some things that will take place when you praise God.
1. I It will cost you something…. Yourself!
2. It is something that is of your own free will.
It’s when you don’t feel like it sometimes.
4. It’s continual.
Know that attitude is a bodily action, which is the reflex of a person’s mind or mood. Give God glory and praise and you’ll receive an attitude adjustment! Amen!
Prayer: Father, I choose to daily give You Praise! I will let the fruit of my lips glorify You always. Even when it is a sacrifice, I will choose to magnify You! Amen.
