“It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End.” Revelation 21:6 (NKJ)

An eighty-something-year-old beautiful woman of God reminded me of one of the keys to living a Divinely inspired life: praising God in the midst of the most difficult, un-Kingdom-like circumstances.

At a time when she was feeling very stuck—hopeless even—she heard the whisper of God: “When you start praising Me, I will bring them in.”

“What am I going to praise You for?” she thought. “Everything I see is a mess.”

“For who I am,” came the answer.

She started doing exactly that: praising God for who God is, not for the circumstances she saw all around her. She focused on the character and nature of God, not the fragments of relationships and human emotions scattered everywhere. She started singing in the midst of her trouble and one by one God began to pick up the pieces … God, our amazing, faithful God, proved true to the promise.

Prayer: Thank You, God, for who You are: faithful, loving, patient, great, kind, compassionate, just … I look to You today and I praise You for who You are. Amen.

by Idelette McVicker
Used by Permission

RELATED READING

• Giving God Thanks and Praise
• God’s Peace in the Storms of Life
• Our Great Creator God

The post In Spite of the Circumstances appeared first on Thoughts About God.

Praise is adoration of God for who He is, His person, His character, His names.

It is loving God because He is God. The Bible gives more exhortations to praise than to pray, because God is altogether lovely, holy, and completely worthy of our worship.

Reasons to praise

Praise is the atmosphere of the throne room of heaven. Revelation 4

Praise is where God lives. Psalm 22:3

Praise provides access into His presence. Psalm 100

We are created for praise. Ephesians 1:12, Isaiah 43:21

We are saved to praise. Psalm 106:47

God delights in it. Psalm 149:1, 4

God inspires it. Psalm 40:3

God is due it. Psalm 29

God commands it in the Scriptures. Psalm 34:1, 3

Jesus modelled it by example. Matthew 6:9

Praise is the God-given garment in exchange for spirit of heaviness. Isaiah 61:3

Praise stirs up faith. Romans 4:20-21

You are probably facing a battle today. Praise is a strategic weapon that comes before spiritual victory or deliverance. God releases power against the enemy when His people praise. Praise has been winning wars throughout the ages. Look at these biblical examples.

Joshua 5:14-15, 6:2 Joshua bowed to worship, and God told him that Jericho was already in his hands. As the Israelites marched around the city, they walked out the victory already won in worship.

Judges 7:15 Gideon bowed to worship, returned to his camp, and reported, “Arise, God has given the enemy into our hands.”

 2 Chronicles 20:22 “When they began singing and praising...” The Israelites used praise at God’s direction for winning a tremendous victory. They had not even reached the battlefront when God acted and completely destroyed their three-fold enemy.

 Acts 16:25-26 Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns. Suddenly a violent earthquake shook the foundations of the prison. The prison doors flew open, and prisoners were set free.

It is sometimes more important to persevere in praise than to continue to petition. Why?

Because in praise, we take our eyes off people and stop struggling on the human level. We focus our spiritual eyes on God and see beyond ourselves and our problem. Then we can lay hold of His infinite ability, availability, and sovereignty. Praise stirs up our faith to stand in His mighty name.

Because God has already judged the adversary, and he is a defeated foe. Praise executes upon him the judgments that God has already written (Psalm 149:6-9).

Because praise acknowledges the victory Christ already won. Jesus is far above all rule, authority, power and dominion, and every name in this age (Ephesians 1:20-21). His victory over Satan was legally accomplished at Calvary. Praise speeds victory. Let’s use our valuable weapon of praise for the battles we are facing today.

By Sylvia Gunter
Used by Permission
From: www.thefathersbusiness.com

Further Reading

• What a Friend we have in Jesus

• Wisdom and Knowledge of God

•  Salvation Explained

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“I will praise you every day; yes, I will praise you forever.”  Psalm 145:2 NLT

Several years ago, my word for the year was Praise. To be honest, I wasn’t thrilled about the word when the year started. Praise felt like a really big word for when really big things happened—which wasn’t every day. So, what was I supposed to do with the word the rest of the year?

What I learned first is that Praise isn’t supposed to be saved for only the really big events or even what is visible to others.

Praise is meant for every day—the little, the ordinary, and what others might not be able to see.

Praise is when we honor God by acknowledging Him in everything we do. It’s looking for Him and His work, no matter if it’s a good day or a rotten day. Praise is thanking God in all situations, even when we don’t feel thankful.

Praise when I don’t feel thankful? Yes, because sometimes we have to practice giving praise before it feels natural.

“For I cried out to him for help, praising him as I spoke.” Psalm 66:17 NLT

Our human nature doesn’t lead us to feel thankful when we’re walking in the valley, but that’s precisely when God can do His best work in us. The hard work of changing our hearts and bringing us closer to Him. And creating a desire in us to want to be closer to Him.

The next thing I learned about Praise is that it’s not just for after something happens.

Praise is also meant to be given before we see His work.

How do I know what to praise Him for if it hasn’t happened yet? Because God is always at work, even when we can’t see it or imagine what He might be working on.

“Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me.” Psalm 103:2 NLT

Praise Him for being who He is—our God and Savior who doesn’t change on a whim. He doesn’t change the rules. And His love for us doesn’t change because He’s having a bad day.

Praise Him because no matter what we’re going through, we can be sure He’s walking beside us. He leads the way before us and watches over us. Sometimes He stays quiet, but we can trust that He’s there.

In those times I desperately need to feel His presence, I ask Him to let me see Him. And then I look for Him even in the slightest way. It might be in in new flower buds, the lyrics of a song, an unexpected phone call or text from a friend, or in the way my day turns around through no power of my own.

“My heart is confident in you, O God; my heart is confident. No wonder I can sing your praises!”  Psalm 57:7 NLT

That year, I learned to praise God for His presence, for His love and compassion, and because no matter what I regret doing today, tomorrow is a brand new start.

Praise Him because when we look for Him, we will see Him. And the more we see Him, the more we will look for Him.

By Laura Rath
Used by Permission

Further Reading

•   The Power of Prayer & Praise
•   The Supernatural Power of Praise
•  Salvation Explained

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“His presence within us is God’s guarantee that He really will give us all that He promised; and the Spirit’s seal upon us means that God has already purchased us and that He guarantees to bring us to Himself. This is just one more reason for us to praise our glorious God” Ephesians 1:14

To me, this wonderful verse means that, as children of God, we have the ability to obey God’s laws if we are filled continually with the Holy Spirit and refuse to obey the old evil nature within us.

In order to live the supernatural life which is available to us through the indwelling Holy Spirit, we must know our rights as children of God. We need to know our spiritual heritage. We must know how to draw upon the inexhaustible, supernatural resources of God’s love, power, forgiveness and abundant grace.

The first step is to learn everything we can about God. We also need to know about the nature of man and why he behaves as he does. The best way to learn who God is, who man is and about our rights as children of God is to spend much time – even at the sacrifice of other needs and demands on our schedules – in reading, studying, memorizing and meditating on the Word of God, and in prayer and witnessing.

Paul wrote to the Christians at Rome,

“For His Holy Spirit speaks to us deep in our hearts, and tells us that we really are God’s children. And since we are His children, we will share His treasures – for all God gives to His Son Jesus is now ours too. But if we are to share His glory, we must also share His suffering” (Romans 8:16,17).

Bible Reading: Ephesians 1:15-23

Today: I will acknowledge God’s presence, believe His promises and surrender to His special will for me, and thus will I praise Him throughout the day.

Thinking back to what’s happened in your life today (or yesterday if you’re reading this early in the morning!) what can you give God praise for?

By Dr. Bill Bright
Used by Permission

FURTHER READING

God is Thinking about You
God’s Mysterious Ways

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“You have sorrow now, but I will see you again; then you will rejoice, and no one can rob you of that joy.” John 16:22 (NLT)

Once you and I truly experience the joy of the Lord, no one can rob us of that joy!

That does not mean that we will never experience disappointment, sorrow or grief; but it does mean that deep down underneath it all is the joy that comes as a gift from God, the fruit of the Spirit. And that is the kind of joy that no one can take away.

Underneath the tears, the heartache, lies the calm, sweet peace that God gives to those who walk in faith and obedience. And that is a part of the joy that He promises.

Jesus’ promise to see His disciples again, of course, refers to after the resurrection. “You will be so firmly persuaded that I have risen,” He says to them, “and that I am the Messiah, that neither the threats nor the persecutions of men will ever be able to shake your faith, or produce doubt or unbelief and thus take away your joy.”

Jesus’ prediction, as we know, was remarkably fulfilled, for after He revealed Himself to them following the resurrection, not one of the apostles ever doubted for a moment that He has risen from the dead. No trial or persecution was able to shake their faith – so that their joy remained.

You and I have certainties of faith that are unshakable, and thus they produce joy – joy that will remain forever and ever.

Bible Reading: John 16:20-24

Thought: I will remember to praise and thank God for the unshakable joy that He alone gives.

by Dr. Bill Bright
Used by Permission

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