THE WONDERS OF PRAISE

TEXT: Psalm 67:3-7.

Memory Verse: “The vine is dried up, and the fig tree languisheth; the pomegranate tree, the palm tree also, and the apple tree, even all the trees of the field, are withered: because joy is withered away from the sons of men” (Joel 1:12).

You cannot live a praiseful life and not enjoy a joyful life; to live a joyful life is to live a praiseful life. The earth itself has been programmed by God to respond to your praise life. So when you close your mouth from singing praises to God, you limit the earth from yielding her strength. The more you praise God, the more the earth will yield to you, and the more the earth yields to you the more joyful you become and you cannot be joyful without being praiseful. Do not allow Satan steal your joy no matter what happens.

For no reason should you shut your mouth from praising God. To shut your mouth from praising God is to shut your destiny out of the wonders of praise. When the devil wants everything that is flourishing in your life to dry up, he will attack your praise life and steal your joy thereby making it difficult for you to praise God. When you cannot praise God you cannot find joy and when your joy is lost, every flourishing thing in your life will start drying up and the earth is also confiscated by Satan not to yield to you.

Please note that every aspect of your life is bound to flourish through praise, so keep the fire of your praise life burning; it must not be quenched.

Food for Thought
To shut your mouth from praising God is to shut your destiny out of the blessings praise brings.

Prayer
From the rising of the sun to its going down may the praises of God never cease from my mouth in Jesus’ name.

THANKSGIVING, PRAISE AND WORSHIP

TEXT: Psalm 100:1-5.

Memory Verse: “And when the people complained, it displeased the LORD, and the LORD heard it; and his anger was kindled; and the fire of the LORD burnt among them, and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp” (Numbers 11:1).

Earthly speaking, if you are ever going to get sympathy and help from people, then you must wear a gloomy and pathetic look as you lay your complain. If possible you should add tears and crying to it, else nobody will give you attention. Fortunately this is not the case with God. But people have carried this earthly wisdom to church with the belief that it would provoke God to hear them. God may have pity on them as they cry and complain about their issues, but if God’s attention will ever be drawn to you, then Psalms 100:4 tells you the approach
Enter into his gates with thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is a must requirement to enter into the gates of God. That is, all the gates that lead to God are only accessible through thanksgiving, not complaint.
And into his courts with praise: No matter the issue of life with you, you are to enter into the courts of God with praise not with crying and the issue will be settled in God’s courts of justice.
And bless His name: in other words worship Him now that you have found your way into his presence, just go ahead and worship Him and the rest will be testimonies.

Food for Thought
When John the Baptist joined the complainers’ party his head was cut off.

Prayer
Lord, I refuse to be a card carrying member of the complainers’ party in Jesus name.

THANK GOD: it is a most.

TEXT: Psalm 3:1-6

Memory Verse: “He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness, for by strength shall no man prevail” (1 Samuel 2:9).

Have you ever seen a situation where doctors are running to and fro, sometimes with oxygen, trying to save the life of someone at the point of death especially someone undergoing surgery in the theatre? When one is at the point of death even doctors appear helpless. Doctors can give one anesthesia to sleep for an operation, but they cannot give one anything for waking up. Waking up is totally in God’s hands. When we sleep and wake up, we do not know what it takes God to make it happen for us. Are you aware that we do not have a button to press to sleep? We do have a button to press to wake up either. Even your alarm clock cannot wake you up, otherwise alarm clocks will fill the mortuaries to wake people up. It takes only God for us to sleep and wake up. Please do not take it for granted. Many people slept and did not wake up but you have been sleeping and waking up from January to December. If you do not count it a great testimony, then you are an ingrate.
Our text reveals that there are many forces that are against our lives and destinies, but God is shielding us from them all.

Psalms 3:5-6

“I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the LORD sustained me. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me roundabout.” Why? The Lord is my keeper, the Lord is my shade upon my right hand, and no evil shall smite me by day or by night. For these Lord, I am grateful.

Food for Thought
No alarm clock can wake you up from sleep, only God can.

Prayer
Father, I am indeed grateful, thank you for waking me up this one more day in Jesus’ name.

ONLY THE LIVING CAN PRAISE THE LORD

TEXT: Psalm 150: 1-6

Memory Verse: The living, the living, he shall praise thee, as I do this day: the father to the children shall make known thy truth (Isaiah 38:19).

Your primary reason for living is to praise God. When you lose this focus, you lose your purpose for existence and when this happens, the next experience you should expect is death. But when you understand that praise is your reason for living, even when death comes, you can stand your ground like Hezekiah in Isaiah 38:1-20.

In Isaiah 38 Verses 18-19 Hezekiah said to the Lord, “for the grave cannot praise thee, death cannot celebrate thee; they that go down onto the pit cannot hope for thy truth. The living, the living he shall praise thee, as I do this day.” When God heard “the living, the living he shall praise thee”, God immediately instructed Prophet Isaiah go back to Hezekiah and reverse the death sentence passed on him.

Our text says “let everything that has breath praise the Lord”. Praising the Lord should be your daily duty as long as you have the breath of life. Anything capable of stopping you from praising and celebrating the Lord is capable of cutting your life short on earth. You must not allow that; do not allow anything to cause you to cease from praising and celebrating the Lord even when sick. It is better to die praising God, than to live and do nothing for the Lord.

Food for Thought
It is better to die praising God, than to live and do nothing for the Lord.

Prayer
Oh Lord, preserve me to praise you in Jesus name.