Just recently I heard a soul-stirring message about praising God by a well-known Pastor, Rev. Dr. Isaac J. Holt, Jr., of Royal Missionary Baptist Church in Charleston, SC. I heard it before we left home for church, and it just set the pace for my day and for my praise to God. One thing he pointed out is that it is a sin not to praise God, and that just “drove it on home.” Some of us do not realize that God created us to worship, honor, and praise Him. Therefore, if we are not praising Him, we are not doing what He requires. When we pray, we must not just stop there, for we must continue in praise. Start praising God in advance for what He is going to do. If you pray and praise Him long enough, you will see that there is power in praising God!
Psalm 150:1, 6 (NIV) affirms what I have aforementioned about praise: “Praise the Lord. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.” The most difficult time to praise God is when you are going through a storm in your life—storms such as sickness, financial instability, disobedient children, loss of a loved one, inability to find employment, etc. However, if you can get a praise through during one or more of these storms, then you are telling God, “I trust You, and I know you will bring me through.” I am a living testimony because given what my family and I have been through these past eight years and four months, I still have a praise for my God! Satan came close to enticing me to give up, but God told me to trust the process, and that is what I have done and will continue to do. There is power in praising Him!
Please do not be found guilty of burying God’s blessings in “the grave of unthankfulness,” for to praise God is to thank Him. I get so much joy in singing praises to my God. There are times when it seems that the prayers and praises won’t come when I want them to, so I just say, “Lord, have mercy,” and I “wave my hand.” Then there are times when I have church with just Jesus and me. Hallelujah! Don’t cheat on God—PRAISE HIM! Always abound in the faith, and never leave home without Him!
