PRAISE AND WORSHIP
This week I found myself praising the Lord and thanking Him over
and over for all the great things He did for me. He showed me how to paint some
of the flowers and leaves on a new painting; He led me to a new song to listen
to for relaxing my nerves; He blessed me with new baby watermelons starting to
grow. I got to go with a friend and speak to children at a Catholic school about
the artwork we did there. And I got to go with another friend to a new opera. There
were new spiritual revelations for me this week too, and so many good things
that I found myself praising the Lord and worshipping Him even when I thought I
was sleeping! I didn’t have my eyes open,
but I was conscious of what I was saying. I told the Lord over and over: “I
praise you; I worship you; I praise you, and I thank you so much!”
Praise and worship are important parts of our interaction with the
Lord. To praise Him doesn’t change Him, but it changes us! We praise the Lord
for the things He’s done for us, and we also praise Him ahead of time, BEFORE
He does them. We see examples of “praising it ahead” both in the Old and New
Testaments.
In the New Testament, when Paul and Silas were thrown in prison,
they prayed and sang praises to God. And what happened?
“At midnight Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises unto God: and
the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that
the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were
opened, and every one’s bands were loosed” (Acts 16:25-26).
Paul and Silas were free.
In the Old Testament, David was chased and pursued by Saul, who
wanted to kill him. When David was alone, he praised God. And God rescued him
and gave him insight on how to get away from Saul. “I will call upon the Lord,
who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies” (Ps. 18:3).
David was in a bad situation, and he asked himself: “Why art thou
cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me?” Then he answered
himself: “Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his
countenance” (Ps. 42:5). David was a smart man.
David experienced many times that “Praising it ahead” was one of
God’s solutions.
These two examples show us that praise can set us free and save us
from our enemies.
We praise and worship the Lord for who He is. We praise Him for
the many benefits we’ve already received, the blessings as we receive them, and
the benefits He continues to give us into our futures.
Love, Carolyn
No comments:
Post a Comment