The Power of Praise.
Transcription
The speaker emphasizes the importance of praising and worshiping God. They mention that we can praise God through our words, songs, instruments, and dance. They also discuss the act of worship, which involves giving our attention and honoring God with our actions. The speaker encourages seeking God's presence and promises that He cares for us and offers rest. They highlight the need to be still and listen to God, as He provides strength, joy, healing, and guidance. The speaker concludes by urging listeners to pray, spend time with God, and listen to the Holy Spirit for wisdom and counsel. Hi brothers and sisters, this is the day that the Lord hath made, and I will rejoice and be glad in it. The Bible says let everything that has breath praise the Lord, and that's you and me. For God is worthy to be praised, amen? We praise God with the fruit of our lips. We give praise Him with songs and shouts of praise, and we express our love, gratitude, with our instruments and dance. Have you ever danced before the Lord? Amen. We clap, we wave, we lift our hands to the Lord, our hearts are filled with praise. Yes, God is good all the time, as the old folks used to say, and all the time God is good. He is good for His mighty acts and divine protection. We say thank you, Lord. So familiar are songs of praise from past generations, like this is the day the Lord hath made, I will rejoice and be glad in it. I'm sure some of you sang that song in the youth choir. And how about this one? Oh, magnify the Lord with me, for He is worthy to be praised. The Bible says we are to, according to Psalms 100, make a joyful noise unto the Lord. Not only that, but we are to serve the Lord with gladness, and come before His presence with singing. I know that the Lord is God, it is He that hath made us, and not we ourselves, for we are His people, the sheep of His pasture. The Bible says we are to enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise, and to be thankful and bless His name. Why? Because He is good, and His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations. Psalms 34 and more says, I will bless the Lord, thank Him, praise Him at all times, and His praise will continually be in my mouth. Don't you know, we were created, not only to praise the Lord, but also to worship Him. We should have no other God, for God wants us to put Him first. The act of worship is when we give all of our attention to God. We honor, we magnify, and we glorify Him with the fruit of our lips, our actions, and with our total being. We honor Him because He is God, and God alone. We present our bodies, we present ourselves, our will, our way, our all, as a living sacrifice, and offering a value which is precious in the sight of God, holy and acceptable to Him. And the Bible said, this is just our reasonable act of service, or worship, and that's found in Romans 12 and more. We love Him, we serve Him, we worship Him because He is God. The Bible says, John 4 and 23, God is a spirit, He accepts our worship when we worship Him in spirit and in truth. To worship in truth is to open our hearts and minds to receive all that God has for us. It is, yes Lord, I surrender all. It is to love and embrace the truth of God's word until transformation and a renewed mind happens. The Bible says, in Him, in God, we live, move, and have our being. I know for myself, there is nothing sweeter than the presence of the Lord. We come into His presence with our cups lifted high. And you know, He fills our cup with love, and He fills our cup with praise and joy and peace. A man might try to fill the cup with other things, but the Bible even says, blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, hunger and thirst for more of Him, and what does the Bible say, they will be filled. Those who fast, pray, and seek His faith will know God in a very, very real way. Now we all know that life can be a challenge, brokenness can be difficult to bear. Sometimes the weight is so heavy that we can't even move forward. People may lose their health, their financial security. Sometimes we're feeling fearful or anxious or stressed out, especially now that we've heard the news that COVID is on the rise again. We're concerned about our children, we're concerned about our grands, they're back to school now. We know that there's just so, so much uncertainty in this day and time. But you know, my friends, my brothers and sisters, God cares, God sees, and He cares and He has compassion for us. God invites us into His presence. He says, come to me all who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest. We can worship by our quietness in His presence. Psalms 4 and 10 says we are to be still and know that God is God. Sometimes we talk a little bit too much. God is not impressed by our words, but God is impressed by our sincerity. Praise the Lord. We just have to be still sometimes and allow Him to fill our hearts with the peace of God. Amen. I admit sometimes it takes effort and intention to be quiet and still before the Lord. But the Bible says they that wait with great expectation and a heart of worship on the Lord will renew their strength. The Bible says they will mount up with wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint and that's found in Isaiah 40 and 31. Now my brother and sister, if you wait on Him, He will bestow on you a crown of beauty. He will release the oil of joy, healing in your soul, healing in your body and in your mind. He will mend your brokenness. The joy of the Lord will give you strength and encouragement. Not only that, He will give you a garment of praise. Usher out the spirit of heaviness, fear, despair, and anxiety. Oh how He loves you and me. He is good to them that wait on Him, to the soul that seeks Him and worships Him. People of God, give Him praise for what He has done. Honor Him and worship Him for He is God and God alone. I encourage you to pray and seek fellowship with God. Give Him quality time. Worship the Lord by meditating, embracing, and loving His Word. And listen, just listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit as He communicates with your heart and soul. I promise He will give you truth, revelation, wisdom, comfort, guidance, and good counsel.
