April 6th
“And My people are bent to backsliding from Me: though they called to the most High, none at all would exalt Him.” Hosea 11:7 NKJV
Definitions:
Exalt: “to elevate by praise; glorify” (Websters)
Praise: “Glorify by the attribution of perfections” (Webster’s)
Praise was one of those activities I used to do only in church on Sundays. That was back in my backsliding days, when my relationship with God was a phony sham. I was living entirely for myself and just going to church as a social outlet.
After God freed me from porn addiction, he gently revealed to me the need for praise and worship to characterize my everyday living. I learned that praise is actually a weapon of spiritual warfare that helps drive evil away and establish a protective covering around me. I now strive to incorporate praise times during each day, and especially during times of difficulty.
A good time to start incorporating praise into our lives is during our quiet time with God each day. The psalmist wrote, “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name” in Psalm 100:4 NKJV. Often people will go to God and start asking for things without giving him the honor and respect through worship. Our praise and worship should happen first, before we start asking for things.
There are many ways to express thanks and praise to the Lord. Reading a Psalm is a great way to do this, as most of Psalms are praise passages written by people that regularly praised God. A second way to worship is by singing along with a praise song. I found that my phone works great for this purpose. As I sing with the music, I concentrate on what I am singing and whom I am singing to. I find that the songs stay in mind for the rest of the day. If you don’t want to wake up people in your household with your praise, you can put headphones on and either sing quietly or just read along silently with the song.
Don’t be afraid to use your body to express your worship of the Lord. In Psalms, worship is expressed in many ways, including raising the hands, clapping the hands, shouting, singing, playing instruments, dancing and waving banners. If you feel like doing these things, don’t restrain yourself. It’s acceptable to make a complete fool of yourself before the Lord. This helps you shed off any pride you might have. It opens the door for the Lord to touch your life with joy and gladness. For more info, see our praise page
Questions for further thought:
How does keeping our pride in check help our relationship with God? (James 4:6-7)
If you were going in to ask the king of a great nation for something, how would you conduct yourself?
As you approach God (the King of the Universe) in prayer with your requests, do you give him the respect, honor and reverence that he deserves?
What was the problem with the people in Hosea 11:7? (above)
Prayer:
“Heavenly Father, You are Lord of heaven and earth. You have made the heavens and the earth and everything in them. I praise your holy name! Thank you for redeeming me through the precious blood of Jesus! Thank you for giving me an inheritance with Jesus. Thank you that I am your child. Please forgive me for not praising you more and giving you the reverence and honor that you deserve. Please help me to develop a lifestyle of praising you each day. Thank you, Father! In Jesus’ name, Amen.”