Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. (Ps. 24:7-8) David, the author of this psalm, praising God with all his might as he enters the temple in Jerusalem, was so jubilant that he commanded the huge iron gates and doors of the sanctuary of God to be in an attitude of praise as well! Many Scriptures, especially the psalms, remind us repeatedly to praise the Lord. When the Lord repeats His Word, it is to make you sit up and take notice. First of all, He deserves and commands praise! Then the powerful by-product is that while you are caught up in awe and adoration, you let go of your feelings and circumstances. As you look into His wonderful face, you enter a totally different realm. Your issues and pains suddenly seem far away, the devil flees as he hates praise, and joy takes a hold of you! God is literally shouting at you throughout the numerous psalms and praise verses, leading you to the secret to your success. Yes, it is the answer to your health, prosperity and happiness! For ye shall go out with joy and be led forth with peace; the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. (Isa. 55:12) What an exuberant description of praise! It reminds me of The hills are alive with the sound of music, the theme song of the movie The Sound of Music. Do you remember it? Maria, the main character portrayed by Julie Andrews, was singing and dancing across the meadows, praising God for something new He was going to do in her life. It was as if the whole world was in an attitude of praise! Praising is the vehicle to lift you up, out of where youre at, right into His everlasting, loving arms! If you do not know how to start praising Him, dont worry. You dont need a how-to manual, learn a unique position, or be in a certain place. Put on a praise tape/CD and start singing. If you dont have one, then just start by thanking Him for being who He is and for all the things He has already done in your life. Dont ask Him to get you out of todays problems. He already knows them! Just thank Him for the outcome as He knows what is best for you. Praise is your direct communication line with Him. It is not cluttered with debris of broken dreams and hurting circumstances. It is a pure, holy delight in your Maker, who is your Provider, your Healer and your Strength. He is the I AM of every possible situation you may be in. So, give Him the praise He is due and be lifted up into a realm of joy, hope, love and ever-increasing faith! Through praise you are telling Him that He is in control. The Lord of your life inhabits your praises! (Ps. 22:3) So, before you step into His spiritual temple to ask your petitions, enter into His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise! (Ps. 100: 4) Your greatest reward comes when He reciprocates! The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing. (Zeph. 3:17) |
