God longs for greater relationship with you. He desires that you experience Him on an increasingly personal level. Praise is the articulation of your relationship with God. Your level of praise reveals the depth of your relationship with Him. Praise fortifies your relationship with the Lord. As you learn more about God and His character, the more you will praise Him.
Praise is not something we are naturally inclined to do, especially when problems arise. Hebrews 13:15 states, “Let us offer the sacrifice of praise continually.” The text implies that giving praise is a sacrifice. A sacrifice is something you do not want to do. I do not know about you, but I do not always feel like giving God praise.
Recently, I lost two of my beloved pets within a two-month period. As heart-wrenching as these experiences were, I chose to praise God in the midst of my pain. Praise shifted my focus from my pain and onto God, thus facilitating my healing process. Sometimes praise changes your situation. At other times it changes how you respond to your situation. It is easy to praise God when things are going well. But can you still praise Him in the heat of your trials? God is good even when all hell breaks out. Sometimes you have to push past how you feel and praise God and cry at the same time. God is worthy to be praised at all times.
Praise silences the voice of your worries and doubts. But it should never be silent. While it is good to tell others how wonderful God is and how He has blessed you; do not leave God on the sidelines having to listen as you sing His praises to others. God wants to be the direct recipient of your praise.
If you cannot seem to muster the motivation to praise God, start praising Him and the motivation will kick in. God’s plans for your life do not change based on the state of your affairs. Neither should praising God be situational. Praise will give you a God-perspective of your circumstances, especially as you recall God’s history of faithfulness throughout your life. There is always something to praise God for. Start thanking God in advance for what He is about to do and praise your way to victory!
Until next time…Be blessed!
Rev. Cynthia Jackson, Rhema Inspirations
Rev. Cynthia Jackson is the administrator of the Rhema4U Blog and Innovations Ministries Director. Rev. Jackson is a native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She was licensed and ordained under the tutelage of Bishop David G. Evans. She is an associate minister at Bethany Baptist Church located in Lindenwold, New Jersey. Rev. Jackson founded Innovations Ministries in 2001. Innovations Ministries provides dynamic and innovative programs and services for individuals and families dealing with various health-related issues. She is a gifted teacher, preacher, conference speaker and writer. God has anointed Rev. Jackson to be a spiritual midwife with a passion to empower others to birth God's vision for their lives. Rev. Jackson holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Organizational Management from Eastern University, a Master of Science Degree in Health Administration from Saint Joseph's University and a Master of Science Degree in Christian Counseling from Cairn University.
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