Praise is a Good Thing~

"Let every living, breathing creature praise God!
    Hallelujah!" Psalm 150:6

I am pleased to report that my precious Hershey Pie is a Christian dog.  That's right! Every time he enters his crate -- of his own free will, I might add -- I put on praise and worship music and Hershey settles right down.  It soothes his doggy soul, and he rests peacefully while I am away.

We would be wise to fill our atmosphere with Christian music as well, and Psalm 147 gives us over 15 reasons why "It is a good thing to sing praise to our God."

Here are just a few:

He rebuilds

He heals

He has limitless strength

He puts the fallen on their feet again

He blesses our children

He makes our homes secure

He launches His promises earthward

When we praise Him, when we put our focus on Him and His greatness, and three mighty things happen.  First, we forget about our troubles. Secondly, our faith is strengthened to believe in His power, and thirdly, "we get God's attention" (verse 11).

Imagine that -- God's attention on us and our hopes, dreams, families, fears, businesses, concerns...AMEN!

Put on some praise music today and get ready to receive all the promises He is launching your way!

PRAYER: Dear Lord, We praise Your mighty name today.  It is a good thing to sing to You for You are worthy to receive it.  We look to You as the Source of our joy, peace, protection, provision, and hope.  Fill us with Your presence and thank You that every living thing, including our beloved pets, are commanded to praise You! In Jesus' name, AMEN~

*All Bible verses are from The Message version

We Applaud You!

Psalm 47:1 Come, everyone! Clap your hands! Shout to God with joyful praise!

The other day as I was taking care of Christmas the Chihuahua, she climbed down my husband’s leg, went straight to her wee wee pad and successfully used it.  Quite an accomplishment for a little puppy.  I was so impressed that I clapped for joy.  I have also been known to clap at sporting events, at the end of a great movie (Gladiator anyone?), after an amazing vocal performance (I just saw David Phelps in concert.  Please YouTube him), and even when Rayray once played the recorder out of her nose for a talent show at school.

Psalm 47:1 invites us to clap for God and to shout joyful praise to him.  And the invitation is across the board to every single person. 

Clapping is a universally accepted sign of approval, and the longer the applause, the more it shows that something resonated with us in a positive, life-affirming way. 

When directed to God, our clapping is an outward expression of the inward joy we have. Can we have joy when unhappy stuff is happening in our lives?  How can anyone feel like clapping or shouting joyful praise when they are not feeling well? Or they have relationship struggles? Or financial troubles? 

It all hinges on whether or not we truly believe that this life is temporary and that the best is yet to come.  We absolutely can clap and shout when we accept that God’s kingdom, where we will know no suffering, is on the way. 

I encourage you to please click on the link below for the most beautiful and inspiring description of heaven that I have ever read.  It will get you clapping!

http://www.faithgateway.com/heaven-heavenly/#.VMqRLmjF-_o

PRAYER: Dear Lord, We applaud You.  You are the best.  There are many times we feel low, but when we shout praise to You, our spirits are lifted again.  Praise Your high and holy name.  You are the King of kings and the Lord of Lords.  You are magnificent and in control.  Thank You for the amazing life that awaits us all because we believe in Jesus.  In His name we pray, AMEN~

A Prayer of Praise Will Follow~

TGIF Greetings :)

 

This past week I enjoyed a little get-a-way with my in-laws, affectionately known as Chini and Isa.  But Hannah's words - "Go into action for me" - and the Bible saying "God began making the necessary arrangements in response to what she had asked" - were front and center in my mind.  In between getting henna tattoos, posing for pictures all up and down the state of South Carolina, and even while taking a communal bubble bath, those words kept popping up in mind; they now hold a permanent place in my heart.

Even so, when Hannah initially prayed those words, her soul was crushed, and she was inconsolable.  But what a difference prayer makes!  Look at her prayer of praise after God answered her: (1 Samuel 2)

“My heart rejoices in the Lord! The Lord has made me strong. Now I have an answer for my enemies; I rejoice because You rescued me....No one is holy like the Lord! There is no one besides You; there is no Rock like our God. For all the earth is the LORD's, and He has laid out His operations on a firm foundation. He protectively cares for His faithful friends, step by step...No one will succeed by strength alone. The childless woman now has seven children. God will set things right all over the earth..."

Amen amen amen!  We may have moments when we think we will never enjoy life again, but if we can pray through our pain, a prayer of praise will follow! 
PRAYER: Dear Lord, We rejoice in You. You have made us strong. You rescue us. No one is Holy like You. You are our Rock. You care for us and our families. Thank You that You make it right!  In Jesus 'name, AMEN!

 

Actively Waiting~

Praise the Lord for sunny skies:)

And...

Praise reports continued!

(1) One of you received excellent news about your child's health.  Your email to me included the words, "I will keep praying."  I love that you aren't going to stop praying just because everything is peachy king for the moment.  In fact, praying when everything is going smoothly is, in and of itself, an exciting DEVO topic--look for it soon:)

(2) In yesterday's praise report section I talked about someone who had found an intruder in her breast etc...It was a praise report because she was determined to thank God no matter what.  Late yesterday she found out she has a benign cyst.  Praise His high and holy name.  She never thought she would say, "Thank You, Jesus, for my benign cyst!"  But she did, and she meant it.  Amen!

Several undercover pictures of what takes place in a doctor's office were taken while waiting for the results, and honestly, nowadays, these diagnostic centers look like day spas, which is nice.  But there's that word again--WAITING.

Isaiah 40:31 They who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

The word "wait" as used in scripture is not a passive one.  It does not mean to sit around counting minutes while fretting and freaking out.  At it's root it means to look for, hope in, and pray to God all while actively expecting Him to intervene in your situation.  

Yesterday my friend sat down in a chair while waiting for the results of her exam.  But her soul was busy busy busy.  Several whispered prayers were offered to Jesus, and you can be certain that both she and I were looking for Divine intervention.  Wouldn't that be the point anyway?  Why pray if you don't expect an answer.

We may not always receive the exact answer we were expecting, but we are promised when we wait for the Lord, we will have all the strength we need.  

PRAYER: Dear Lord, We need to be strengthened today.  We need to soar carefree above our concerns close to You.  We have a lot to do and take You at Your word when You assure us that we can do what needs to be done without growing weary or fainting.  In Jesus' name, AMEN~

Praise Reports~

Greetings~

Praise report time!

(1) One of you has been praying long and hard for guidance for your child and was eager to see that child settle into a job. A open door had been sitting there for a while and things appeared to be stalled, and then BAM! yesterday everything fell into place. And proving once again that God has perfect timing, your child started today sooner than expected and everyone is excited to see what the future will bring. AMEN!

(For all of you waiting on God's direction for your child or even yourself, take a moment today to thank Him for answering prayers. Number one above is the result of a praying mother!)

(2) One of you, who thought love had passed you by, is in love for the first time as a thirty-something adult. All this time you thought God had forgotten you, but you know your momma was praying for a special young man, and BAM! you are newly engaged and thrilled beyond words.

(For all of you waiting for love, take a moment to thank God that He is the ultimate matchmaker and knows exactly who to send your way. In the meantime, ask God to fill you with peace and joy as you wait for Him.)

(3) As I sit here and write this, one of you precious and lovely souls has an appointment this afternoon because you found a little intruder in your breast. But God has already been called upon, cried to, and invited to fill you with peace and health. This qualifies as a praise report because no matter what, you are prepared to give Him praise for being in control! I am humbled by your attitude and know that others need to read this and be inspired.

(For all you facing health challenges, never forget that calling upon God is the first course of action. When we wait for Him He promises to make us strong.)

Wait for Him...What do those words mean? (Tune in tomorrow)

Isaiah 40:31 They who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

PRAYER:

Dear Lord, Sometimes our strength needs renewing. We feel weak and don't know how much more we can take. Soaring like an eagle and running without growing tired sounds appealing too. The first step is prayer. Fill us with energy and vitality and joy today. In Jesus' name, AMEN~