MEMORISE:
Praise ye the LORD. O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. Psalm 106:1
READ: 2 Chronicles 20:19-22
20:19 And the Levites, of the children of the Kohathites, and of the children of the Korhites, stood up to praise the LORD God of Israel with a loud voice on high.
20:20 And they rose early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa: and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.
20:21 And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the LORD, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the LORD; for his mercy endureth for ever.
20:22 And when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten.
MESSAGE
God's children have so much to praise Him for. That you are alive today and able to read this devotional is a good enough reason to praise Him. I believe that most Christians know that there is power in praising God. Some have even experienced great miracles as a result. I am therefore surprised that some of us still find it hard to praise God as often as we should. One reason for this may be our preoccupation with meeting life's daily demands. Sometimes, these demands occupy our time so much that we forget to praise God. We must be like David who made a firm commitment to never forget God's benefits in his life. In Psalm 103:1-2, he said:
"Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:"
Endeavour to emulate this good attribute that David had, even if it means setting reminder on your phone or putting up reminder notes on your walls at home. Make up your mind to offer praises to God on a daily basis, irrespective of the situation you are passing through or how you feel. In all you do, never forget to praise God.
When we praise God, it shifts the focus of our mind away from ourselves and our reality to God and His infinite possibilities, and when our focus is on God rather than our situation, we will begin to see how great God is compared to the size of our problems. Also, when we praise God in spite of how we feel or what we are going through, we declare our dependency on Him and acknowledge that we are not in control of our lives. As a result, we receive peace and strength in place of worries and burdens.
One great benefit of praising God is that it causes our enemies to scatter. 2 Chronicles 20:22 says:
"And when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten."
This verse describes what happened when three big nations connived to battle against Judah, knowing that they had just a small army. Considering their numerical disadvantage, Judah would have lost the battle woefully. However, God turned the situation around in their favour when they praised Him. Do you have enemies bigger than you? Activate the power of praise today and see them destroyed for your sake. The fact is when we refuse to praise God, we shortchange ourselves and prolong our problems. Therefore, let praising God become your lifestyle from today.
KEY POINT:
Praising God helps us to focus on His ability and opens the door of possibilities to us.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
2 Chronicles 26-28, Revelation 17:15-18:13
AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE
HYMN 14: LET US WITH A GLADSOME MIND
1 Let us, with a gladsome mind,
Praise the LORD, for He is kind:
For His mercies shall endure,
Ever faithful, ever sure.
2 Let us blaze His Name abroad,
For of gods He is the God:
For His mercies shall endure,
Ever faithful, ever sure.
3 He with all-commanding might
Filled the new-made world with light:
For His mercies shall endure,
Ever faithful, ever sure.
4 All things living He doth feed;
His full hand supplies their need:
For His mercies shall endure,
Ever faithful, ever sure.
5 He His chosen race did bless
In the wasteful wilderness:
For His mercies shall endure,
Ever faithful, ever sure.
6 He hath with a pious eye
Looks upon our misery:
For His mercies shall endure,
Ever faithful, ever sure.
7 Let us therefore warble forth
His high majesty and worth:
For His mercies shall endure,
Ever faithful, ever sure.
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