In This 2009, We Will...(8)

You crown the year with a bountiful harvest; even the hard pathways overflow with abundance [Psalms 65:11 NLT].

As the year approaches its end, I am sure you will take a moment to reflect on how the year had been. No matter how the journey had been, I am sure you can find something to be thankful for.

And even if there seems to be prayers that were not answered, you need not be weary. When King Jehoshaphat faced a formidable problem, how was it solved?

Early in the morning they left for the Desert of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, "Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem! Have faith in the LORD your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful." After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the LORD and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying: "Give thanks to the LORD, for his love endures forever" [2 Chron 20:20-21 NIV].

In this 2009, We Will Praise God

If you read further down the passage in 2 Chronicles 20, you will observe that they obtained victory "As they began to sing and praise". The cause of Judah's victory is given to their songs of praise. Praising God invites Him into your situation and chases the enemy away!

The most important key that opens new doors, closes old ones and advances us in our walk with God is Praise.

A few more reasons why we must praise God are:
• Praise turns our focus to God: When we don’t feel like praising, that is the exact time to jump up and praise, for it turns our focus away from our circumstance, situations and problems and turns them towards God. When we focus on our problems, we focus on ourselves and get stuck at that junction. When we focus on God, being the good God he is, he elevates us from whatever we are going through.

• Praise helps to keep us to be humble: When we praise we humble ourselves to seek refuge at God’s feet. When we praise, with reckless abandon, we don’t care how we look to others or how they perceive us. We are humble enough to know that God is bigger than any of our problems.

• God inhabits our praises: The dictionary defines inhabit as thus: to live or reside in or to dwell in, or to exist or to be situated within. From that definition it is not surprising the devil will want to keep us busy with many distractions. He wants to keep us from giving God praise. When we praise, God resides within our praises, and in his presence, there is no sorrow, heartache or problems.

May His praise continually be in your mouth in this 2009 and even as you enter a greater year, 2010. It is not too late for God to perform a miracle in your life in this 2009 – the year is not yet over.

Merry Xmas and a Fruitful New Year. May your year be crowned with the goodness of God.

Many thanks to RemiUK for permission to use her post “Continuous Praise”.

For further reading visit "The Praise Principle".

My Sacrifice of Praise

Today I bring my Sacrifice of Praise
Now knowing why it is named that way
First because it is taking so much of me
And secondly I see no reason to give it;
But I bring to your Throne of Grace
This my Sacrifice of Praise
With thanksgiving in my lips
And joy from within;
I bless you for yesterday and today
I glorify you for your ways are not my ways
I exalt you for there is none like you
And worship you for there is nothing else to do;
May the world and its rulers hear my Sacrifice of Praise
Which I give you in this time and place
My soul waits patiently, my expectation is from you only
For I trust you and believe in you, My King of Glory.

The Inspiration
Everyday is not about good news. Life has its good times and bad times. No matter who you are, you are not exempted from the realities of life. Often we sympathize with people when they are involved in rough or sad situations. Sometimes we personally feel what others are going through, so we empathize. But what happens when you are the person involved? What happens when you are the subject of sympathy?

On one beautiful afternoon I decided to go swimming. Then I received some very bad news (I’d share this with you in one of my novels yet to be published). I tried to be strong. For a moment I was in shock. I shed no tears. There was no point. I had made a resolution in my moment of shock – when I get to the pool, I’d drown myself since there is no reason to live! I made a few calls to those dear to me, told them how much I loved them, and then took my things with me to the pool. I gave myself some good 5 minutes of “the last tears” then got into the water.

Then HE said, “In every thing give thanks, for this is MY Will in Christ Jesus concerning you”.
I replied, “I have no reason to give thanks, please leave me alone let me go about my suicide mission. How can I hear this kind of news and you want me to go on?”
HE simply reminded me of Deuteronomy 28 that started thus, “If you fully obey the LORD your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today…” I did not want to be disobedient. Grudgingly I left the pool, went to a quiet corner and started praising and worshipping HIM. That was when I understood what sacrifice of praise meant. With time I started enjoying some of the words in the songs (from my phone because on my own I may not have remembered any) and I found myself praising HIM joyfully. I must confess that it did not remove the truth of what had happened or stop the heart-breaking hurt in my heart. But I had an assurance that God was with me, as always, and HE’d help me through this phase.

It is not easy to Praise God during rough times, but it is possible. God is a Restorer. HE is a Healer. HE is a Provider. HE is God. The devil has come to steal (our joy and rights), to kill and to destroy, but thank God that Jesus came that we may have life and have it more abundantly [John 10:10].

Take a journey down memory lane. Recall the role of God in your life. You’d see that HE is always there. HE is here for you, now and forever more.

Nothing can separate you from the Love of God. Remain Blessed.