In Touch - Jan. 27, 2009

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2009 Jan 27

January 27, 2009
Benefits of Praise
Psalms 150

Consider your most recent prayer to the Lord. Did you spend as much time praising Him as you did making requests?

In our selfish society, many people even attend church to get needs met—singing helps emotions, sermons “feed” the flock, and the choir entertains. Our own preferences can overshadow the primary purpose the Creator has for our lives: to exalt Him.

Praise both magnifies and pleases the Lord, but we actually benefit from the practice as well. First, adoration of God modifies our estimation of “self”—it’s impossible to truly elevate God while clinging to pride. Instead, we come to recognize our sin, weakness, and dependence upon Him. As Scripture tells us, the Lord’s power is manifest when we show genuine humility (2 Cor. 12:10).

Next, praise appropriately humbles us, as it is a reminder of God’s greatness and our dependence upon Him. But at the same time, exalting Him strengthens our sense of assurance, thereby increasing our faith. Then we are able to look beyond ourselves and our circumstances to see life from God’s perspective. And consider one additional benefit of praise that involves our physical bodies: when we focus on Jesus’ goodness, tension leaves and we find new strength. All these supernatural effects of exaltation are possible because as we lift His name, God is present—Psalm 22:3 tells us that He inhabits the praise of His people (kjv).

Think about the Lord’s attributes and His work in your life. What can you praise Him for today?

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