Praise the Lord

“Praise the Lord, O my soul; ​I will praise the Lord all my life; ​I will sing praise to my God while I live.” Psalm 146:2

I loved what I read in my meditation guide, “The Word Among Us”, a long time ago. “Sing aloud, yes, but don’t limit yourself to what your voice can do. Sing with your pen. Write down what you want to praise the Lord for...Sing with your paint brush—paint your praise, joy, and thanksgiving. Sing with your musical instrument or your feet. Dance, as David did before the ark of the Lord (2 Samuel 6:5,16). We are wonderfully made, so we can praise the Lord in song or with any of the other talents He has given us." 

A preacher I was listening to on Youtube said that praises to God was like a huge, eternal Mexican wave (the rhythm achieved in a packed stadium when successive groups of spectators briefly stand, yell, and raise their arms). We need not initiate it, we just need to choose whether to join in. I like that, at any time anywhere that I choose to praise God, I would be part of this wonderful cloud of praise going up to heaven. One with Sandi Patti, Don Moen, Suzy Yaraei, Kim Walker Smith, Chris Tomlin, Kari Jobe, etc. The list goes on.... Isn't that exciting? Even if our voices are not as beautiful as theirs, God still delights in our praises. 

Praise is a very powerful spiritual weapon. If we are experiencing some difficulty, we need to turn up the praise. Praise lifts our eyes from the seemingly desperate situation to what is possible with God! And nothing is impossible with God!

There is an example of a hopeless battle in 2 Chronicles 20. After King Jehoshaphat realized that the battle was not His but God's to win, he appointed people to praise God. And the battle was won!

Is there are a battle you are fighting now? Perhaps a sickness or addiction that has plagued you for years, anxiety or fear, envy, or unforgiveness? Whatever it is, praising God gives the arena over to the Lord and allows Him room to move.