UNDERSTANDING PRAISE

Understanding Praise

In a world where so many things can go wrong, it is very easy to be caught in the web of the worries that come with it. And as we focus on all that is not, we forgot all that is and is to come. When we focus on what we don't have and lose sight of what we have or can have, we put ourselves in a dark place of discouragement which brings about the spirit of heaviness. For many years i struggled with this and i did not know how to overcome it until the Lord revealed a mighty secret to me.

In Isaiah 61:3 as i read it i saw how the Lord replaced the spirit of heaviness with the garment of praise. This made me to understand that if i want to overcome the spirit of heaviness, the spirit of despair, the spirit of discouragement or any negative spirit, i have to permanently wear praise as a garment. Praise now became my weapon to battle whatever the enemy was throwing my way to make me feel down. This is because when i praise God i am forced to focus on Him and not my situation. When i praise God i begin to verbally mention all the great things He has done for me. Like the song says, i begin to count my blessings and name them one by one. AS i begin to count them one by one, i realize that it is not all that bad.

I cannot praise God without thinking of all the things He has done for me. I cannot praise God with drawing close to Him and receiving the joy that comes from His presence. I cannot praise God without reflecting on His goodness and faithfulness to me and my family. Praising God reminds me of how far He has brought me. And it helps me to remember that if God brought me this far, He is able to bring me even further. If He helped me yesterday, He is able to help me today. So praising God and reflecting on His goodness brings hope to my heart. Praise takes my eyes off the enemy and places it on God and i can't look to God without seeing His glory. As a i gaze upon His glory and the beauty of His Holiness all i want to do is praise Him some more.

Praise is a beautiful and wonderful thing. It does not only honour God, it does not only keep our focus on God, but it also gives us victory over the enemy.

In 2 Chronicles 20:21-23, We see how when the people of God began to sing and praise, it moved God to turn their enemies against each other. Their enemies began to fight against themselves and killed each other. Praise helps us to realize our need for God and turn the battle over to Him. When we do this, He will then bring the victory and give us even more reasons to praise him.

I pray that as you read this, you will make the garment of praise what you wear at all times and may you have the victory that comes with it in Christ Jesus name.

Evangelist Claire Revealed.