SACRIFICE OF PRAISE!
By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God by continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name (Hebrews 13:15).
The sacrifices of praise are the confessions, declarations, psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs of glory, grace and goodness of God that we make unto Him. It’s different from saying, “I praise you Lord, I just thank you for everything”…praise is more than that. Praising God means giving thanks to His Name for definite reasons.
In the Old Testament, the priests offered specific offerings to God; they offered sacrifices of burnt offerings and burnt incense, according to the specifications of the law. We also in the New Testaments are admonished to offer sacrifices of praise to God and Hebrews 13:15 clearly describes the Content of the sacrifice we’ve been called to offer: “By him (Jesus Christ) therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.’’
As you worship the Lord and adore Him, making confessions to His Name, you’re offering unto Him the sacrifice of praise. As you offer quality praise and present your body to Him as a living sacrifice, you send forth incense unto Him, and His presence rubs-off on you and overshadows you.
THE POWER OF PRAISE
Our Lord is great and greatly to be praised. He delights in our praises. As new creations we"re those He has sanctified and separated unto Himself to worship Him: For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh, (Philippians 3:3). Irrespective of the circumstances around us; whether or not we feel like it, the praise of God is continually in our mouths.
How important it is for you to learn to praise the Lord in spite of adversity.
When you sing the Lord"s praise, His glory is revealed, not only in your life, but also to your environment (Judges 5:13).
In 2 Chronicles 20:13-22 for example, the nation of Judah had been surrounded by the armies of three nations, determined to destroy them and take over their land. But Jehoshaphat, King of Judah, was a wise King. He called together all the people of Judah and proclaimed a fast.
As they fasted and prayed, the Lord gave them the strategy for battle. On the day of battle, Jehoshaphat put singers in front of the army. The Bible records that 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 (2 Chronicles 20:22). Through the power of praise, they discomfited their adversary.
Consider also the inspiring account of Paul and Silas Chronicled for us in Acts 16. They had been imprisoned for preaching the Gospel and had their hands and feet bound. Then at midnight, at that dark and lonely moment of their lives, they began to sing praises to God: And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one"s bands were loosed (Acts 16:25-26).
It doesn"t matter what challenging situation you might be facing right now, praise the Lord anyhow, glorify Him from the depths of your heart and His power will be activated on your behalf. You might have been praying about a specific condition, it"s now time for you to praise Him. Do it lavishly, for He deserves it, and as you do, you"ll see His power move on you like never before.
THE POWER OF PRAISE AND WORSHIP
And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed (Acts 16:25-26).
Acts 16 chronicles how songs of praise from Paul and Silas resulted in a divinely orchestrated earthquake that saw to their release from an obnoxious incarceration. When you praise the Lord from your heart in the beauty of holiness, the result is a divine explosion of glory. Praise and worship the Lord in the face of daunting challenges, and His glory will be manifested in your behalf.
If you desire a miracle today, whether it’s in your job or finances or even trouble at work; or perhaps it has to do with your health or that of a loved one; whatever it is, as an act of faith, set this matter before you, and begin to sing songs of praise in the spirit and also in your understanding again and again, as the spirit gives you utterance. By this act of faith, you’re invoking the power of the mighty God—the most High God—over the matter before you.
You don’t have to say much. Don’t talk about the thing that’s been bothering you; keep your focus on the Lord, as you sing and dance to the Lord, chanting verses of praise to extol His majesty, the power of God will surge through your being. Don’t stop at this time; as the inspiration increases, speak in tongues again and again, until you have a note of victory.
No matter what the case is, such worship will be followed by the miraculous.
Rather than feel downcast, helpless or overwhelmed when you face challenges, employ the worship and praise strategy; the power of God’s Spirit will be stirred, and you’ll have a testimony.
THE POWER OF TRUE WORSHIP
And there I will meet with the children of Israel, and the tabernacle shall be sanctified by my glory (Exodus 29:43).
In worship, God talks to us. As you minister to Him, He ministers to your spirit as well. Heaven is never silent on the worshiper. When you need direction, guidance or a supernatural intervention, worship the Lord. In Acts 13:1-2, the Bible says, “ ...as they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Ghost said...” letting us know that the power of God’s Spirit is manifested in an atmosphere of true worship.
True worship isn’t the casual rendition of your favorite Christian tunes; it’s the lifting of your heart and hands to the Lord, in reverence of His awesome majesty. It involves making confessions to His Name on the basis of who He is, in line with the revelation of His personality in the Word.
The Lord Jesus, in John 4:23, outlines true worship as that which is done in spirit and in truth; meaning that you’re to worship the Father from your spirit and according to His Word. For example, His Word says, “...and the lifting up of my hands be as the evening sacrifice” (Psalm 141:2); that means one of the ways of effective worship is to lift your hands to the Lord. There’s something deeply spiritual and powerful in lifting your hands to the Lord in worship; you’re offering to Him a sacrifice of sweet smelling savor.
As you sing and bless His Name, lift your hands to Him as well, and focus on Him. Soon enough, you’ll be enraptured in the warmth of His love and the glory of His divine presence. Do this often; not only when you’re in church, but in your room, car, office everywhere and anywhere!
Recall what the Lord said to the children of Israel in our opening verse; He was referring to the place of worship. That’s where He meets you, and opens your eyes to see in the spirit and helps you receive the divine touch you need for your next level of glory.
WORSHIP IN THE SPIRIT
Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord (Ephesians 5:19).
The term “spiritual songs” in the scripture above really doesn’t mean the spirituality of the songs in terms of their content, but that they’re songs of the spirit. It’s the same thing the Apostle Paul was talking about when he said,
“For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful. What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also” (1 Corinthians 14:14-15).
Singing with the spirit is singing in other tongues. These songs come out of your spirit, not from your understanding. It’s similar to the way you yield your tongue to the Holy Spirit to pray in tongues, only that this time, you’re singing in other tongues and worshipping the Lord.
Worshipping in the spirit is higher. That’s the climax. You may sing and worship the Lord in your understanding, and that’s okay, but ascend higher; sing songs from your spirit; worship and relate from your spirit; it’s a deeper fellowship.