THE LANGUAGE OF PRAISE

“You are my God, and I will praise You; You are my God, I will exalt You” – Psalm 118: 28

As we walk more closely with the Lord, we learn to become proficient in the LANGUAGE of PRAISE. David exemplified this: “You are my God, and I will praise You; You are my God, I will exalt You” (Psa.118:28). Praise is a divinely-ordained language on the lips of men, to produce profound results. Praise comes by revelation and ushers us into deeper revelations. Praise as a language is not limited to what we do in church. God delights in and comprehends the language of praise. He inhabits in the praises of His people (Psa.22:3). Praise is God’s will for us; to transform us from ordinary mortals into His oracles.

Whenever a person is down, the tendency is to complain, grumble or murmur. However, when such a person switches on to praise, he or she is inviting God for a raise. We have complained enough; let’s stop complaining and start praising! There is no true ‘Praiser’ that does not enjoy divine Mercy, Grace, and Favour. God’s Strength and Power are hidden in Weapon of Praise. Jehoshaphat was headed for battle, and God instructed him to position choir members in the front and archers at the back! The King provoked God by praise, and Jehovah’s glory consumed his enemies (2Chr.20).

Praise is a language of righteousness: “Open to me the gates of righteousness; I will go through them, and I will praise the LORD. This is the gate of the LORD, through which the righteous shall enter” (Psa.118:19-20). Praise flows from the platform of righteousness: “In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah:… Open the gates, that the righteous nation which keeps the truth may enter in” (Isa.26:1-2). We do not approach God in self-righteousness but that of Christ!

Praise is the language of Faith. Praise flows unhindered from a heart of faith, not of fear. Praise is a Proof of Faith. People of Faith are often people of Praise. Whereas, anxiety, doubt, fear, and such negative emotions only end up polluting Praise. The reason why many believers still wallow in weakness is because they are looking for God's pity and not His Mercy; they murmur rather than offer praise. Nebuchadnezzar’s fire had no power over the three Hebrew youth because they had faith in their hearts and the praise of God in their mouths. Paul and Silas were imprisoned but as they began to praise, heaven answered with unprecedented power that shattered prison gates and broke the prisoners’ chains.

Praise is a language that pleases God. “Without faith, it is impossible to please God…” (Heb.11:6a). Like Faith, Praise is a language that is suited to God’s ears: “I will praise the name of God with a song, and magnify Him with thanksgiving. This also shall PLEASE the LORD better than an ox or bull, which has horns and hooves” (Psa.69:30-31). To praise God is to please Him. When you have tried and it’s almost as if you should give up, take up the weapon of praise. Raise your voice in praise. The Force of Faith will keep you forging on; the Language of Praise will keep you lifted up.

Praise is a language of authority and dominion. True ‘Praisers’ are always in the front, but those who complain in the midst of affliction relinquish their authority to the devil to keep on afflicting them. Complainers are often robbed of their blessings. Each time you apportion blame rather than take responsibility to praise God, you give away your authority and dominion to someone else. We as God's children are meant to operate in realms of dominion, characterised by Faith and Praise.

Praise is a language of thanksgiving: “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name” (Psa.100:4). The thankful are always full. It is against divine order for you to be thankful and not be full. The language of praise and thanksgiving will unlock any locked door!

Beloved, through intimacy with God’s Word and Spirit, you can become proficient and productive in the Language of Praise!