“Praise God!”
By Rev. Everett R. Kimble, Sr.
“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.” – Philippians 4:6
Admiration and applaud, pay tribute, speak highly of, rave about, commend, glorify. These are just a few of the words and phrases that come to mind when I think about our Heavenly Father and all He has done for me. He has poured amazing blessings into my life, and the blessings that have impacted me the most usually came through failure, despair and hopelessness. When I was down to my last dime. When my mom passed away, and I almost fell into depression. When I was waiting on test results from the doctor. While struggling to get my business out of the red, and just after becoming detached from my church family and fighting with my biological family God took care of me. Because of each and every one of these situations, God has blessed me and taught me the true meaning of “exceedingly and abundantly above all that we ask or think.”(Ephesians 3:20)
1 Thessalonians 5:16 says, “Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” Be thankful in all circumstances. There is something wonderful about our praise and thanksgiving to God. It can calm our worries and escalate our worship. If you are down and in despair and you need an immediate infusion of God’s presence, give Him some praise. Even when you don’t feel you have anything to praise God for, praise Him for what you expect or need to happen.
Praise Him for that new job, right now. Praise Him for mending your broken relationships, right now. Praise Him for patience, right now. Praise Him for healing, right now. Praise Him for fixing your finances, right now. Praise Him for whatever it is you need, and it will set your spirit free. King David understood the correlation between pain and praise, and he penned Psalm 34 in response. “I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together. I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.” (Verses 1-4)
Praise creates a positive attitude because it forces us to shift our focus to God rather than our situation. So, here is the encouragement for today and it comes from a song I love to sing, “When Praises Go Up, The Blessings Come Down.” If things are good for you this morning, give God some praise. If you find yourself right in the middle of a struggle or a rough patch, praise your expectations, and God will meet you in your praise. God loves our praise because it lets Him know that we are still holding on.
“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.” (Philippians 4:6) Give God all the Glory! Have a blessed and praised filled Friday!
