The Lord has really been speaking to me about the importance of understanding the significance and power of praise recently, so I’ve spent the past few days studying every reference in the Bible to praise (351 in the New International Version), which is something I’d strongly encourage everyone to do! It’s been such an extensive and eye opening study that it’s difficult to know where to begin, and certainly a challenge to cover adequately in this forum, but I’ll do my best as I strive to greatly reduce sixteen pages of notes!

The only way to gain a full and complete understanding of what the Bible teaches on any particular topic is to do a topical Bible study, as I did by searching BibleGateway.com for the word “praise”. I already understood that we were created for the praise and glory of the Lord, but I didn’t realize the extent to which we are COMMANDED to do so or just how serious God is about praise! Hopefully, studying what the Bible teaches about praise will help us realize that God is VERY SERIOUS when He commands us to praise Him. And when we don’t, we WILL miss out on God’s awesome power and blessings, and we are likely to suffer very unpleasant and unwanted consequences, such as the problems we’re now experiencing in our marriages.

Isaiah 43:18-21 is probably a familiar passage of scripture to most everyone standing for marriage restoration. Yet, we may tend to overlook the significance of the last twelve words in that passage, which says “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland. The wild animals honor me, the jackals and the owls, because I provide water in the desert and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to my people, my chosen, the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise.

So, if we ever had any doubt about why God created us, and why He CHOSE us, it couldn’t be any clearer than that! We were created and chosen simply to PROCLAIM the praise of our Almighty God! And that’s confirmed in 1 Peter 2:9, which says But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. And that’s stated again in even more detail in Ephesians 1:11-14, which says:
In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.
So that means that God predestined and planned EVERYTHING in our lives to cause us to put our hope in Jesus, because when we do and are victorious, others are made to recognize and acknowledge His praise and glory! So when we face a difficult or challenging situation, we should keep our focus on how it WILL BE resolved for the praise and glory of Jesus Christ, because that’s the ONLY reason God included it in the PREDETERMINED plan for our lives, EVERY detail of which HE worked out LONG before we were even born. That’s further confirmed in Isaiah 61:11, which says For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign LORD will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations. Then Acts 12:22-24 leaves NO doubt how serious God is about giving Him the praise He deserves and demands, because it says They shouted, “This is the voice of a god, not of a man.” Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died. But the word of God continued to increase and spread. And there’s no doubt that the Lord EXPECTS our praise, because in Luke 17:18, Jesus said Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?”

Undoubtedly, many of us know the truth of the warning provided in Romans 1:24-25 all to well, because it says Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen. The reason that’s so significant is because we’re not usually taught that praise literally defends and protects us and that when we fail to give praise and honor to God, we leave ourselves and our families open to all sorts of attacks from the devil. The Bible even equates praise to being our gates, as seen in Isaiah 60:17-18, which says Instead of bronze I will bring you gold, and silver in place of iron. Instead of wood I will bring you bronze, and iron in place of stones. I will make peace your governor and righteousness your ruler. No longer will violence be heard in your land, nor ruin or destruction within your borders, but you will call your walls Salvation and your gates Praise. Then in Psalm 100:4 we’re told Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor. So having “a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair means that continually praising the Lord keeps us from being overwhelmed by a spirit of despair. And that’s another way praise defends and protects us, which we know is especially important as we stand for the restoration of our marriages. Obviously, “a garment of praise” means that our praise should “cover” us and be something others can see, which is why and how living our lives for the praise and glory of God makes us “oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor.” And that’s no surprise, because we know that it’s our peace and ability to praise the Lord in the midst of so much turmoil that often first attracts the attention of our prodigal spouses and begins to draw them back home AND to the Lord!

Isaiah 42:5-16 is another favorite passage of scripture when standing for the restoration of our marriages, but it contains a very significant verse often overlooked as well. Isaiah 42:8 says “I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not give my glory to another or my praise to idols. Ouch! That’s another warning we had better take VERY seriously, because if we’re honest, most of us have to admit that we’ve made idols of our spouses and marriages, and even marriage restoration itself, and God is simply NOT going to tolerate or allow that! So it’s important for us to understand that God intends and uses the trials in our lives for His praise and glory. He causes or allows circumstances in our lives, such as the devastation we’re now experiencing in our marriages and families, to MAKE us recognize how much we need Him, so He can restore us when we turn to Him and call on Him. And then when HE restores us, we will proclaim His praises and others will have to acknowledge His glory when they witness His power and His love and goodness in our lives; not to mention the blessings He bestows on us! The following passages of scripture are just a few illustrations of how God does that:

Joel 2:24-27
The threshing floors will be filled with grain; the vats will overflow with new wine and oil. “I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten—the great locust and the young locust, the other locusts and the locust swarm—my great army that I sent among you. You will have plenty to eat, until you are full, and you will praise the name of the LORD your God, who has worked wonders for you; never again will my people be shamed. Then you will know that I am in Israel, that I am the LORD your God, and that there is no other; never again will my people be shamed.

Jeremiah 33:6-9
“‘Nevertheless, I will bring health and healing to it; I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security. I will bring Judah and Israel back from captivity and will rebuild them as they were before. I will cleanse them from all the sin they have committed against me and will forgive all their sins of rebellion against me. Then this city will bring me renown, joy, praise and honor before all nations on earth that hear of all the good things I do for it; and they will be in awe and will tremble at the abundant prosperity and peace I provide for it.’

1 Peter 1:3-7
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

2 Corinthians 1:3-5
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.

Luke 18:43
Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God.

Psalm 40:3
He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD.

If we could ever truly grasp the power of praise and how the Lord uses it to accomplish His plan and purpose in our lives, we would NEVER stop proclaiming and declaring the Lord’s praise and glory! The following passages of scripture are just a few that reveal the awesome power of praise and how it is used for the Lord’s glory and our benefit, deliverance and protection:

Deuteronomy 26:18-19
And the LORD has declared this day that you are his people, his treasured possession as he promised, and that you are to keep all his commands. He has declared that he will set you in praise, fame and honor high above all the nations he has made and that you will be a people holy to the LORD your God, as he promised.

2 Chronicles 20:20-22
Early in the morning they left for the Desert of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem! Have faith in the LORD your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful.”
After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the LORD and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying: “Give thanks to the LORD, for his love endures forever.” As they began to sing and praise, the LORD set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated.

Psalm 18:3
I call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies.

Psalm 34:1-5
I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips. My soul will boast in the LORD; let the afflicted hear and rejoice. Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name together. I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.

Psalm 63:11
but the king will rejoice in God; all who swear by God’s name will praise him, while the mouths of liars will be silenced.

Psalm 142:7
Set me free from my prison, that I may praise your name. Then the righteous will gather about me because of your goodness to me.

Psalm 149>:6-9
May the praise of God be in their mouths and a double-edged sword in their hands, to inflict vengeance on the nations and punishment on the peoples, to bind their kings with fetters, their nobles with shackles of iron, to carry out the sentence written against them. This is the glory of all his saints. Praise the LORD.

In addition to the many references to praise being continually on our lips as we “proclaim” and “declare” God’s praise and glory, the Bible also tells us other ways we can bring praise and glory to the Lord, as indicated in the following verses:

Romans 15:6-7
so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.

2 Corinthians 9:13
Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else.

Philippians 1:9-11
And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.

Hebrews 13:15-16
Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

Job 1:20-22
At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship and said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised.” In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.

James 3:9-10
With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be.

1 Peter 4:16
However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.

Somewhere along the way to modern Christianity, we lost sight of the vital necessity and importance of praise in our lives as Christians, which is very evident when we examine the following verses to see how significant praise was in the past and will be again when we get to heaven:

1 Chronicles 16:8-10
Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done. Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts. Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice.

1 Chronicles 16:34-36 (NKJV)
Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. And say, “Save us, O God of our salvation; Gather us together, and deliver us from the Gentiles, To give thanks to Your holy name, To triumph in Your praise.” Blessed be the LORD God of Israel From everlasting to everlasting! And all the people said, “Amen!” and praised the LORD.

1 Chronicles 23:5
Four thousand are to be gatekeepers and four thousand are to praise the LORD with the musical instruments I have provided for that purpose.”

1 Chronicles 23:30-31
They were also to stand every morning to thank and praise the LORD. They were to do the same in the evening and whenever burnt offerings were presented to the LORD on Sabbaths and at New Moon festivals and at appointed feasts. They were to serve before the LORD regularly in the proper number and in the way prescribed for them.

2 Chronicles 5:12-14
All the Levites who were musicians—Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun and their sons and relatives—stood on the east side of the altar, dressed in fine linen and playing cymbals, harps and lyres. They were accompanied by 120 priests sounding trumpets. The trumpeters and singers joined in unison, as with one voice, to give praise and thanks to the LORD. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals and other instruments, they raised their voices in praise to the LORD and sang: “He is good; his love endures forever.” Then the temple of the LORD was filled with a cloud, and the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled the temple of God.

2 Chronicles 8:14
In keeping with the ordinance of his father David, he appointed the divisions of the priests for their duties, and the Levites to lead the praise and to assist the priests according to each day’s requirement. He also appointed the gatekeepers by divisions for the various gates, because this was what David the man of God had ordered.

Revelation 5:11-13
Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. In a loud voice they sang: “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!” Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!”

Revelation 19:4-6
The twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God, who was seated on the throne. And they cried: “Amen, Hallelujah!” Then a voice came from the throne, saying: “Praise our God, all you his servants, you who fear him, both small and great!” Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: “Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns.

Perhaps one of the most important things to recognize through this study is our failure to receive and realize the power and promise of God’s Word in our lives — just because we don’t praise Him as we were created and chosen to do. Many like to debate whether or not miracles still happen today as they did in Bible times, and many people believe they don’t; that God put an end to them. But I don’t believe that and I haven’t found anything in the Bible to convince me that God said they would ever cease. However, I now understand why we don’t see them anywhere near biblical proportions today — because we have lost sight of the importance and vital necessity of praising God in our lives as Christians. We take the love, grace, mercy, blessings, and protection of God in our lives for granted, instead of continually proclaiming and declaring His praise and glory. By reading and studying Psalm 148-150, we should see how significant giving praise, honor and glory to the Lord really is in our lives, and I hope this study of God’s Word concerning praise will help make all of us reconsider the place and priority we give the reason and purpose of our very existence.

The Lord recently taught me that I take my good health for granted and that I should awake singing His praises every morning just because I feel good, and there are many other things we ALL take for granted as well. So instead of focusing on what we may be lacking in our lives right now, let’s learn to truly be the chosen of God by proclaiming and declaring His praise and glory all day long! And oh how we WILL BE blessed and encouraged!

Psalm 34:1-3
I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips. My soul will boast in the LORD; let the afflicted hear and rejoice. Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name together.

Psalm 51:15
O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.

Psalm 52:9
I will praise you forever for what you have done; in your name I will hope, for your name is good. I will praise you in the presence of your saints.

Psalm 57:9
I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples.

Psalm 63:4-5
I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you.

Psalm 69:30
I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving.

Psalm 71:8
My mouth is filled with your praise, declaring your splendor all day long.

Psalm 71:14-15
But as for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more. My mouth will tell of your righteousness, of your salvation all day long, though I know not its measure.

Psalm 71:22-24
I will praise you with the harp for your faithfulness, O my God; I will sing praise to you with the lyre, O Holy One of Israel. My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to you—I, whom you have redeemed. My tongue will tell of your righteous acts all day long, for those who wanted to harm me have been put to shame and confusion.

Psalm 92:1-2
It is good to praise the LORD and make music to your name, O Most High, to proclaim your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night,

Psalm 96:1-3
Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth. Sing to the LORD, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples.

Psalm 113:2-4
Let the name of the LORD be praised, both now and forevermore. From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the LORD is to be praised. The LORD is exalted over all the nations, his glory above the heavens.

Psalm 150:6
Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD.

Hebrews 13:15
Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name.

Posted Friday, August 17th, 2007 at 1:14 pm in Seeds Of Faith.