Day 39: Praise Him in His House

PRAISE HIM IN HIS HOUSE

As the church gathers together, His House becomes a place where we can bring our hearts, voice, music and words to sing and give praises to our Heavenly Father. The strength of worship in community is the encouragement it brings to one another in our different seasons of life.

Our freedom in worship allows others to feel free to worship, creating an atmosphere of sincerity where people can be real with God as they encounter Him through praise. It lifts those silenced by weariness and puts a new song in their mouths.

There is an undeniable sense of JOY when the church gathers to worship - a joy not dependant on circumstance, rather a characteristic of being renewed by the Holy Spirit.

Music enriches our worship. There are anthems sung around the world declaring the greatness of God. Some of these have begun as an expression of our House and have now become a resource that enriches local churches, leading people into the presence of God through praise.

Take a look at the praise song beginning in 1 Chronicles 16:8. Read it aloud as you prepare your heart for tomorrow’s services. Give Him praise for all He has planned to do.

GIVE PRAISE TO THE LORD, PROCLAIM 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 16:8-10 (NIV)

Day 38: Praise Him In Your Secret Place

PRAISE HIM IN YOUR SECRET PLACE

Acts 16 is an incredible story of the power of praise and worship. Paul and Silas are in prison for doing the work of the Lord. In the midst of their bleak circumstance, their choice to praise not only brought about their freedom, but salvation to the jailer and his family.

God does not need our praise and worship. We worship Him more for our benefit than His. Bringing praise and worship to God reminds us of His power and authority, and positions us in a place of submission and awe. It diminishes the power of sin and darkness over our lives, and brings attention to who God is and not only to what He can do.

Whatever your circumstance – praise! Praise in our ‘midnight’ hour magnifies God for who He is, and not just what He can do. God dwells in the praises of His people, so we can be sure that as we lift His name in worship, He is here! The style and how you express your praise and worship is not as important as the response of the heart behind it.

ABOUT MIDNIGHT PAUL AND SILAS WERE PRAYING AND SINGING HYMNS TO GOD, AND THE OTHER PRISONERS WERE LISTENING TO THEM. SUDDENLY THERE WAS SUCH A VIOLENT EARTHQUAKE THAT THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE PRISON WERE SHAKEN. AT ONCE ALL THE PRISON DOORS FLEW OPEN, AND EVERYONE’S CHAINS CAME LOOSE.

Acts 16:25-27 (NIV)

Day 37: Give Thanks

GIVE THANKS

A heart overflowing with gratitude and thanks results in praise. When we pray and experience God moving and answered prayer, our natural response is praise in gratitude, which in turn creates an opportunity for further prayer to God and praise! Thanksgiving brings glory to God and makes Him known.

Yet, even in difficult times, gratitude has power. Novelist, theologian and Christian apologist, C.S. Lewis said, “We ought to give thanks for all fortune: if it is “good,” because is it good, if “bad” because it works in us patience, humility, and the contempt of this world and the hope of our eternal country.”

The expression of gratitude and thanks to God magnifies His majesty and power. As we bring our attention to His sovereignty, whilst still remembering what He has done for us, our faith is stirred up and our hope for what is to come is increased.

Give thanks daily – write down or tell someone two things you are thankful for at the end of each day. Perhaps make it a regular dinner-time activity. Be determined to develop a spirit of thankfulness and praise.

I PROCLAIM YOUR SAVING ACTS IN THE GREAT ASSEMBLY; I DO NOT SEAL MY LIPS, LORD, AS YOU KNOW. I DO NOT HIDE YOUR RIGHTEOUSNESS IN MY HEART; I SPEAK OF YOUR FAITHFULNESS AND YOUR SAVING HELP. I DO NOT CONCEAL YOUR LOVE AND YOUR FAITHFULNESS FROM THE GREAT ASSEMBLY.

Psalm 40:9-10 (NIV)

Day 36: Celebrate His Grace

CELEBRATE HIS GRACE

In Old Testament times, there was only one entrance to the tabernacle – the place where one would go to meet with God. Once an Israelite entered the gate into the outer court with his sacrifice he was standing on “holy ground”.

Under the new covenant, Christ is the gate; the ‘one way’ by which we enter into God’s presence. The Psalmist reminds us here that it is not the act of walking into a physical building or a gathering of the church that we enter into His presence, rather it is in recognising that Jesus is the only way by which we can come before God. A heart of praise sees the grace of Christ - that by His sacrifice alone we are once again in His presence - and it is in His presence that we are revived and renewed.

In a place of ‘ruins’, we most need the presence of God, yet it is in those very places that we often don’t feel like we can come before Him.

Remember that it is not by our own efforts that we can stand before Him, but by His grace alone. Instead of being consumed by a list of worries and needs, pause to remember Jesus Christ, and enter into His presence with boldness.

ENTER HIS GATES WITH THANKSGIVING AND HIS COURTS WITH PRAISE; GIVE THANKS TO HIM AND PRAISE HIS NAME

Psalm 100:4 (NIV)

Day 35: Declare Jesus

DECLARE JESUS

We’ve all experienced seasons in life when we have felt that our life - perhaps due to relationships, work or finances - has become overly complicated. Thank God that we can call on the name of Jesus at these times! Unchanging and always present, Jesus’ name can simplify life as we lift Him up as the focus of our praise.

Likewise, sharing our faith does not need to become complicated. The Holy Spirit convicts (John 16:17) and we are released to simply declare Jesus’ name by sharing our story and show others that there is a Saviour who deeply loves them and has a plan and purpose for their lives.

Make a list of any challenges that you are currently facing. Beside each of them, write the name of Jesus. Begin to praise God, focusing on Jesus and declaring the power of His name over your situation.

IT IS BY THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST OF NAZARETH, WHOM YOU CRUCIFIED BUT WHOM GOD RAISED FROM THE DEAD, THAT THIS MAN STANDS BEFORE YOU HEALED.
JESUS IS

“‘THE STONE YOU BUILDERS REJECTED, WHICH HAS BECOME THE CORNERSTONE.’

SALVATION IS FOUND IN NO ONE ELSE, FOR THERE IS NO OTHER NAME UNDER HEAVEN GIVEN TO MANKIND BY WHICH WE MUST BE SAVED.

Acts 4:10-12 (NIV)

THEREFORE GOD EXALTED HIM TO THE HIGHEST PLACE AND GAVE HIM THE NAME THAT IS ABOVE EVERY NAME, THAT AT THE NAME OF JESUS EVERY KNEE SHOULD BOW, IN HEAVEN AND ON EARTH AND UNDER THE EARTH,

Philippians 2:9-10 (NIV)

Day 34: Be Refreshed

BE REFRESHED

In Acts 3 we learn that a time of refreshing is the immediate comfort we can expect when we repent and accept Christ as our Saviour. Where does this sense of refreshing come from? It comes from being in the presence of the Lord; from His Holy Spirit. Our sins are wiped out and we receive a refreshing from the Lord? This is an incredible and incomprehensible exchange for our sin.

Does this mean we repent once and that sense of refreshing is always present? No. In our human nature, we want our actions to follow a genuine heart to change but we will fail. It is crucial for us to continually turn back to God, remember all that He has done for us, and hold onto the anchor of His hope.

One way we can do this is to praise God regardless of how we feel emotionally, by bringing what the book of Hebrews calls a ‘sacrifice of praise’ (Hebrews 13:15). As revivalist Thomas Charles of Bala, wrote in 1791 “those who have struck the deepest note of penitence can reach the highest note of praise.”

Take a moment to remember when you first met Jesus and the sense of ‘refreshing’ that came with finding joy in the Lord in the midst your circumstances, past failures and hurt.

REPENT, THEN, AND TURN TO GOD, SO THAT YOUR SINS MAY BE WIPED OUT, THAT TIMES OF REFRESHING MAY COME FROM THE LORD,

Acts 3:19 (NIV)

Day 33: Personal

A collective offering and a common cause has always been a powerful force on the earth for building unity and resource takes the church forward. There are numerous biblical examples of just this, ranging from the offering for the tabernacle in the wilderness (Exodus 35), to David’s collection for the temple (1 Chronicles 22) right through to the early church (Acts 2:42).

When we gather together under the one name of Jesus, for His purposes, we can achieve so much more together than we ever could individually and we are even stronger than the sum of our individual parts.