Living Praise

TEXT: Dan. 6:11-26., MORE LESSONS: Matt. 5:16.

I have found that praising God should not be limited to singing and clapping in the church, it should be an on-going daily activity. The life you live can determine whether your praise is acceptable to God or not. If you sing well but live wrongly, your praise and worship will have no value, but if you live well, your life will be accepted before God as an offering of praise and worship.

Looking at the life of men who brought praise to God by their absolute commitment to Him, two things stand out: 1. Praising God should not be limited to singing on Sunday. Living a life that pleases God is superior to just singing praises to Him. 2. God treasures praises from a holy heart. Daniel is an example of such men. The Bible says Daniel rejected the king's special food that was first offered to an idol so that he could live a life pleasing to God. Daniel became relevant because he lived a life that was pleasing to God.

In Daniel chapter 6, he had to make a choice whether to please the king and stop praying to Jehovah or obey God and be cast into the den of lions. He chose to enjoy God forever instead of temporary pleasure on earth. You too will always need to make a choice between light and darkness, between good and evil.

When Daniel chose to be cast into the den of lions, God sent an angel to shut the mouths of the lions. Eventually, the king acknowledged the God of Daniel as the only true God. Thus Daniel honoured God with his life and in return God protected him and honoured him.

Living right brings praise to God, so let your life give praise to God. It is absolute hypocrisy to dance, sing and clap hands to God out of a sinful heart. In fact, it is an abomination to God, the one that gives an acceptable praise to God is, He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart…. Ps. 24:4. Choir members and worship leaders should know that melody is not God's priority or else it will amount to ordinary entertainment of men. The combination of clean hands, a right heart and jubilant praise to God can do wonders in Heaven and on the earth; it can break prison doors. Living praise is righteous praise and that is what Heaven desires. It can do great things. It is a tool in the hands of the righteous to bring Heaven down.

PRAYER/ACTION

* Ask God to help you praise Him with your life and work.

* Ask God for the power of purified praise.

* Ask God to release the power in praise each time you lift holy hands to Him.

Like and share