Practising Praise

Tuesday 1 November
READ: Eph. 5:20
MORE LESSON: 1 Tim. 2: 8

You must learn to give praise and you must learn to practise praise ahead of situations of life. Most things we do in life are learnt; we learnt how to walk, talk and read. Giving praise does not come naturally; it has to be learnt. The Scripture urges us to give thanks always. There is no season or location for praise; praise is for all times, at all places and in all situations. The Bible wants us to lift up holy hands everywhere (1 Tim. 2: 8). This should be done in praise and worship of God. You should learn how to praise and worship God, and even learn and practise how you will give your testimony before it shows up.
Everything that one wishes to excel in must be learnt and perfected. Praise also must be practised ad perfected in your life. You should practise praise so much till it becomes a natural part of you. Let the expression 'thank you Jesus', 'Blessed be the name of the Lord', 'Praise God' become statements that are so much part of you that you often say them even unconsciously. That results only from a life that has practised and perfected praise.
The following points should be noted:
1. If you must practise praise, you must willingly decide to do it. Praise is a decision; it is not an impartation. You don't need any one to lay hands on you before you praise God. All it takes is for you to decide to do it.
2. Praise is a process, so it must be learnt. No man masters a skill without learning it. Just as with all skills, you learn praise by doing it repeatedly and often, both when you feel like it and when you don't. Praise God all the time.
3. Praise cannot be learnt without doing it. Praise is not learnt by merely reading books on praise. The only way to learn how to pray is to pray. Similarly, the only way to learn how to praise is to praise. Furthermore, you don't learn praise to add to your CV that you are a praise singer; you learn praise so that you can praise God. You learn praise by praising Him. So begin to praise Him all the time.
4. You must praise God in church and out of church. Do not limit your praise of God to a particular location; do not exempt yourself when the praise of God is going on in the church. Men lose a great deal when corporate praise and worship is going on and they stand aloof. You must praise God in your secret place and in church.
5. You should learn from others when they praise. When somebody is praising God by your side, join him to praise. When people are dancing in church, don't just watch, do so as well.
6. The ultimate in life only comes by praise.
Praise the Lord!

Prayer/Action
* Confess as the psalmist that your heart is fixed for praise.
* Declare that God’s praise shall continually be in your mouth.

TODAY'S PROPHETIC PRAYER
Father, I give You the glory for making me see another new month, and for the goodness You have packaged into it, in Jesus' name.