Real Praise and Worship

Monday 6 November
READ: John 4: 21 – 24        
MORE LESSON:  Acts 16: 25-26

Praise and worship session is part of the order of service in nearly all church gatherings. Most churches put it among the first items on the order of service. However, the truth is that most believers still have a long way to go in offering real praise and worship. The first point in the text today is that real praise and worship is not dependent on environment. If your praise of God is limited to some items on the church order of service, then you have not started giving real praise and worship. You should not be a child of God that can only praise Him in church; praise should be your way of life.  There are some people that are ashamed to praise God in certain places. You have not started giving real praise until you give praise without minding your environment.

Even in church, some people are so mindful of the people around them that they cannot give God quality praise.  You can't be so conscious of your dressing that you can't let go and praise God. Real praise is from the spirit, and is not restricted by the environment. This doesn't mean making the service disorderly, it just means throwing away your self-imposed restraints and giving God real praise and worship without caring about who is watching you and who is not. Forget about the make-up on your face and glorify the God who can make your destiny up.

Real praise has benefits. The first benefit is that God comes to inhabit your life as you praise Him. Psa. 22: 3 says that God inhabits the praise of His people. When you give real praise and worship, there are miracles that happen in your life that you may not even notice immediately. There are blessings that you cannot explain. You don't get signs and wonders by going round prophets looking for miracles.  You become a sign and a wonder by living a life of real praise to God.

Praise and worship is the time that God starts doing some real wonderful things in people's lives. You get your own portion by giving Him praise and worship. There is the praise and worship that is rehearsed and staged in church with all the dancing steps already practised. Well, there is nothing bad about it if it is done to the glory of God. However, much more better is the spontaneous and real worship and praise that flows from your heart when no one is watching and cajoling you; that comes from your true heart and spirit in response to the might of God. When you give real praise and worship, real wonders start happening in and through your life. The best way to prove your love for God is via obedience, sacrifice, giving, but much more by holy praise, with or without music, particularly in times of challenges. Praise God always.

Prayer/Action
* Pray that your heart will be a fountain from where true praise will flow to God, in Jesus’ name.
* Ask God to fill our assembly with true worship of God in spirit and in truth, in the mighty name of Jesus.

TODAY’S PROPHETIC PRAYER
This month, they that hate me without cause shall die my death without cause, in the name of Jesus.