Praise # 1 9-17-95
For a while now I’ve felt impressed to teach on the subject of prayer, but as I would sit down and try to put a message together. Nothing would really come. Nothing from the HS. I could always put something together in my own strength, but I only want to minister on what the HS gives me through my studies. I just kept putting it aside, thinking that it wasn’t the right time for it, yet. But when I was ministering the other day I said something under the anointing of the HS. I mentioned that praise is the highest form of prayer, and that David praised the Lord by dancing before Him. Later as I sat down to find out the Lord’s direction on what to minister on, the Lord brought that back to my remembrance. Praise is the highest form of prayer.
I. REV 19:1-7
A. There’s a large crowd seen in heaven shouting The NASB says, “Loud Voices.” ( The NIV says, “Shouting.” In V 3) (V 1) “Hallelujah; Salvation and glory and power to our God.” (V 3) And again they said, “Hallelujah.”
1. God is not afraid of loud praises, as a matter of fact there are many references in the Word of people praising the Lord loudly.
a. Many times that’s when the miracle happens.
i. We’ll look at it another time, but if you remember when Paul and Silas were cast into prison.
ii. In there darkest hour they began to sing out their praises to God.
iii. In (ACTS 16:25) it says that the prisoners heard them. Through their bold praise to God they were super naturally set free from that prison.
1. The Four and twenty elders and the four beast (or for living creatures) fell down and worshipped God.
a. Now you might be thinking, “That’s great, but that’s in heaven.”
b. But look at REV 19:5
i. He says, “Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great.”
ii. That means us. We are His servants.
2. You’ll get people that say everything has to be done quietly, decently and in order.
a. God is a God of order, but nowhere does it say that the saints of God need to be quiet.
i. And what does it mean for things to be done “Decently and in Order?”
b. 1st of all that V is found in (1COR 14:40) where Paul is talking about Tongues, the interpretation of tongues, and prophecy.
i. There is a certain order to things. God is not involved in confusion. He’s not going to have someone preaching the Word and someone else singing song to the Lord and someone else giving a prophecy all at the same time.
ii. God is a God of order, but singing our praises to God boldly is not out of order, as long as the timing is right. (Like during a time of praise.)
c. But what about the 2nd thing that Paul said, “Everything should be done Decently?”
i. Well, if someone was dancing unto the Lord, but they were acting like a belly dancer, that wouldn’t be decent.
ii. But David danced unto the Lord. The Bible also says (Psalm 47:1) “O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph.”
d. There should be a liberty, a freedom and a boldness in our praises.
3. Back in REV 19:5-6
a. Their praises sounded like the roar of rushing water, like a mighty Oklahoma thunder storm.
i. This was approving unto God. They were worshipping at the throne of God.
B. There’s 5 things that I want you to see from these Vs in (REV 19).
1. 1st as a group they shouted, “Hallelujah.”
2. 2nd they extolled the Lord as the Reigning King.
3. 3rd Some fell down, worship the Lord.
4. 4th All of God’s children were encouraged to join in. No one was excluded.
5. And # 5 their combined praises sounded like mighty thunderstorms.
a. Have you ever heard a mighty thunderstorm. It shakes the building.
C. All the great men of God in the Bible, OT and NT, knew how to praise God.
1. But the secret to their success was that they not only would praise God when things are good, but even when things got tough.
a. It’s easy to praise God when things are going good.
i. When you receive some blessing from God, like a bonus on our job or a promotion, it’s easy to shout your victory and your praises to God.
ii. But it’s equally as important to praise Him in the same manner when things are going rough.
b. Men in the Word of God would praise Him when situations got bad, and through their praise to God, God would somehow lift them out of their problems and into His victory.
II. Turn to PSA 95:1,2,6
A. Listen to it from the NASB. (PSA 95 1, 2, 6) “O Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord. Let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation. (2) Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving. Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. (6) Come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
1. 5 times in the KJV and 6 times in the NASB it says “Let us.”
a. That means we are the ones to be singing for joy, shouting joyfully to our Lord, coming before His presence with thanksgiving, shouting joyfully to Him in song, worshipping Him, bowing down before Him, and kneeling before Him.
2. In David’s life there were so many times that problems faced him.
a. Yet, he knew the importance of praising the Lord.
B. There was 1 time that David was hiding in a cave, while Saul sought to kill him.
1. Yet David still praised the Lord.
a. You might be thinking, well, that isn’t that unusual.
b. Saul was at the entrance of the cave when David began to praise the Lord.
2. Let’s look at it PSA 57:1-11
a. Even when he was going through something he spent his time praising the Lord.
III. If you were to study out the Hebrew word for “Praise” you would find out that there are mainly seven different words that the translators rendered “Praise.”
A. But each of these Hebrew words have such a full meaning.
1. The 1st 1 that I want to look at is the Hebrew word “YADAH.”
a. YADAH comes from a root word meaning “Extended Hand, to throw out the hand.”
i. Therefore, “YADAH” means to praise and worship with extended hand.
2. Yadah is an action word, not passive.
a. It’s an act of your will, throwing your hands upward in power.
i. This a sign of total surrender and submission to God.
ii. It also means that you are trusting in Him.
B. We have several scriptures that tell us to lift our hands unto the Lord. PSA 63:4
1. (Psalm 134:2) “Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the LORD.”
a. I (PSA 141:2) the “Lifting of hands was counted as the evening sacrifice.”
2. Turn with me to 1TIM 2:8
a. There is an untapped power in praise.
C. Turn with me to 2CHROM 20
1. The children of Ammon and Moab and mount Seir came to destroy the children of Israel.
a. Israel was out numbered.
2. Look at 2CHORN 20:20-21
a. “Praise (YADAH) the LORD; for his mercy endureth for ever.”
WOLCC SUN AM 9-17-95 From Praise Faith in Action by Charles Trombley Chapter 1 pg. 7-21