FAITH PRAISES

Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever – Psalm 136: 1 (NKJV)

Psalm 136 links Praise, Faith, and Mercy. This Psalm extols God, the Great Creator (vv.1-9); praises His great delivering power to the forefathers (vv.10-15); and recounts the victories He had given (vv.16-26). Praise lifts your eyes from your circumstances to the Almighty God who is Ruler over all. Not one circumstance in your life can manifest without His permission. He’ll ensure that all things work together for good for us who love Him and are called according to His purpose. Praise opens channels for faith to flow. As you praise God, He multiplies your faith, and your faith grows stronger.

There are two major and interrelated steps to take in the quest for faith: first, Go to the Word; and then, begin to praise God. Praise is the language of faith. Praising God strengthens your faith: Abraham's “…grew strong and was empowered by faith as he gave praise and glory to God” (Rom.4:20 Amp). Praise not only recounts past Victories, it declares future triumphs that have been perceived with the eye of faith. Faith’s posture is: “Stop worrying and fretting in fear; start praising.” Praising God involves shifting your stance from, “Bless me, Lord” to “I will bless Your Lord”!

Passionate praise, the praise that prevails, leaves no room for anxiety, complaining, and negativity. Sometimes even within our prayers, we tend to complain about problems. God however knows our hearts; and He cares about all that concerns us. He has asked us to cast all our cares on Him (1Pet. 5:7). Through praise, we focus on God, no longer allowing undue attention to be centred on the troubles and struggles. We’re reminded of what He has already done in our lives, and that He knows what concerns us, and is capable of taking care of all our burdens.

Through faith and praise, we overcome trials and gain victories. Faith believes, faith trusts, and faith praises! Stand your ground with the Word; and demonstrate your faith in God’s Power by praising Him.