LENT WEEK 3: DAY 17
“Praise the Lord! For it is good to sing praises to our God; for it is pleasant and a song of praise is fitting” (Psalm 147:1). If there is one thing that uplifts the heart and countenance of every being, it’s praises. It is practically difficult for someone to be completely indifferent to praise. Even those who act indifferent will still feel this little joy in the corner of their heart. This is also true of the Divine and that’s why, while God answers prayers, he steps into praises. David will push forward by saying God inhabits the praises of his people (psalm 22:3) and will insist that let everything that breathes praise the Lord (Psalm 150:6). David himself will make praises the key weapon and route to access the heart of God. He will not only sing praises but will dance before the Lord without restraint for he knows the Lord is his uplifter (2 Samuel 6:14-21). David said he will do it again and again and he shall not be rejected by anyone and that is because he knows he who pleases the Lord, no one can oppose. Praising God not only lifts his name high but also lifts us high above every evil and every obstacle. Let me clear the ground by saying that praises go beyond songs and enter the domain of expression of approval, admiration, respect, gratitude, and much more. You can either praise God in words or in music. Either way, when you begin to praise God, power comes down mightily. When Paul and Silas were in chains and imprisoned, they resorted to praises and while they were singing, the power from heaven shook the foundation of the prisons and threw the doors open (Acts 16:25-26). This is an example to tell you that you can’t be praising God and be in bondage. You need to praise God with the assurance that he rescues the poor from the clutches of the wicked (Jeremiah 20:13). This assurance is what gives rise to the praise and sustains it. Keep praising God for in praises he saves and sets free. Once you begin to praise God, the bondages break because God steps in. When the people of God were surrounded by their enemies and put under siege, they resorted to praising God and immediately he threw their enemies into confusion and they killed each other (2 Chronicles 20:21-22). Another beautiful example is that of the fall of Jericho (Joshua 6:6-20). The people had nothing else to do but to follow the priest who went ahead of God’s Ark with trumpets (instruments of praise). That alone was enough for God to step in and destroy the stronghold of the enemy. There is such a power in praises, that even the devil flees when praises are sung from the heart. To show you how powerful praises can be, only the song of praise from David could chase away the evil spirit tormenting King Saul (1 Samuel 16:14-23). The sound of the melody of David’s lyre chased away the evil spirit and made Saul feel well. David’s ability to praise God made him the man after God’s heart (Acts 13:22). Even when he was weak and sinned, he found his way back into God’s house by humbling and raising his voice to God in songs of praise and forgiveness. God has been so good to us and gave us his only begotten son as a ransom and so it is our duty to continuously offer him a sacrifice of praise (Hebrew 13:15). Do not get tired of praising God and he will not get tired of stepping into your situation.

In Corda Matris.

Resolutions

I resolve today to make praises a part of my life.
I resolve to praise the name of the Lord daily.
I resolve to join my brothers and sisters to praise in community of your loved ones.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, I come to you this day with praise and thanksgiving for all the good and awesome things you have done for me. I thank you for your continuous presence and love in my life and I praise that you will continue to fill my life with your goodness so that my lips will be filled with your praises.

Amen.