I was half asleep this morning, upon waking, which is when most of my great ideas come, when I starting pondering the idea of PRAISE! Yes, in the sense of praising God, but simply about what it means. What does it mean to our ordinary, everyday life? Not in a worship service or gathering but when we wake, when we cry, when we raise our kids or love our spouse? When we walk through tragedy in our families?

What are the implication of praise? I started to think of all the stories in the Bible where God’s people incorporated praise….there was Jehoshaphat,

and David  and then of course, Paul and Silas and the great earthquake!

And who could forget Joshua and the walls of Jericho! Wonderful, miraculous things happen when we praise! Does that mean, sing a song? Does that mean shout? What does it mean to “praise” God?

As I study out the accounts above, there is a common denominator, and that is FAITH! I have seen faith in action in good deeds, prayer and love, but it takes faith to praise God! Praise is to agree with who God is! Have you ever tried to agree with the fact that “God is good” when you have just suffered a tragedy? Or to agree that “God is the Healer” in the midst of cancer or other sicknesses? What about when you’ve lost your job? Can you agree that “God is Provider” when you have no idea how you are going to pay your bills or put food on the table?

Look at Paul and Silas who were thrown in prison. There is no telling what that prison was like. Some speculate they were chained in irons in the deepest part of the prison underground, in the dark. The stench from human feces filled the air along with sickness and lost hope! But they sang, they praised God! Can you imagine how much faith it took to do that? I know, I have tried to sing when my body is wracked with pain and when my hope feels totally lost! It is almost impossible…..except for faith!

Praise takes faith and agreement with who God is, without that, our song is just a song, our words, empty and lifeless. Next time you think of praise, think of this…..praise is not some magical formula to get God to work on your behalf, it is coming into agreement with who He is and IN THAT…..the miraculous happens!!!!

Crisie