🕊️ PRAY HERE Devotion 🕊️ Praise Is Expected of Us All

Scripture: Isaiah 43:21 KJV

“This people have I formed for myself; they shall shew forth my praise.”

Devotion :

Did you know that praise is a command from God? 🙌🏽

It is expected of ALL creation to give Him praise.

Throughout Scripture, we see praise expressed in many different forms. In Luke 19, when Jesus rode into Jerusalem, His disciples cried out praising Him and declaring words from Psalm 118. The Pharisees wanted Jesus to rebuke them and make them stop.

But Jesus told them:

“I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.” — Luke 19:40

WHEWWWW! 😮‍💨🔥

In other words, praise is so appropriate and necessary that if the people became silent, creation itself would testify!

And today’s Scripture makes something else clear:

“This people have I formed for myself; they shall shew forth my praise.”

Did you catch that?

WE WERE CREATED TO PRAISE GOD!

🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽

God formed a people for Himself who would show forth His praise.

Praise isn’t something somebody invented at a church revival.

It isn’t something a denomination created.

It isn’t something that belongs to a particular style of worship.

So let’s bust this myth today:

PRAISE DOES NOT BELONG TO A DENOMINATION!

👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

Somewhere along the way, people began associating certain expressions of praise primarily with Holiness, Apostolic, and Pentecostal churches.

You know what I’m talking about. 😂

Somebody gets excited, lifts their hands, shouts “HALLELUJAH!”, claps, or gets a little loud and somebody says:

“Ohhhh, they must be Pentecostal.” 😂

Wait a minute!

SHOW ME THAT IN THE BIBLE!

👀

Where does Scripture say:

“Let every Pentecostal praise the Lord?”

It doesn’t!

Psalm 150 says:

“Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD.”

You breathing?

Then it’s talking to YOU! 😂🙌🏽🔥

Baptist?

PRAISE HIM!

Methodist?

PRAISE HIM!

Catholic?

PRAISE HIM!

Lutheran?

PRAISE HIM!

Presbyterian?

PRAISE HIM!

AME?

PRAISE HIM!

Church of God in Christ?

PRAISE HIM!

Non-denominational?

PRAISE HIM!

Don’t have a denomination at all?

IF YOU HAVE BREATH, PRAISE HIM!

🙌🏽🔥🔥🔥

Because before there was a Baptist church…

Before there was a Methodist church…

Before there was a Pentecostal church…

Before there was an Apostolic church…

Before there was a Lutheran church…

THERE WAS GOD.

And God was already worthy of praise!

WHEWWWW! 🙌🏽

We as people have a tendency to stray away from Scripture sometimes and develop our own ideas, traditions, and interpretations.

But when it comes to praise, we have to go back to THE WORD.

And the Word doesn’t tell one denomination to praise while giving everybody else an exemption.

PRAISE IS FOR ALL OF US.

Now, I want to make something clear.

Everybody’s personality isn’t the same.

Everybody isn’t going to express themselves exactly the same way.

And tomorrow we’re going to dig into the different biblical forms of praise, because praise is much bigger than one particular expression.

But TODAY, I want us to understand the command and expectation.

GOD EXPECTS PRAISE FROM HIS PEOPLE.

That’s the lesson.

Don’t get so caught up in HOW somebody else praises that you forget WHO we’re praising.

😮‍💨

Because sometimes we’ll say:

“Well, that’s just not my personality.”

Okay.

But you have a personality when your team scores the winning touchdown! 😂

You have a personality when somebody calls and tells you that you got the job!

You have a personality when that direct deposit hits! 😂

You have a personality when your child graduates.

You have a personality when something you’ve been praying for finally happens.

Suddenly we know how to clap.

We know how to yell.

We know how to celebrate.

We know how to tell everybody:

“LOOK WHAT HAPPENED!”

But when it comes to the GOD WHO MADE IT POSSIBLE…

We get shy?

👀😮‍💨

WHEWWWW!

Now I’m not telling you that everybody has to run around the church. 😂

That’s not the point.

The point is:

GOD SHOULD NOT RECEIVE LESS HONOR, GRATITUDE, AND CELEBRATION THAN EVERYTHING ELSE WE GET EXCITED ABOUT.

Yesterday we did a Praise Check.

Today we’re learning WHY praise belongs in the life of every believer.

Because according to Isaiah 43:21:

WE WERE FORMED TO SHOW FORTH HIS PRAISE.

Think about that!

The God who created you…

The God who woke you up this morning…

The God who has protected you from dangers you knew about AND dangers you never saw…

The God who provided…

The God who forgave…

The God who made ways…

The God who carried you through things you thought would break you…

The God who sent His Son JESUS CHRIST for our salvation…

DESERVES PRAISE.

Not because of your denomination.

Not because somebody pumped you up at church.

Not because the organ hit the right chord. 😂

Not because the praise team sang your favorite song.

BECAUSE HE IS GOD.

🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽🔥

And sisters and brothers, we shouldn’t always need somebody standing in front of us saying:

“Come on! Clap your hands!”

“Come on! Open your mouth!”

“Come on! Give God some praise!”

Sometimes I ought to be able to think about what God has done for me and PRAISE SHOULD COME OUT OF ME!

😊🙌🏽

When I think about where He brought me from…

THANK YOU, JESUS!

When I think about what He protected me from…

HALLELUJAH!

When I think about the prayers He answered…

GLORY TO GOD!

When I think about the prayers He DIDN’T answer because He knew better than I did…

THANK YOU, LORD! 😮‍💨🙌🏽

When I think about His mercy…

When I think about His grace…

When I think about JESUS…

HE DESERVES MY PRAISE!

🔥🔥🔥

So today, don’t worry about whether somebody thinks you’re “too Baptist,” “too Pentecostal,” “too quiet,” or “too loud.”

We’re not studying denominations.

WE’RE STUDYING THE WORD OF GOD.

And the Word says:

“This people have I formed for myself; they shall shew forth my praise.”

Tomorrow we’ll talk about the different ways Scripture teaches and demonstrates praise.

But today, I want you to settle this one thing in your heart:

PRAISE IS EXPECTED OF US ALL.

You were created to glorify God.

You were created to testify of His goodness.

You were created to SHOW FORTH HIS PRAISE.

So don’t let a denomination determine whether you praise God.

Don’t let tradition determine whether you praise God.

Don’t let who’s watching determine whether you praise God.

LET HIS WORTHINESS DETERMINE IT.

And He has ALWAYS been worthy.

🙌🏽🔥💙

Ask yourself:

Have I mistaken praise for a denominational tradition instead of recognizing it as something Scripture calls God’s people to do?

Do I freely celebrate people, accomplishments, sports, money, and good news—but become reserved when it’s time to praise God?

And here’s the biggest question:

IF GOD FORMED ME TO SHOW FORTH HIS PRAISE, DOES MY LIFE ACTUALLY DO IT?

Today, don’t wait for somebody to tell you to praise Him.

YOU ALREADY HAVE A REASON. 🙌🏽

Prayer :

Father God, I praise You!

You are worthy of my honor, my gratitude, my worship, and my praise.

Thank You for reminding me that praise does not belong to a denomination. Praise belongs to YOU.

Forgive me for every time I allowed tradition, embarrassment, other people’s opinions, or my own misunderstandings to keep me from giving You what You deserve.

Lord, You formed me for Yourself and Your Word says that I should show forth Your praise.

So help me do exactly that.

Let my mouth praise You.

Let my life praise You.

Let my testimony praise You.

And let everything I do bring glory back to YOU.

I don’t want to need somebody to beg me to praise the God who has been this good to me.

When I remember Your goodness, let praise rise.

When I remember Your mercy, let praise rise.

When I remember Your grace, let praise rise.

And as long as You give me breath…

I WILL PRAISE THE LORD!

In Jesus’ name, Amen. 🙏🏽🙌🏽🔥💙