The Second Most Powerful P in the Bible

Suitcase. Check.

Laptop. Check

Praise Music. Check.

I was about to head out on a five-hour journey to San Antonio for a jam-packed ministry trip and making sure I had all the essentials. Normally, I travel with someone but this time I was making the trek alone. My solitude didn’t last long. Once I popped a Christian CD in, I began praising God and inviting his presence into the car.

I wasn’t alone after all.

Why is praise the second most powerful P? Because when we praise God, he draws near to us. Author and speaker Nancy Leigh DeMoss says, “Praise is God’s address.” If you feel distant from the Lord, park at his door by praising him for his attributes and for what he has done in your life.

What are some of the things we should praise God for? The Bible offers many suggestions and you can use the following as a template for your own personal time of praise and worship:

1.    Praise God for his love. Psalm 57:10 says, “God’s love reaches to the heavens.” Paul understood the greatness of God’s love and wanted those he reached to understand the concept. God is love. He invented it, so instead of the word love in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, insert the name of God: God is patient. God is kind. God does not envy. He does not boast. He is not self-seeking or easily angered. He keeps no record of wrongs. God does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. He always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. God never fails. We are just like the Ephesians who had a difficult time wrapping themselves around the concept of God’s immense love. Paul wanted them to grasp how wide and long and high and deep the love of God is and said it is a love that surpasses knowledge. When was the last time you felt God’s embrace? Praise him today for his love.

2.    Praise God for his creation. This morning, while unpacking, there was a baby lizard that decided to explore my suitcase. Normally that would have frightened me but all I could think about was this tiny lizard was a creature of God in a very large world of creatures. Have you ever stopped to think about the intricacy of God’s design? A blade of grass; the bunnies scampering through your back yard; the squirrels vaulting from tree limb to tree limb. DNA. The miracle of birth. What would we be without God’s creation? The answer: non-existent.  Psalm 148 tells creation itself to praise God for he commanded and “they were created.” So praise God for the beauty of his work. Praise him for your breath. Praise him for your family. Praise him for your friends. Creation is inexplicable and a mighty act of God. He is worthy to be praised for this amazing work.

3.    Praise him for his provision. Perhaps you are living in an uncertain time. There is a job loss or an unseen medical bill that has wiped out savings. Maybe college costs are eating away at your surplus income. Praise him in advance for his provision. I have never spoken to any follower of Christ who was not provided for. There may be troubled times, but miraculously the dollars stretch, the pantry is never bare, and funds come from an unseen source. I know because I’ve been here before and am in the midst of something like this now. While the future is unsure, I am praising God in advance for the work he will do in our situation, and for the place he is leading us to. Psalm 63:7-8 says, “Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.” Sweet child of God, even though it seems like God is absent sometimes, he is only a praise away.

4.    Praise him for his salvation. This week we taught people how to share their personal faith stories. We heard bits and pieces about people’s lives, and I was amazed at how God worked so beautifully in them. But without salvation, where would we go for help when trials come? Who would we pray to? Would we have any hope of eternity? When I think about how different my life would be without Jesus Christ, I shudder. What about you? What difference has God made in your life? Think back to all of the crossroads. Could you have made a wrong turn without your Father’s compass in your back pocket? Psalm 96:2 says, “Sing to the LORD, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day.” I don’t take salvation for granted. That’s why the song Amazing Grace gets me every time. I was a wretch that the Lord lovingly saved from destruction. I was blind but he opened my eyes to his presence in my life. Praise him for salvation because praise is a powerful P!