Article written by: Sister Patricia Smith
November: “Believe” God is worthy to be praised
Guiding scripture: “I called to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and I have been saved from my enemies”. Psalm 18: 3
(Sister Pat)
O Lord my God, You have performed many wonders for us. Your plans for us are too numerous to list. You have no equal. If I tried to recite all Your wonderful deeds, I would never come to the end of them.”
Psalm 40:5
One of my sisters in Christ, sister Maxine Shackleford often prays these words in her public prayers. “Lord, if I had 10,000 tongues, I still couldn’t thank You enough,” or “If I had the tongues of angels, we could not praise God as He deserves to be praised.”
I wholeheartedly agree with her as I have come to believe that if I had been born speaking praises and had breath to never stop, I could never adequately praise and exhalt Him in this life for all that He has done for me, either. My God IS worthy to be praised!
As always even while writing monthly articles on topics preselected by Sister Myrtice, I always ask the Lord (Holy Spirit) to help me search for scripture to share a word from the Lord. Though the book of Psalms is almost entirely praise, worship and thanksgiving, the bible is full of scriptural examples of God’s people praising Him. Praising God in biblical times was taken very seriously.
Just as God’s blessings and plans that prove His worthiness are too numerous to count, to talk about, or write about, the scriptures that encourage us to Praise, is also too numerous to mention in this article – but here are a few:
Genesis 49:10 -Leah rejoiced at the birth of a son and then named him Praise. It seems no accident, that Jesus came from Judah, the tribe whose very name means “praise”.
Luke 1:64 After nine silent months, when Zacharias’ tongue was finally loosed, his first words were praise to God.
Habakkuk 3:3 says that one day “His glory will cover the heavens, and the earth will be full of his praise”.
Luke 2: 13, 20 …When Jesus was born, both exalted angels and lowly shepherds praised His Father, our Father God.
Psalm 69:34 tells us the very stones would praise Him if the need arose, and a thousand legions of angels would leap to do His will. “Let the heaven and earth praise him, the seas, and everything that moves therein”
Luke 23 :34 When Jesus died, the very sky above Him bowed its head in reverent submission.
Psalm 22:3 David praised and worshipped God throughout the entire book of Psalms. So much praise went up, that God was said to inhabit “the praises of Israel”.
Luke 24:53; Ephesians 3:20-21 Ever since Jesus ascended to the Father, We have been going to church, praising and blessing God.
Philippians 4:8 tells us we should “think on” praise, since we have been adopted “to the praise of the glory of his grace. Our very purpose in life is to show forth the praises of God. God clothes us with a “garment of praise”. Ephesians 1:5-6; Jeremiah 13:11; 1 Peter 2:9; Isaiah 6:13, 43:21.
I WILL PRAISE HIM
God deserves to be praised every day, all day. Some in the bible, like David, praised him twice a day-in the morning and in the evening. Some praised him seven times a day. Some praised Him: “From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same day- the Lord’s name is to be praised”. But another’s ambition was even greater: “I … will yet praise thee more and more”. Psalm 145:2; 1 Chronicles 23:30; Psalm 119:164; Psalm 113:3; Psalm 71:14-15
Paul and Silas sang praises unto God “at midnight” He deserves to be praised not just on Sundays but on every day. I should not forsake His worship. Acts 16:25; Hebrews 2:12; Hebrews 12:25
I WILL PRAISE HIM FOR WHO HE IS
“For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised: he also is to be feared above all gods”. A wise man wondered, “Who is like unto thee, O Lord, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?”. I praise God for His power. I praise the Lord for the beauty of His holiness and for His goodness and mercy. 1 Chronicles 16:25, 20:21; Exodus 15:11; Psalms 21:13; Ezra 3:11; Jeremiah 33:11
I WILL PRAISE HIM FOR WHAT HE HAS DONE.
For God so loved the world that He sacrificed His Son, Jesus for me. John 3:16
“Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness”. He has made us: “I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knows right well”. Psalm 150:2; Psalm 139:14
He has delivered me from bondage, slavery, and sin, as He did the Israelites. When the Israelites learned that God had heard their cry and sent Moses to free them, they “bowed their heads and worshipped”. When Moses learned that God kept “mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity, transgression and sin, he, too, bowed and worshipped”. Exodus 15:1; 2 Samuel 22:49; Jeremiah 20:13; Exodus 4:31; Exodus 34:7-8
He has blessed me time and time, again. When i take time to count my blessings, it makes me want to praise and worship God. When Abraham’s servant played matchmaker for Isaac, he devised a plan to determine which girl the Lord approved. When the sign was given, with a thankful heart he “bowed down his head and worshipped the Lord”. James 1:17; Genesis 24: 26, 48, 52
He has given me His truth in His word “In God I will praise his word”. “I will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful things; thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth”. Psalm 138:2; Psalm 56:4; Isaiah 25:1
He hears and answers my prayers. Psalm 118:21.
So, “praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles; and laud him, all ye people”, “let everything that has breath praise the Lord”. Therefore, let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually”. Psalm 118;21; Romans 15:11; Psalm 150:6; Hebrews 13:15.
God alone is most worthy of my praise. 1 Chronicles 16:34 commands us to, “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! His faithful love endures forever.”
“If I had 10, 000 tongues, I would praise my Redeemer
For He has done a lot for me
He’s my Shield and Defender
He’s the Answer to all my prayers
Oh, my Lord, why shouldn’t I praise Your name?
For He is Lord of my life
And Rock of ages
He’s the Way and the Life
And the Great Defender!
Songs of praise and adoration
I’ll sing of Thee
Oh, my Lord, why shouldn’t I praise Your name?”
God has been so good and faithful! Psalm 103:2 says, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits. “
It is my prayer that we all take time this season not just to ask God for what we need and want for our children and grandchildren, but to just thank Him for how good He has been in the midst of every situation. Be blessed as you thank and praise Him, always. Jesus loves us. He is good and He is worthy to be praised.
Written by Sister Patricia Smith
Grandmothers of Hope Society Ministry