PRAISE FOR A RAISE

Psalm 67:1-7

God be merciful unto us, and bless us; and cause his face to shine upon us; Selah. 2 That thy way may be known upon earth, thy saving health among all nations. 3 Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee. 4 O let the nations be glad and sing for joy: for thou shalt judge the people righteously, and govern the nations upon earth. Selah. 5 Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee. 6 Then shall the earth yield her increase; and God, even our own God, shall bless us. 7 God shall bless us; and all the ends of the earth shall fear him.

John 12:37 and I, if I be lifted up from the earth, I will draw all men unto me.

Praising God is an act by which we acknowledge his virtues and deeds of God and express it by exalting him. Psm 67:5-7  about the great blessings that will be ours when we praise God, so praising for a raise means that when we praise God, he will lift us up, promote us, and work wonders in and through our lives, irrespective of our present condition.

To praise God is our responsibility, to be raised is God's responsibility, but God's responsibility depends on ours.

To praise God, which is our responsibility, is to lift him up, exalt him, or glorify him Psm 50:23

From the scripture (John 12:32) just as Jesus would be lifted up on the cross to die, He would thereafter be able to lift all of us up to eternal life (This is the literal and obvious part of this scripture).

Psm 61:2 When we worship and spend time in his presence, we begin to change more into his likeness.

HOW TO LIFT GOD UP THROUGH PRAISE

1. Acknowledge his worth: reflecting on God's character, love, mercy, power, and faithfulness, and express your awe and adoration for all his qualities, declare his glory, Psm 145:1, Psm 100:1-5

2. Engage in active worship: express your joy and gratitude, James 5:15b by singing a worship song, playing an instrument, offering prayer or thanksgiving and adoration, focusing on God's presence and his worthiness, focusing on scripture that talks of God's character and works, Psm 145:14.

3. Live a life of obedience: Deu 28:1-2, Phil 2:8-9. Follow his word to total obedience, Josh 1:8. Strive not just to know but to live in accordance with the commandment and principles of his word. This is the demonstration of your love and devotion through your actions.

4. Humble yourself: Let go of pride, always approach God with a humble and repentant sprit,          James 4:10, Matt 23:12

Have a wonderful week full of His blessings in Jesus' name, amen.

Engage in fearful praise and your life will never be the Same again.