May 17, 2015 … Praise Power

Daily Berry Patch Devotions in 2015 - Day 137

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK  … Please take the time to take in a video of worship at Prestonwood Baptist Church in Dallas, the praise team singing Every Praise, proclaiming the reality of the God we must praise everyday and in every way.

Highlight Passage 2nd Chronicles 20: 21 [ESV] … 
21 And when he had taken counsel with the people, he appointed those who were to sing to the Lord and praise him in holy attire, as they went before the army, and say,”Give thanks to the Lord, … for His steadfast love endures forever.” 
… And God illustrates His power when His children yield to Him in praise.
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Highlight Context - 2nd Chronicles 20: 15-22 [ESV] … USE THIS LINK …
… God’s deliverance and the praises of His people.
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Reference Passage #1 - Psalm 96: 4 [ESV] … 
4 For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised. He is to be feared above all gods. 
… The psalmist declares the reason to praise our Lord.

Reference Passage #2 - Lamentations 3: 22-23 [ESV] … 
22 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. His mercies never come to an end. 23 They are new every morning. Great is Your faithfulness. 
… Jeremiah declares the truth of God’s faithfulness and the reason He is to be praised.

Reference Passage #3 - Acts: 16: 25-34 [ESV] … USE THIS LINK …
… The great story of Paul and Silas being freed by their faith in God and how God saved the jailer and his family in Philippi.

Reference Passage #4 - Philippians 4: 6-7 [ESV] … 
6 … do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 
… Paul, likely inspired by remembrance of the incident in Acts 16: 25-34 (see above), exhorts believers to avoid anxiety through the power of praise/prayer.

My Journal for Today: Today’s Our Daily Bread author, Jennifer Benson Schuldt, opened her ODB blog for today with a wonderful, true story of a young boy who was snatched off the street by a kidnapper; and about this incident, Schuldt wrote … Willie Myrick was kidnapped from his driveway when he was 9 years old. For hours, he traveled in a car with his kidnapper, not knowing what would happen to him. During that time, Willie decided to sing a song called “Every Praise.” As he repeatedly sang the words, his abductor spewed profanity and told him to shut up. Finally, the man stopped the car and let Willie out—unharmed. 

And that story about the power of praising God in tough circumstances reminded me today of that incident the Apostle Paul encountered when he was jailed on his missionary trip to Philippi. Remember the story when he and Silas sang praises to their God during their imprisonment (see Acts 16: 25-34 linked above). God, in that incident, caused an earthquake and the prison doors to open. But Paul & Silas remained in the prison and the jailer, along with his family, were saved that day because of the faith of God’s emissaries. And later, when Paul wrote back to his beloved Philippians (see Philippians 4: 6-7 above), I believe he was inspired by the memory of that incident, exhorting Christians (you/me) to avoid worry/doubt by thankfully praising God and taking all things to the Lord in prayer.

 As Psalm 96: 4 declares, our God is “greatly to be praised;” and we must carry that desire to praise Him, as did little 9YO Willie Myrick, even when our life might be threatened or we are imprisoned by our fears [as likely were Paul & Silas]. As the song linked above, which little Willie sang when he was kidnapped, declares, there is freeing power in our praises to God. So, let’s go forth today, worshipping God with our praises and our declaration of His greatness to save and protect us. 

Yes, as Lamentations 3: 22-23 declares (see above) … God’s mercies are new every morning —- “great is His faithfulness!!!”

My Prayer Today: Oh Lord, … You are our God and we praise Your Holy Name … every day and in every way!!! Amen

Blogger Note: Everyday during this year, my daily devotional blogs are influenced by the reading and study of the online devotional blog entitled Our Daily Bread, distributed online via email by RBC Ministries. If you GO TO THIS LINK on the date of my blog, you can read/study the ODB blogs; or you can subscribe to the blog via email at that site.