PUT ON THE GARMENT OF PRAISE – PART 2
Main text: Psalm 103:2 – ‘Bless the Lord oh my soul and forget not all His benefits’.
1 Thessalonians 5:18 – ‘In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you’.
The bible encourages us to give thanks to God in everything. Yes, but it does not mean that you are to thank God for bad things and tragedies that come our way. It means that you are to remain joyful no matter what is happening in your life because you have the Lord and you shall overcome: no matter what the devil throws at you.
Understand that tribulation is not meant to destroy you; rather it is meant to test your identity as a Christian. It tests your faith, your obedience to God as well as teaches you to rely on Him. You should rejoice and praise God in the midst of adversities because they are made to make you strong in the Lord triumphantly here on earth and prepare you for eternal bliss. The Lord exhorts us to be glad and exceedingly glad. For great is your reward in heaven’ when we are persecuted or going through trials.
The world expects you to behave in a certain way when you have challenges, but Jesus said you should respond differently to difficulties and unpleasant situations and you have got to choose between what people expect and what Jesus tells you to do. The devil cannot stand it when you rejoice in the Lord, it destroys him. God inhabits the praises of his people. He is pleased when you look beyond the natural and see things in the light of faith. Praise is the inevitable by-product of everything in life. Praise gets your focus where it needs to be that is on God.
PRAISE RAISES YOUR CONFIDENCE AND HOPE FOR BETTER THINGS TO COME.
Prayer Point: Lord, fill my heart and lips with continual praises unto you
BY BISHOP NGOZI DURUEKE (HE REIGNS CHAPEL INTERNATIONAL) To send your testimony, write us: mylivingwaterdevotional@gmail.com.