Expressing Gratitude and Praise to God

Messages for October 2016: Our Month of Victory

Message for Sunday the 16th of October 2016

Theme: Understanding the Power of Gratitude and Praise in receiving and sustaining our victory

Topic: Expressing Gratitude and Praise to God

Introduction: Last week, we saw the dynamics involved in getting things done through gratitude and Praise to God. Today, we shall continue to exercise our victory over the world through this great mystery of Gratitude and Praise to God by looking at how to express gratitude to God.

Many of us in the Church believe erroneously that in Church service meetings, there is a time dedicated for praise and worship and that the two are different by the pace with which they are rendered. Contrary to this belief system; we shall be looking at the way the bible tells us this great mystery of gratitude and praise should be expressed. Please understand that praise and worship cannot be seen differently as worship could be defined as our entire life style in relation to God and this includes praising him. 

How to express gratitude and praise to God: The bible tells us in Heb.13:15 how to render gratitude and praise to God. We are told that by rendering sacrifice to God through Jesus Christ on a continual basis, we are expressing our appreciation of God for what He does and who He is. That text reads in the KJV as follows: 

By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.

The Good News Bible Translation puts it this way:

“Let us, then, always offer praise to God as our sacrifice through Jesus, which is the offering presented by lips that confess him as Lord.”

From this text, it is clear that thanksgiving and praise to God could be defined as the products of our lips glorifying God through Jesus Christ. It is therefore evident that no matter how it is expressed through our lips whether through songs or speech or songs combined with other actions including dancing and the use of musical instruments, we are still doing the same thing. Psalm 150 for instance, shows us a list of ways we can express gratitude and praise to God as follows:

1. Praise Him for the mighty things He has done. This is expressing appreciation to God which could also be termed thanksgiving. This is done through speech whether in singing or mere utterances. 

2. Praise Him according to His excellent greatness. This is appreciating God for who He is which is actually what praise means. This too could be done by mere speech or in songs. In Ephesians 5:19, Apostle Paul puts it this way: “speaking to yourselves in Psalms and hymns…”

3. Praise Him with the use of musical instruments unaccompanied by your voice. Ps.150:3 KJV says “Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp.” The good news version puts it this way: “Praise him with trumpets. Praise him with harps and lyres.” 

4. Praise Him with musical instruments accompanied by your dance. Ps.150:4. The lists of instruments are endless but this verse includes drums. The good news version of this text reads: “Praise him with drums and dancing”.

5. The list of those who should praise God is so broad that Ps.150:6 declares that every living being should praise God. 

If you are alive, it is time to fulfill this scripture. There is no better time to praise the Lord than now. So let us start to praise him the way the bible says now. 

As we close today, let us understand that no one is truly living who has not become acquainted to God considering the fact that we were all naturally born into sin through the sin of our forefather Adam. Sin separated us from God through spiritual death. Jesus came to die on the Cross for our redemption from sin so that we can all gain access into eternal life which is the relationship God grants to all who become His child. If you are yet to decide for Christ, you can do so right away by saying the following prayer out loud in faith and you will be born again:

Heavenly Father, 

Have mercy on me a sinner. Today, I believe that Jesus died for me and you raised Him from the dead for my Justification. I therefore declare that Jesus Christ is my Saviour and Lord and from today, I renounce the fatherhood of Satan and embrace Jesus Christ as my Saviour and Lord. Thank you for this father in Jesus’ name! Amen. 

Congratulations! For more information and resources that would help you grow in this new life, please visit our website at www.kingdomheirsministries.org and our blogs at www.flourishinggirl.blogspot.com and follow us on twitter at alero_nannaand on face book on www.facebook.com/flourishinggirlwww.facebook.com/khmii2015; www.facebook.com/thewellbeingcenter. Or www.facebook.com/kingdomjointheirsfamily email:  jointheirsfamily@gmail.com.    

Remain on top of your challenges in Jesus’ name!