“I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth” (Psalm 34:1).
TEXT —Psalm 34:1-10
Message
Someone rightly said, “Prayers move the hand that moves the world, while praises bring God’s presence and power into action in defence of his saints.” Prayers and praises are tremendous and invaluable weapons used by God’s people over the ages to confound and destabilize forces of darkness and enemies of the Church. The combination has given believers outstanding victories when faced with personal, family, denominational, or national issues.
In our text, the Psalmist leaves no one in doubt about the incredible power of God when we pray, lifting holy hands and praising him as the evidence and expression of our faith in Him, who answers prayers. He said he would always bless God and continually sing His praises, irrespective of his circumstances, as a mark of sonship and faith. He believes God delivers from all evil, answers prayers, protects from the enemy’s assaults, provides for all needs, and gives His angels charge to guide and protect His own by His benevolence and inexhaustible power. Having proved the omnipotence of God, he invites others to taste and see that the Lord is good.
We therefore learn that believers need to utilise these means of grace to solve their problems to avoid languishing in unnecessary lack, since they have a Father and God who is willing and ready to meet all their needs. Paul and Silas employed these when they were imprisoned by their persecutors. There was an earthquake, the prison doors were opened, and their bands were loosed (Acts 16:25,26). Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, and the Israelites used this strategy to defeat the people of Moab, Ammon, and Mount Seir (2 Chronicles 20:22). God is always willing to bless all who come to Him. He will supply the physical needs and all-round blessings of His saints and all who will turn from their sinfulness and embrace His love and mercy through repentance and faith in Christ and His work on the Cross.
Believers must therefore learn to praise God at all times and share testimonies of the goodness of God in their lives, homes, churches, and denominations. We must not take anything for granted and never consider anything too small to testify about.
Thought for the day
Prayer and praise will move God’s hand and bring His presence into our situations.
Listed among “500 most powerful people on the planet” by the Foreign Policy magazine in 2013, Pastor (Dr.) William F. Kumuyi is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry (DCLM) headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria. DCLM started in 1973 as a 15-member Bible study group right in Kumuyi’s apartment at University of Lagos where he was a lecturer. His revolutionary Bible teaching on personal holiness and commitment to evangelism soon gained so much traction and resulted in a widespread revival.
1 comment
Glory to God for today’s homily. O lord, please empower me to be able to pray fervently, and praise you zealously all the days of my life without ceasing in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Glory to God for today’s homily. O lord, please empower me to be able to pray fervently, and praise you zealously all the days of my life without ceasing in Jesus’ name, Amen.