Praise and Worship

What is Praise?

Praise to God is A lifestyle

Acts 16:23-26

“And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely:
(24) Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.
(25) And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.
(26) And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed.”

This Bible story begins the unjust arrest of Paul and Silas. Because they had cast a spirit of divination out of a girl, the local Philippian authorities beat them and then threw them into a jail cell. Besides the trauma of the severe beating, they were fastened in stocks which clamped their arms and legs in an immobile position, causing cramps and loss of circulation. The atmosphere there was depressing. According to the standards of that day, a prison was more like the resemblance of a dungeon. A dark, damp, stench-ridden place, with no facility for waste or comforts of any kind.

Yet, in spite of the throbbing pain in their bodies and the disheartening atmosphere, at midnight Paul and Silas were heard praying and singing praises to God! What a strange sound this must have been to the other prisoners, who were used to only hearing the groans or cursings of those who had been beaten. Then suddenly, there was an earthquake that shook the prison! The doors flung open, and amazingly, the bonds of Paul, Silas, and every other prisoner were released! What caused this mighty discharge of power?Praise Elevates us into God’s Presence and Power

Paul and Silas knew the secret of how to lift their hearts above their troubles and enter into God’s presence and power. Through praise and worship their hearts were raised into the joyous presence and peace of God, and provided God a channel for his power to operate in their circumstances.

The Bible says that God inhabits in the praises of His people (Psalms 22:3). In other words, God “dwells” in the atmosphere of His praise. This means that praise is not merely a reaction from coming into His presence - Praise is a vehicle of faith which brings us into the presence and power of God! Praise and worship is the “gate-pass” which allows us to enter the sacredness of His glory. The psalmist writes, “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name” (Psalms 100:4).

This corresponds with Jesus’ teaching, that His presence will inhabit the gathering of believers who congregate in His name: “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20). A “gathering in His name” means that Jesus must be the focus, the center of the assemblage. He must be the one preached about, sung about — the one praised and worshiped. “I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee” (Hebrews 2:12). Consequently, Christ’s presence, along with His virtue and anointing, is manifested in this type of gathering.

Have you ever noticed when “gifts of the Spirit” operate in a church service? The power and anointing of the Holy Spirit usually becomes evident, subsequent to a time of worship and praise. Some think that worship is a response after the Holy Spirit moves upon them. However, it’s the other way around. God’s presence responds when we move upon Him with worship! Lifting up Jesus Christ through praise and worship invokes the Lord’s presence and power to flow in our midst.

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Lyrics

Blessed Assurance

Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine
O what a foretaste of glory divine
Heir of salvation, purchase of God
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood

This is my story, this is my song
Praising my Savior, all the day long
This is my story, this is my song
Praising my Savior, all the day long

Perfect submission, perfect delight
Visions of rapture now burst on my sight
Angels descending bring from above
Echoes of mercy, whispers of love

Perfect submission, all is at rest
I in my Savior am happy and blest
Watching and waiting, looking above
Filled with His goodness, lost in His love

Kiss of Heaven

I'm walking a new walk
I'll never be the same again
Dancing a new dance
In Your Holy Spirit rain
Your breath of life has overwhelmed me
And set my spirit free

I'm living a new life
Underneath Your morning star
Running a new race
In the shadow of Your Love
Your love is immeasurable
Too deep to comprehend

My Jesus, dream maker
My Jesus, life giver
I'm living under the kiss of heaven
And I'll never, ever be the same again

I'm singing a new song
In the presence of the King
Giving You my heart
That is all that I can bring
You lit a fire inside of me
That I thought would never burn again

repeat first chorus

My Jesus, I surrender
My Jesus, Yours forever
I'm living in the embrace of heaven
And I'll never ever be the same again

Bridge:
I thank You, my Father
For all You've done and all You are going to do
My past behind me and You before me
I press on for more

repeat chorus

Who paints the skies

Who paints the skies into glorious day?
Only the splendor of Jesus
Who breathes His life into fists of clay?
Only the splendor of Jesus
Who shapes the valleys and brings the rain?
Only the splendor of Jesus
Who makes the desert to live again?
Only the splendor of Jesus

Teach ev’ry nation His marv’lous ways
Each generation shall sing His praise
He is wonderful
He is glorious clothed in righteousness full of tenderness
Come and worship him
He’s the Prince of life
He will cleanse our hearts in His river of fire

Who hears the cry of the barren one?
Only the mercy of Jesus
Who breaks the curse of the hearts of stone?
Only the mercy of Jesus
Who storms the prison and sets men free
Only the mercy of Jesus
Purchasing souls for eternity ?
Only the mercy of Jesus

Teach ev’ry nation His marv’lous ways
Each generation shall sing His praise
He is wonderful
He is glorious clothed in righteousness full of tenderness
Come and worship him
He’s the Prince of life
He will cleanse our hearts in His river of fire

Above All

Above all powers
Above all things
Above all nature and all created things
Above all wisdom and all the ways of man
You were here before the world began
Above all kingdoms
Above all thrones
Above all wonders the world has ever known
Above all wealth and treasures of the earth
There's no way to measure what You're worth

Crucified
Laid behind the stone
You lived to die
Rejected and alone
Like a rose trampled on the ground
You took the fall
And thought of me
Above all