Why should you praise the LORD?

I copied this from a friends "e-magazine"
entitled SAY IT LOUD....

Say It Loud
Zeal
Brianna, a fellow staff member and one of my best friends, and I talk on the phone just about daily. She is 4 years younger than me, but I have never met someone her age so mature or on fire for God. Everyday I ask her if she has prayed and done her devotions.

A typical conversation between us:

"Have you done your devotions yet today?" I'll ask first.

"... Maybe" This usually means she hasn't.

So one day she finally asks me what is devotion? I tell her "Brianna, you know what devotions are."

She goes on to say: “I know what devotions are, but what is devotion, what does the word mean?” So I go to my thesaurus (meant to grab my dictionary), and read off the list of synonyms for the word.

"Enthusiasm, fervor, passion, zeal."

We both instantly fell in love with the word and decided that would be what we would call devotions from now on. And when you think about it, it makes sense. We are to have passion and enthusiasm in our studies. God's word is not just another class we take. This is the stuff we will use in life. It is not like an upper level math that only chemists and rocket scientists will use. Every one can apply it to their daily lives, and should.

My challenge to you is to do your devotions daily, even if it is only a chapter or two a day, and to do them ferverently and with zeal.

As Christians, we have very different weapons to fight our battles with. Galatians 6:17 (NCV) says: "Accept God's salvation as your helmet and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." that is why it is so important that we read the word. If you haven't noticed there will be a test, and by the way you're already taking it.

Kristi

Isn't that KOOL?

Dec.13/2004
Norma here adding her two cents worth...
I've been fighting a vicious head cold accompanied by tonsilitis and an ear infection for the past five days. Needless to say I haven't been feeling too well.
However, I can praise God that I can still work, I am able to prepare a simple meal to feed my girls, I get the opportunity to bug Mike about something every day, and, of course, I am able to sit at the computer and write my part of the books Mike and I are writing together.
So, despite the fact I'm feeling strained and tired, life could be much worse, so I'm thinking I should praise the Lord anyway, right? Besides, I won't feel this way forever. Pretty soon I'll be taking the world by storm, feeling my normal, jovial self.

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Praise the LORD because He IS who He is - He is the most Wonderful, the Most High (El Yon), the most EVERYTHING GOOD!

Praise the Lord because you're saved!
Not everyone can make that claim and, because you can, it's reason enough to praise the LORD!

But if you want scripture, let's look at Psalm 150

"Praise the Lord.
Praise God in His sanctuary, praise Him in His mighty firmament! Praise Him for His mighty acts; praise Him according to His excellent greatness!
Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet. Praise Him with the lute and harp! Praise Him with the timbrel(tambourine)and the dance. Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes!
Praise Him with loud cymbals and praise Him with clashing cymbals.
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!"

*************************************************

Do you breathe?
If you answered yes (and we BOTH know you did), then YOU should praise the LORD! He deserves it! Only those who are dead (spiritually) don't praise HIM.
Since we are so obviously commanded to praise the LORD, we should do it whether we feel like it or not!
In 6 verses we were told to praise the LORD 13 times...I guess it's pretty important, huh?

BECAUSE HE DESERVES IT!
Since every good and perfect gift comes from GOD, it is OBVIOUS He deserves our praise!
So PRAISE HIM already...

Praise GOD for HANDS...
An old man, probably some ninety plus years, sat feebly on the park
bench. He didn't move, just sat with his head down staring at his
hands. When I sat down beside him he didn't acknowledge my presence
and the longer I sat I wondered if he was ok.

Finally, not really wanting to disturb him but wanting to check on him
at the same time, I asked him if he was ok. He raised his head and
looked at me and smiled.

"Yes, I'm fine, thank you for asking," he said in a clear strong
voice.

"I didn't mean to disturb you, sir, but you were just sitting here
staring at your hands and I wanted to make sure you were ok?" I
explained to him.

"Have you ever looked at your hands?" he asked. "I mean really looked
at your hands."

I slowly opened my hands and stared down at them. I turned them over,
palms up and then palms down. No, I guess I had never really looked
at my hands as I tried to figure out the point he was making.

Then he smiled and related this story:

Stop and think for a moment about the hands you have, how they have
served you well throughout your years. These hands, though wrinkled,
shriveled and weak have been the tools I have used all my life to
reach out and grab and embrace life. They braced and caught my fall
when as a toddler I crashed upon the floor. They put food in my mouth
and clothes on my back. As a child my mother taught me to fold them
in prayer.
They tied my shoes and pulled on my boots They dried the tears of my
children and caressed the love of my life.
They held my rifle and wiped my tears when I went off to war. They
have been dirty, scraped and raw, swollen and bent. They were uneasy
and clumsy when I tried to hold my newborn son. Decorated with my
wedding band they showed the world that I was married and loved
someone special. They wrote the letters home and trembled and shook
when I buried my parents and spouse and walked my daughter down the
aisle.
Yet, they were strong and sure when I dug my buddy out of a foxhole
and lifted a plow off of my best friends foot. They have held
children, consoled neighbors, and shook in fists of anger when I
didn't understand. They have covered my face, combed my hair, and
washed and cleansed the rest of my body.

They have been sticky and wet, bent and broken, dried and raw. And to
this day when not much of anything else of me works real well these
hands hold me up, lay me down, and again continue to fold in prayer
These hands are the mark of where I've been and the ruggedness of my
life. But more importantly it will be these hands that God will reach
out and take when he leads me home. And He won't care about where
these hands have been or what they have done. What He will care about
is to whom these hands belong and how much He loves these hands. And
with these hands He will lift me to His side and there I will use
these hands to touch the face of Christ.

***************

No doubt I will never look at my hands the same again. I never saw the
old man again after I left the park that day but I will never forget
him and the words he spoke. When my hands are hurt or sore or when I
stroke the face of my children and wife I think of the man in the
park. I have a feeling he has been stroked and caressed and held by
the hands of God. I, too, want to touch the face of God and feel his
hands upon my face.

Thank you, Father God, for hands.

It is PLEASANT to praise the Lord!

Look at Psalm 135:3
"Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good; Sing praises to His name, for it is pleasant.

Psalm 133:1
"Behold, how good and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity."

Living together in unity is pleasant...so can't living together in unity be a form of praise to the LORD also?
Of course, it can!
He desires us to praise Him in action as well as word!

EVERYWHERE YOU LOOK SOMETHING IS PRAISING THE LORD!
The skies praise the Lord as they reflect His beauty...the birds praise the Lord with every song; The trees lift their branches in worship...the animals praise Him, scampering along!

I praise the Lord
Because He is the kindest, most loving, and most understanding Individual I have ever met...He knows my capacity for ugliness, yet loves me in spite of it! There is no one like Him in all of Creation!

I praise the Lord
Because He Is!

Praise the Lord for friends!

Often I lie awake at night
My spirit quietly prays.
For my friends and family
That God would guide their days.

Sometimes, like tonight, I write.
My thoughts need to unwind.
I have so many questions
But the answers I can't find!

Why does my sister struggle so?
Lord, what will happen to her soul?
I wish she would call out to You
So she could then be whole!

Lord, why has my younger brother
Turned away from the cross?
I pray he will open his eyes
And realize the eternal cost!

Then, I have another guy
I refer to as a brother.
Tho' I met him late in life-
Couldn't trade him for another.

He loves to serve You, Jesus
To reach Heaven is his goal.
Like me, he isn't satisfied
Unless he wins a soul.

Help him, Lord, through every day
Whether in health, sickness, or pain.
Keep him in Your loving care
Until Heaven he has gained.

Lord, thank you for my brother.
I'm proud to call him mine.
We are but two branches
Dear Lord, You are the Vine.

Help us as we try our best
To win lost souls each day.
Help us point others to the cross
It is the only way.

Sent to me by a dear friend and Sister in the Lord!

Because He loves you, and praise makes you prettier....it says so in Proverbs!

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