Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!
(Psalm 100:1 NKJV)

If I invited you to walk with Iva and me today, you might ask, “Why is she stopping here?”

There’s no car or obstacle. Then you would probably ask why I am laughing so hard and shaking my head.

This is only one of Iva’s comical idiosyncrasies. I would turn to you and explain, “Twice this week, Iva and I have stopped and talked with the lady in this house. Each time, Iva is the topic of discussion. In particular, Iva’s beauty.”

It’s true! Both times, Iva focused intently on the woman as she heard a word she recognizes: beautiful. Yes, Iva knows she is beautiful, and today she wants to be praised again, even though the woman was nowhere to be found.

We all have a little Iva in us. We like a complement. Nice dress. Great job on that project. Wow, honey, the house looks great. OK, maybe we don’t hear that last one too often, but you get the idea.

Well, God likes praise too. Truthfully, He loves it!

God commands us to worship and praise Him, and It’s one of the easiest ways we can please Him. Yet, we fail to make the time to give thanks.

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord! (Psalm 150:6 NKJV)

Besides the fact that praise is expected from Christians in whatever form whether it is shouting, singing, or a whispered Hallelujah, God inhabits the praises of His people (Ps. 22:3).

When we begin lifting up our voices, giving God the fruit of our lips, He takes notice. I have experienced God’s manifest presence during a praise fest.

No matter if I am in church, at home, in the mountains, or a convention center. God shows up when His people praise Him.

Secondly, God’s power erupts in the midst of worship. In Acts chapter sixteen, an imprisoned Paul and Silas began praying and singing hymns to God. A sudden earthquake shook the jail, and all the prison doors were opened. All the prisoners’ chains were loosed.

The startled jailer feared the prisoners would escape, and he drew his sword to take his life. Paul stopped the jailer, explaining that no one had escaped. When that Philippian jailer saw the power of God, he asked Paul how he could receive salvation.

My friend, I am guilty of slacking off in my praise. God deserves much more than we can offer. Could we commit to spend just a few minutes in praise during each prayer? When I do this, I have discovered my prayers come to life. God stops to fellowship with me. Make that time, and I know you will be greatly rewarded in the Lord.

Originally posted on January 18, 2021 @ 3:00 am