Praise Is The Power of Heaven

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 and dance;
Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes!
Praise Him with loud cymbals;
Praise Him with clashing cymbals!

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord!
[Psalm 150:1-6 NKJV]

Nowadays, the song Praise Is The Power of Heaven is rarely sung outside of a few groups, so I have been told. If true, it is a shame because it is a beautiful song, although that is not the reason we sing it, or many others like it. We sing to give thanks and to worship God, because praise has a unique place in our spiritual life; the very act of giving voice through song, however performed, brings a strengthened connection to the Almighty.

Many times I have heard Christians say that they love praising; that it is the centre of their worship and lifts the spirits delighting the heart ...

While I live I will praise the Lord; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being. [Psalm 146:2 NKJV]

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; [1 Peter 2:9 NKJV]

... and it brings joy to the heart of God also. Psalm 22:3 tells us that He inhabits or is enthroned in the praises of His people, meaning that focussing our voices in song to Him is where His Holy Spirit finds a dwelling place. Beginning a meeting with praise raises us out of the everyday into the heavenlies and sharpens our senses to hear the word of an anointed preacher with true understanding.

Sadly, in these dark pandemic days when praise is prohibited lest we spread the virus, fear and anxiety has been given free rein. No wonder mental health problems are on the rise, even among the faithful; but we can be assured that our Lord will carry us through these testing times. I believe that, though we cannot gather in the usual way, though we cannot sing praises to Him in the usual way, yet we remain joined with Him in the Holy Spirit and that He hears the praise soaring within us, seeking release, for He is our praise.

You shall fear the Lord your God; you shall serve Him, and to Him you shall hold fast, and take oaths in His name. He is your praise, and He is your God, who has done for you these great and awesome things which your eyes have seen.
[Deuteronomy 10:20-21 NKJV]

We can sing out by ourselves, with those in our homes until we can gather again, but we can also praise inwardly, as Paul says in Romans 2:29, but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God. 'Jew' comes from 'Judean', or 'belonging to praise'. Hallelujah!

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Praise Is The Power of Heaven -- The Zeal of God
(One of only two versions of this song found; the other is an instrumental version)

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OSWALD CHAMBERS - RUN TODAY'S RACE
Saturday 19th September 2020
It is a tremendous thing to know that God reigns and rules and rejoices, and that His joy is our strength.
The confidence of a Christian is that God is never in the sulks. "... Father of lights, with whom can be no variation, neither shadow that is cast by turning." (RV)

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