Tag Archive | praise

Living For Jesus

Jun3

and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf. — 2 Corinthians 5:15

Yesterday’s devotional showed us that we should render service to all as if we were rendering service to our Lord.  Today’s scripture says that we should live for Him. With gratitude for our salvation, our eternal life and our daily walk with Jesus we should be motivated to live not longer for ourselves but for Jesus.

Not living for ourselves means surrendering our pitiful lives to Jesus so He may live in and through us. His desire is our selfless surrender to Him. It means turning from our desires, our independence, our plans and giving them all to Jesus and allowing Him to transform those desires, independence, and plans into a passion for Him and His purpose for us.

After all, to live is Christ and to die is gain.* Are you living for Jesus? Is your whole life wrapped around Him and His word? Do you rise in the morning singing praises to His name? Does His creation remind you of Him? Do you see glimpses of His work as you go through your day? Is He your last thought as you drift off to blissful sleep?

God transforms us to live for Him. Your surrender will never be a a bad decision. Jesus is so worth it. He is everything you will ever need, want or desire. He is sufficient. Won’t you surrender your life today and let God transform you?

Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon

 

* Philippians 1:21

See His Greatness

May29

‘O Lord God, You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness and Your strong hand; for what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do such works and mighty acts as Yours? — Deuteronomy 3:24

What a word of praise and awesome wonder when God reveals Himself to His surrendered servant. When we trust and rely on Jesus Christ with our fully surrendered lives, we see His greatness and strong hand in our lives. There is no doubt that God is alive and working among His people.

I believe there is no greater work or mighty act today than the reconciliation of us to God Himself. God is actively working in our lives to mold us into His perfect people. The transformation process, although tough, is a beautiful thing to behold. In ourselves it is usually seen in hindsight but watching it in others is so exhilarating and exciting. Let me share an example:

My future son-in-law and daughter found a wedding dress the other day for
their upcoming wedding on Saturday. They left the store with the security
tab still attached to the dress. My son-in-law tried to remove the tab that
has ink on the inside and of course the ink bled all over the dress. My
son-in-law is a baby christian – accepted the Lord as a child but never
experienced any walk. I have been praying for him for many years . . .
but back to the story. He returned the dress and got a new one but that
is not the best part of the story. This is the text I received from my
daughter when I asked what happened with the dress situation: “He got it.
Last large they had. . . he said he kept praying and when he found it he
was thanking Jesus over and over”.

I was rejoicing and thanking the Lord for this transformation experience. Thanking the Lord for His greatness. Who can do such works and mighty acts as these? My God and Him alone.

Thank God for His transforming work in the lives of His people. Something only He can accomplish.

Continually seeking Him,

Sharon

Our Hope Is God

May6

Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him For the help of His presence. — Psalm 42:5

So it seems that all at once things get out of your control, you lose your grip, all your plans seem to come falling down around you. This can’t be!!! I am walking with the Lord. He knows the plans I have — I shared them with Him. How could this be happening?

Sounds like life, doesn’t it? Well, how are we to react? Anger? Tears? Retaliation? Uncontrolled tongue? Emotional reactions are okay if they do not make us sin. Let us remember that we have Someone who loves us, cares for us and wants the best for us. So doesn’t it make sense to humble ourselves and go directly to the Lord?

Our hope is God. Taking it to Jesus in prayer we are ushered into His presence. There we praise Him because we trust that He is God and believe that He is in control. In the presence of the Lord our perspective can come under review of the Holy Spirit and change our hearts to God’s will and perspective. We have no idea what God’s plan is. All we can do is draw near, trust and hope in the Almighty God of the universe who works in us for His glorification. Remember it is all about Him but also remember He loves us and wants the best for us.

“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I have hope in Him.” — Lamentations 3:24
How blessed are the people who know the joyful sound! O Lord, they walk in the light of Your countenance. — Psalm 89:15

Continually seeking Him,

Sharon

Prayer of Praise

May2

Does your prayer time consist of thanksgiving and praise?

Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth. Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before Him with joyful singing. Know that the Lord Himself is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving And His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name. For the Lord is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting And His faithfulness to all generations. — Psalm 100:1-5

When we praise and thank the Lord in our prayer time we acknowledge His supremacy and His place in our lives. We should be humbled by that fact. It is a reminder of the blessing He is to us and of the blessings we receive because He is God.

What is God’s will for you?

Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. — 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

It is not only His will for us but . . .

“He who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving honors Me; — Psalm 50:23a

Jesus is honored by our thanksgiving, acknowledging that all good things come from Him.

Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name. Keep seeking Him. Start by praying with thanksgiving and praise. — Hebrews 13:15

Continually seeking Him,

Sharon

Practice The Walk

Apr22

I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul will make its boast in the Lord; The humble will hear it and rejoice. O magnify the Lord with me, And let us exalt His name together. — Psalm 34:1-3

How’s your walk with Jesus? Do you bless Him, thank Him in everything and praise Him at all times? This is God’s will for us in Christ Jesus. We are not perfect but that is not an excuse for not continually trying to do His will. When my heart is focused on blessing, thanking and praising God, I find my heart boasts of Him. It comes easily.

Practicing this kind of walk with the Lord opens doors of communication with those Jesus is calling to Him. He opens the eyes of the lost who humbly approach the throne seeking His salvation. Our walk with Jesus is so important to living an effective life of soul winning. When souls are introduced to Jesus He is magnified and we rejoice and exalt His name together.

Continually seeking Him,

Sharon

 

in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. — 1 Thessalonians 5:18

 

Victory!

Apr19

Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives. — Hebrews 2:14-15

He Himself likewise also partook of the same. The Word became flesh, and dwelt among us. Jesus experienced human life just like every human that ever lived. He also experienced extreme pain and anguish. As Jesus knelt in the garden He prayed, “Abba! Father! All things are possible for You; remove this cup from Me; yet not what I will, but what You will.” Jesus came for purpose — to fulfill the will of God.

Jesus was the perfect example of obedience. Through His obedience He died that He might render powerless the devil who had the power of death. We saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. Is there anything more glorious than what Jesus did for us? We are free from the fear of death and have received a spirit of adoption as sons. We also cry, “Abba Father” with grateful hearts.

Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. — 1 Corinthians 15:57

Continually seeking Him,

Sharon

 

– And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.– John 1:14
– For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” — Romans 8:15
Abba! Father! All things are possible for You; remove this cup from Me; yet not what I will, but what You will.” — Mark 14:36

Praise the Lord!

Apr8

Praise the Lord!
Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty expanse. — Psalm 150:1
For He looked down from His holy height;
From heaven the Lord gazed upon the earth,– Psalm 102:19
The Lord has looked down from heaven upon the sons of men
To see if there are any who understand,
Who seek after God. — Psalm 14:2
God has looked down from heaven upon the sons of men
To see if there is anyone who understands,
Who seeks after God. — Psalm 53:2

Praise the Lord! A simple request for a deserving, worthy God. Praise Him in His sanctuary. The sanctuary, temple, a holy place. It is the place where God dwells. We are called to be holy, the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit. Praise Him in His mighty expanse. The Creator of everything, indwelling in us desires our praise.

He looks down from His heavenly abode upon all His creation and He searches for any who understand, any who will seek Him. When He looks at your corner of the world what does He see?

To properly praise our God, we must have a spirit of praise. Where does that come from? From seeking Him continually. When we seek we understand because God reveals great and mighty things. When we seek we see the Lord at work. When we seek our hearts are softened and filled with praise. Seeking brings understanding, peace, and joy which is turned into praise!

So let us praise the Lord from a heart that seeks Him.

Continually seeking Him,

Sharon

Worship

Mar8

Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, My lips will praise You. So I will bless You as long as I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name. — Psalm 63:3-4

What does your worship entail? The Psalmist here first specifies why he is praising God, because Your lovingkindness is better than life. A close intimate walk with Jesus helps us see His lovingkindness in our lives. Then his lips praise the Lord. Do you praise Him with your lips, your voice, the words of your mouth exalting the Lord?

Worshipping the Lord with praise is a lifelong endeavor. I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. (Psalm 104:33); I will praise the Lord while I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being. (Psalm 146:2). This endeavor is enjoyable for us and deserving of Jesus. To bless Him is to extol Him as holy and glorify Him. Make it your life’s ambition, your goal each day. Acknowledge Him every day. It is not exclusively a Sunday experience or practice. He is so deserving of our praise. Lift up your hands.

Do you ever lift up your hands in His name? The Psalmist, in 143:6, says “I stretch out my hands to You; My soul  longs for You, as a parched land.” The Lord is our fountain for the parched land of our heart. As the deer pants for the water brooks, So my soul pants for You, O God. (Psalm 42:1).

Worship is the revival of our souls. Worship strengthens our faith. Worship, best of all, draws us close to our Lord drawing us into His very presence. What better place to be so why don’t we spend more time worshipping our Lord?

My hope and prayer for you as you read this is that you will be challenged to spend more time in worship of our God. Make it a priority of your life and see if you aren’t changed. You will be blessed.

Continually seeking Him,

Sharon

 

 

Praise the Word of God

Feb9

I shall give thanks to You with uprightness of heart, when I learn Your righteous judgments. Psalm 119:7

When I learn the righteous judgments of God, I am made right with Him. My heart is upright before My God who deserves to be praised from an upright heart. His Word cleanses me and purifies me to a standard worthy to praise the Almighty Holy God. He has given me His Word to correct my ways, to walk blamelessly before Him and to enjoy His presence. Only those worthy may enter into the presence of God. I am made worthy only through Christ who lives in me and teaches me through His Word.

My joy overflows from the love of God’s Word. That joy needs to be expressed and it is in thanks to the One Who wrote the Book. Worthy is He of all the praise I can muster for His marvelous Word that transforms a loser to a victorious winner, a sinner to reconciliation with The Creator, a heart of hurt to a heart of joy, a garland instead of ashes, oil of gladness instead of mourning, mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting. God’s Word is great!!! Read it daily. Meditate on His Word and treasure it in your heart that you may not sin against Him.

Continually seeking Him,

Sharon

 

To grant those who mourn in Zion, Giving them a garland instead of ashes, The oil of gladness instead of mourning, The mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting. So they will be called oaks of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified. — Isaiah 61:3

Your word I have treasured in my heart, That I may not sin against You. — Psalm 119:11