The Power of Praise
By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. Hebrews 13:15
We, as a family, joined Main Church and committed to the choir. The first time I sang on a Sunday morning I felt the presence of the Holy Spirit stronger than I ever had. There was a freedom and liberty to praise God in a way I had never experienced. It was exhilarating and encouraging beyond my human understanding. No matter how fatigued I was on Wednesday night for practice or on Sunday morning I came away excited and uplifted by the Lord. I had been singing in choirs since I was fifteen but this was totally different. It was not about me or my self-consciousness but about praising God for who he is and just forgetting myself or anyone around me.
Mark and I became involved in the spiritual retreat community and the once a month gatherings. We participated in an impromptu choir. Anyone who wanted to got together thirty minutes before the service and practiced. People were always nervous, especially the musicians but miraculously at the last minute the sound came together and everyone was blessed.
I distinctly remember one month a family lost their father, tragically and they were attending the gathering. One of his favorite anthems was The Majesty and Glory of His Name based on Psalm 8 in the Bible. It was a very popular anthem in choirs at the time but required a large choir to sing it powerfully. We debated if we should attempt it but the Holy Spirit just took over and we soared in the supernatural. The family and everyone present still talks about that special anointing. It is my favorite anthem to this day.
Prayer: Lord what a blessing for each of us!
Thought: When we feel totally out of control and incapable of honoring God with our efforts, that is the time to give control to the Holy Spirit. The Lord always desires our heart-felt praise. Push through the idea of controlling the circumstance to let go and let God!
By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. Hebrews 13:15
We, as a family, joined Main Church and committed to the choir. The first time I sang on a Sunday morning I felt the presence of the Holy Spirit stronger than I ever had. There was a freedom and liberty to praise God in a way I had never experienced. It was exhilarating and encouraging beyond my human understanding. No matter how fatigued I was on Wednesday night for practice or on Sunday morning I came away excited and uplifted by the Lord. I had been singing in choirs since I was fifteen but this was totally different. It was not about me or my self-consciousness but about praising God for who he is and just forgetting myself or anyone around me.
Mark and I became involved in the spiritual retreat community and the once a month gatherings. We participated in an impromptu choir. Anyone who wanted to got together thirty minutes before the service and practiced. People were always nervous, especially the musicians but miraculously at the last minute the sound came together and everyone was blessed.
I distinctly remember one month a family lost their father, tragically and they were attending the gathering. One of his favorite anthems was The Majesty and Glory of His Name based on Psalm 8 in the Bible. It was a very popular anthem in choirs at the time but required a large choir to sing it powerfully. We debated if we should attempt it but the Holy Spirit just took over and we soared in the supernatural. The family and everyone present still talks about that special anointing. It is my favorite anthem to this day.
Prayer: Lord what a blessing for each of us!
Thought: When we feel totally out of control and incapable of honoring God with our efforts, that is the time to give control to the Holy Spirit. The Lord always desires our heart-felt praise. Push through the idea of controlling the circumstance to let go and let God!
