Lesson VI - PRAISE AND WORSHIP

1. Praise Brings the Presence of GOD – Acts 16:25-26

As Paul and Silas sang praises to GOD, HIS PRESENCE came! And then “the foundations of the prisons were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed”.

The same Presence of GOD brought salvation to the captain of the guard (Acts 16:32, 34).

2. Praise Binds the Enemy – Psalm 149:6-9

Testimony: An insane woman was delivered as we praised the LORD JESUS.

3. Praise Confuses the Enemy and Brings Victory to the People of GOD – 2 Chron. 20:22-23

Several armies were routed and defeated by Israel as the latter began to sing praises to the LORD.

4. Another Effect of Praise

Praising GOD will make us enjoy HIM more and appreciate HIM more.

5. Praising GOD in a Loud Voice – Luke 19:37-40

Multitudes were praising “GOD with a loud voice”. The Pharisees complained to JESUS; but the LORD replied: “I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stone would immediately cry out.”

How people Praise In Heaven – Rev. 19:6

Heaven is a very noisy place, because the people there praise GOD “as the sound of many waters (or waterfalls) and as the sound of mighty thundering.”

6. How we Praise GOD

a. Clapping Hand - Psalm 47:1

b. Shouting - Psalm 95:1

c. Singing - Psalm 95:1

d. Bowing - Psalm 95:6

e. Kneeling - Psalm 95:6

f. Lifting hands - Psalm 134:2, 141:2

g. Dancing - Psalm 149:3

h. With musical instruments - Psalm 150:3-5

I. Walking and leaping, praising God - Acts 3:8

7. Murmuring is the Opposite of Praise – Num. 14:1-4, 26-30

The Israelites who murmured against GOD all died in the wilderness and never entered the Promised Land.

Murmuring means unbelief. GOD calls those who murmured as an “evil congregation”.  Num. 14:27

Refusal to Praise will result in Barrenness – 2 Sam. 6:20-23

Michal refused to praise GOD and she despised David who was praising and dancing before GOD. “Therefore Michal… had no children to the day of her death.”

8. Worship GOD in Spirit and in Truth – John 4:23

1. How do we worship God in Spirit?

1. We must first be born  of the Spirit – John 3:5-8

This means that one must be born again. In other words, received JESUS as his LORD and Savior.

2. The second requirement to worship GOD in Spirit is: We must be led by the Spirit – 

Rom. 8:14

2. How do we worship GOD in truth?

The WORD of GOD is TRUTH – John 17:17

So, to worship GOD in truth means to worship HIM according to the WORD.

Our next subject is called “praise and worship.” We begin by reading Acts 16:6-10

“Now when they had gone through Phyrgia and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the Word in Asia. After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them. So passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us.’ Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the Gospel to them.”

Paul and Silas wanted to preach the Gospel in Asia but they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit. This is very surprising. Preaching the Gospel is a command of the Lord. But the Holy Spirit forbade them to preach the Gospel in Asia. What does this tells us? The Holy Spirit is the Director of missions. In other words, while it is true that we must preach the Gospel, yet “we cannot just go anywhere.” The Holy Spirit must lead us where to preach the Gospel.

Remember what I told you about the missionary in Thailand? He was asking me one day: “Do you think I should continue working here in Thailand? For ten years I have been here and we have eight converts only.” So I asked him: “Why are you here in Thailand?” His reply: “I am a missionary, that is why.” I said: “Yes, you are a missionary, but why did you not go to other places like Africa or the North Pole? Why did you go to Thailand? Did the Spirit lead you?” The Spirit did not lead this Missionary. He himself decided where to preach the Gospel. Now it is a command to preach the Gospel, but where do you do it? It must be under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Paul and Silas received guidance from the Spirit in a vision where a man from Macedonia pleaded for them to come and help them (vs. 9-10). So immediately they went to Macedonia. They went to a city called Phillipi, a part of Macedonia. There they prayed (v.13) and preached the Gospel to a group of people by the riverside. They gave a convert by the name of Lydia. She and her household were baptized (vs. 13-15).

Then one day they cast out an evil sprit from a slave girl and she was delivered. But the master of the slave girl complained before the authorities.  And so, Paul and Silas were arrested, beaten with many stripes and thrown into the dungeon.

Paul and Silas obeyed the Lord. They preached the Gospel, cast out evil spirits and had converts. And now they are in jail, with many stripes and their hand and feet are tied. What do they do now?

Perhaps we may be tempted to complain if this happened to us. We could say: “Lord, we were doing your will. But why are we now put in jail and badly beaten?”

Paul and Silas did not complain. Instead, we read what they did in verses 25-26:

“But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns (or praises) to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed.”

• PRAISES BRINGS THE PRESENCE OF GOD

At “midnight” Paul and Silas were praying and singing praises unto God. It is said that midnight is the darkest part of the night. That was the actual condition of Paul and Silas; they were in the darkest moment of their lives. What do we do in the darkest moment of our lives? Pray and sing praises unto God.  Paul and Silas were praying and singing praises and suddenly the Presence of God came down in the dungeon. The Word of God says that God inhabits the praises of His people (Psalm 22:3). God’s presence came down in the jail as Paul and Silas were singing praises. And look at what the Lord’s Presence did: “The foundation of the prison were shaken… all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed” Hallelujah!

Praise is a weapon against the enemy. For the enemy counter attacked against Paul and Silas and this attack resulted in Paul and Silas being “thrown into” the jail. But when Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises, the Presence of God, “came down”, thereby casting out the enemy and his works. This same incident was used by the Lord for the salvation of the keeper of the prison and his entire household (vs 27-34).

PRAISES BINDS THE ENEMY

Praise binds the enemy. We find this in Psalm 149:6-9:

“Let the high praise of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand, to execute vengeance on the nations, and punishments on the peoples; to bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron; to execute on them the written judgment this honor have all His saints. Praise the LORD!”

One day I was invited to pray for a woman who was insane for five years. She was violent and would run after people to beat or stab them. So her husband had to tie her on her bed. I was very young Christian at that time (barely one-month old) and I had not yet experienced praying for a lunatic. So I invited a friend who was much ahead of me in the Lord.

I asked him to accompany me in praying for this woman. When we arrived at the house, we saw the woman tied to her bed. She was asleep. And so I asked my friend to please go ahead and pray now for the woman. My friend began casting out he evil spirits from the woman and she became very, very violent. The woman was shouting obscenities and roaring like a wild animal. While this was going on for about an hour, and I noticed that the woman was not getting any better, I asked the Lord what we must do. The Lord told us to praise Him. So I said to my friend “Let us praise the Lord.” My friend and I faced each other and we sang praises unto Jesus. This continued for about 30 minutes. Then we heard a loud roar from the woman. And the Lord said,  “She is already delivered.” I approached the woman and I asked her name. She was totally coherent. The I preached the Gospel to her and she received Jesus as her Lord and Savior and then I untied her and gave her to her husband, who likewise accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior. There was a great rejoicing in that family.

Our praise unto the LORD bound and cast out the evil spirits from the lunatic.

• PRAISE CONFUSES THE ENEMY AND BRINGS VICTORY TO THE PEOPLE OF GOD – 2 CHRON. 20:22-23

Jehosaphat, king of Judah, was faced with a great multitude of enemies (vs 1-2 to 2 Chron. 20). The king and the people of Judah fasted and prayed to the LORD. Then Jehoshapat “appointed those who should sing to the LORD, and who should praise…” (v. 21)

“Now when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated. For the people of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir to utterly kill and destroy them. And when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, they helped to destroy one another.”  2 Chron. 20:22-23)

The praises of Judah confused their enemies! In their confusion these enemies fought each other and killed themselves. Judah (which means, “praise”), the people of GOD had a great victory. Why? Because they praise the LORD!

Does God stop being God if we do not praise Him? Do our praises to God make Him a bigger God? Of course not! God remains God with or without our praises. But why does God command us to praise Him? Because praising God, as we have previously discussed, brings down His Presence and brings victory to us. Praise also binds the enemy and casts him out.

But there is another effect of praise. Have you ever seen a little child, very lovely and cute so you decided to embrace and kiss the child and you said, “What a lovely child! Oh, a very sweet child! How beautiful you are!” That was your reaction. But another one saw the same child and he just looked and looked and remained silent. Who do you think enjoyed the child more? Certainly you! You expressed your praises aloud. In other words, praising God will make us enjoy Him more and appreciate Him more.

PRAISING GOD IN A LOUD VOICE – LUKE 19:37-40

One day the LORD JESUS was met by the disciples and “the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice…” (Luke 19:#7)

The Pharisees were scandalized by this very loud praising of God, so they asked JESUS to rebuke the disciples. (Luke 19:39)

Listen to the answer of the LORD: “I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out.” (Luke 19:40)

GOD wants loud praises!

• HOW PEOPLE PRAISE IN HEAVEN – REV. 19:6

In Rev. 19:6 we find:

“And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thundering, saying, ‘Alleluia! For the LORD GOD Omnipotent reigns!”

This will be our occupation in heaven, we will be praising and worshipping God.

How loud are the praises in heaven? The descriptions are “as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thundering.”  Many waters would refer to many waterfalls, which must be very noisy. Mighty thundering would signify great and loud noises.

So heaven must be a very noisy place.

• HOW WE PRAISE GOD

How do we praise the Lord? The Word of God tells us how.

1. Clapping hands

“Oh clap your hands, all you peoples!” Psalm 47:1a

2. Shouting

“Shout to God with the voice of triumph” Psalm 47:1b

3. Singing

“Oh come let us sing to the Lord!” Psalm 95:1a

4. Bowing

“Oh come, let us worship and bow down.”  Psalm 95:6a

5. Kneeling

“Let us kneel before the Lord our maker.” Psalm 95:6b

6. Lifting up Hands

“Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and bless the Lord.” Psalm 134:2; 141:2

7. Dancing

“Let them praise His name with the dance.” Psalm 149:3

8. With Instruments

“Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet… flute… harp… timbrel… stringed instruments… flutes… loud cymbals…”   Psalm 150:3-5

9. Walking, leaping and praising God

“…walking, leaping and praising God.”  Acts 3:8

• MURMURING IS THE OPPOSITE OF PRAISE

Murmuring is the opposite of praise. An example of murmuring is found in Numbers 14:1-4; and verses 26-30. The Lord promised to give the Israelites Canaan as their inheritance. The Lord likewise promised to defeat their enemies and to bless them in the land. But the Israelites refused to enter Canaan. They murmured against the Lord by saying: “Why has the Lord brought us to this land to fall by the sword?” The Israelites were afraid of the giants. So they murmured. Only Joshua and Caleb believed God and they were ready to enter the promise land. The rest of the Israelites who murmured died in the wilderness. Why? Because of murmuring is unbelief. God calls all those who murmured against Him as an “Evil Congregation” (Numbers 14:27)

• REFUSAL TO PRAISE WILL RESULT IN BARRENNESS – II SAM. 6:20-23

“Then David returned to bless his household. And Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, “How glorious was the king of Israel today, uncovering himself today in the eyes of the maids of his servant, as one of the base fellows shamelessly uncovers himself!”

So David said to Michal, “It was before the Lord, who chose me instead of your father and all his house, to appoint me ruler over the people of the Lord, over Israel; therefore I will play music before the Lord. And I will be even more undignified that this, and will be humble in my own sight. But as for the maidservants of whom you have spoken, by them I will be held in honor.” 

Therefore Michal the daughter of Saul had no children to the day of her death. 

We learned from the above story in II Samuel 6 that David was dancing before the Lord and praising Him. Michal, his wife saw David and she despised him in her heart. What was the result of Michal’s attitude? “Therefore Michal the daughter of Saul had no children to the day of her death.” Michal was barren from that time until her death. Do you want to be barren? Then refuse to praise God and despise those who are praising Him. Do you want to be fruitful, have many children in the Lord? Then praise the Lord.

WORSHIP GOD IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH – JOHN 4:23

“But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and Truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.”  John 4:23

• HOW DO WE WORSHIP IN SPIRIT

The person who will worship must first be born of the Spirit. What does this mean? He must first be a believer. In other words, he must have received Jesus as his Lord and Savior. He must be born again. When this happens he is born of the Spirit. Therefore, an unbeliever cannot worship God in Spirit, because he is not born of the Spirit.

Besides being born of the Spirit, the believer must also be led by the Spirit.

• HOW DO WE WORSHIP IN TRUTH

What is the meaning of worshipping God in truth? Jesus is saying: “Your Word is Truth” (John 17:17). This means that the Word of God is truth. So, in order to worship God in truth, then we must worship God according to His Word.

To summarize, we must worship God:

1. In Spirit – The worshipper must first be born of the Spirit.

2. In Truth – The worshipper must worship God according to His Word.

PRAISE AND WORSHIP: GUIDE QUESTIONS

1. Why is praise a weapon?

2. What are the other benefits of praise?

3. What is the opposite of praise?

4. Give the two essentials of worship and explain each.

ANSWERS:

1. Praise binds the enemy (Psalm 149:6-9)

2. The other praise benefits are:

• Victory over problems assured.

• Strengthens the believers

• Confuses the enemy

3. Murmuring is the opposite of praise. Murmuring is a sin, resulting in unfruitfulness.

4. The two essentials of worship are:

1. Worship in Spirit – Only spiritually born-again believer, led by the Holy Spirit, can offer true worship to God.

2. Worship in truth – The expression of love and adoration is in accordance with the Word of God.