Power In Praise

Read: Psalm 145

I will exalt you, my God and King, and praise your name forever and ever. Psalm 145:1

IN WORD

How do you want to experience God? Your answer may vary depending on your need of the moment. When you need to be rescued, you want to experience Him as the Rescuer. When you need provision, you want to experience Him as Provider. And when you need God’s government in your direction, your circumstances, or your relationships, you want to experience Him as King.

How do you do that? One way is to worship the attribute of God you need to experience. When you need provision, for example, the best approach to Him is not to beg for provision but to worship Him as the Provider. So when you need His government in some area of your life, it helps to worship Him as your King. That may sound manipulative, and human nature assures us that manipulation is a genuine temptation. But that’s not how God sees it. He shows up in our lives in whatever ways we magnify Him. (We can’t make Him larger, of course, but we make Him larger in our own vision. That’s what Scripture means when it says to “magnify” or glorify His name, as in Psalm 34:3, ESV.) Praise is often much more powerful than prayer, simply because praise is filled with faith, and prayer very often isn’t. When we exalt the King, the King shows His splendor and majesty.

IN DEED

Exalt the Lord, magnify Him, praise and worship Him for all He is and does. But when you have a specific need, build your faith by gazing at His goodness in that area of need. That can be difficult—we tend to focus on our lack rather than on His goodness when we’re in trouble—but do it anyway. Your attitude will soon change and your faith will swell, and God responds to faith. He fills our worship with His presence. And the presence of the King is exactly what we need.

ADDITIONAL READING: Psalm 34:1-7

If worship does not change us, it has not been worship.

RICHARD FOSTER