Day 5: Week 2 Pure Praise

[russhutto]

Audible Praise

1) Central Passage(s):

Psalm 150
Exodus 15:20-21
Psalm 47:1
Isaiah 55:12
Hebrews 13:15


2) My Daily Praise:
Sing and clap before the Lord today!

3) My Daily Surrender:
Don't view forms of praise you're not personally comfortable with as trite, unnecessary, or even as beneath you.

Ask God to willingly and joyfully express all eight previously mentioned expressions of praise.

[WorshipVanguard]

Central Passages:
My story pertaining to today’s lesson goes back to my college days. I was attending a 200-year-old church. It was steeped in tradition, but I attended because I developed some great relationships there. Every Sunday, the church would quickly clear out once the service ended. Me, being the “rebel” that I am, would stay at the church when no one was around, and play the grand piano in the “fellowship hall.” I did not (still don’t) play piano very well. At that time, I wanted to play but hated taking lessons. So, I chose personal praise time - just a piano, the Lord and me in an empty room. After several weeks of simply playing an instrument unto the Lord, I found I was getting smoother at transitioning chords, and playing melodies that caught the attention of passerbys. I look back at that time, and reflect how the Lord became my piano tutor through my praise to him. I long for that time again. Alas, I have two young children who desire my attention and compete with my personal praise time with the Lord.

Daily Praise:
Lord, I’m always amazed at how you inhabit the praises of your people. I’ve had the honor and privilege of experiencing powerful moments of praise. I long for all my praise to bring honor to your name.

Daily Surrender:
Lord, I must confess some ways to praise are simply uncomfortable to me. Please open my heart to every expression of praise. Help me guard my heart against empty praises; as I have done it before and know how much you despise them. Thank you for loving despite my "praise lapses."

[Wannabe a Worshiper]

Central Passages
Whenever I hear someone complain in church that guitars or drums don't belong there, I remind them that 150 years ago, the same thing was being said about the piano. The piano belonged in honky-tonks and saloons, not in God's house.

How sweet that the Bible, in Psalm 150 and other places, speaks of worship involving whatever instruments are available. I don't think God cares a bit which instruments we use to praise him with. The instrument He is concerned with is our heart.

Last Sunday morning, during one song, I started clapping softly, but visibly from my place in the choir, and a minute later noticed that the pastor was clapping. Probably if the worship leader had suggested clapping, many would have joined in. When I was leading worship, I would sometimes ask at the end of a good song, that we give the Lord a thank offering by clapping. (We Baptists don't do any of the 8 ways to praise without someone suggesting it.)

My Daily Praise
I enjoy clapping as I sing praises, except when I am driving. My God is worth it!

My Daily Surrender
I confess that I am not comfortable with all 8 of the ways to praise, and some of them definitely wouldn't go over in my church, but the Bible is my standard, and if God's word says I should shout and dance, then I must be willing to try. God, I want my praise to be acceptable to you. So first, I must worship with a pure heart, and then I need to do that which makes me uncomfortable. Praise is to be a sacrifice, so help me get started.
Tom

[InHisName]

Central Passage

The line from Psalm 150 "let everything that has breath praise the Lord", is one of my favorites. In our chamber singers group in high school we did a song that had that line in a different translation (and I went to a secular school!) So that line has stuck with me...it's what I use for my signature. It was interesting, too, all of the instruments. Once our church did an all acoustic set for worship time and one of the percussionists sat on some kind of box and played percussion on it! It had a name...don't remember what it was but it was neat to see. And the shofar is blown before each Wed. service-might be a bit different in reason but it gives me chills nonetheless.

Daily Praise

It's 1040pm and my girls are sleeping so I can't be too loud. But there are times when we (the girls and I, and sometimes my hubby) sing and clap and dance. Not always to the Lord, but when we do, it's so much easier to be free with small children. That's their natural state, after all, loud, clapping, dancing, full of vinegar. They know no inhibitions. Everything they do, they do to the full, which is what I need to do, too, when praising the Lord of all creation.

Daily Confession

It was nice to hear other posters admit that they are not quite comfortable with all aspects of praise. Unless there was a very strong move of the Holy Spirit I believe I would be looked on as somewhat odd if I did something even as simple as clapping at an "inappropriate" time. I guess it's because there are those that are not saved or are spiritually young in our gatherings, but it might be possible that I can be an example to them. It's a matter of prayer, and being turned to His voice...

[bkwestman]

1. Central Passage
- Psalm 150 is one of my favorites! I've used it so many times, but to be honest, I've never really thought of that last verse, "Let everything that has breath praise the Lord" in the way that Dwayne described it. But, I like how he points out that it's the person, the one with breath, that praises the Lord, and the instrument is just a tool. I'm not sure what your perspective is on instrumental solos in a worship service, but even using that interpretation of that verse, it makes sense that an electric guitar solo in a song would be the way that player is praising the Lord. We have an excellent electric guitar player, and whenever we give him a chance to take the solo part on an instrumental section of a song, it's so obvious that he's using his tool, the guitar, to praise the Lord!

I love to praise the Lord with clapping. Incorporating that into the worship service has been a teaching tool, though, as well. I always love to watch the congregation clap along as we play. You see some who just cannot stay on the beat for anything, but they're clapping away - praising the Lord! I love it! Clapping at the end of a song can easily be mistaken for the congregation praising the band, or the singers. That's when it's our responsibility as worship leaders, to direct the applause, and even join in the applause and direct people's applause upward.

2. My Daily Praise
- Had a great time of praise with singing and clapping to the Lord!

3. My Daily Surrender
- Lord, you know which of these 8 ways to praise are more comfortable and less comfortable for me. Some are easy, and some will take time. But, I pray, Lord, that you would give me a willing spirit to obey your commands in Scripture regarding these 8 ways to praise. Thank you, Lord, that these are not just man's ways and ideas of how to praise You, but these are Your desires and ways that You want us to use. Thank you, Lord!