When I was growing up I always strived to gain the praise of my parents and those around me. Like others I needed that acceptance and assurance, however, the last thing I wanted to do was to disappoint my parents. So whenever I was in choir, plays, or musicals I did my best and put my all into each performance. I loved music and loved being onstage. When I was in High School I had the privilege of getting the leading role in the musical “Oklahoma.” My parents were so excited and so proud, which made me feel awesome, that they told their parents and family. Well, both sets of my grandparents came out to the performance along with my aunts and uncles. We had a house full. It came time for the performance and I was nervous because I didn’t want to mess up my lines, a song, or have anything go wrong. Well, we did have some things go off the tracks, but we recovered and actually it made the program a little funny. I remember that during the big number of us singing “Oklahoma” I was singing my solo part. I was down in front of the stage walking across the stage singing my solo. When I got to the other side I saw my aunt and she raised her camera to take a picture. It was time for me to head back to the other side of the stage and she hadn’t gotten the picture yet. So I waited a little longer until she got the picture and then gave her a wink. I wanted to be center stage and have the praise that night. I got the affirmation that I was seeking.
Now before you judge me about seeking that praise and glory, let me ask you, how many of you wouldn’t want to be around praise? How many of you don’t seek the positive conversations? How many of you like to be criticized and told that you were awful? That you stink? That you didn’t do this right? That you didn’t do that right? You should’ve been here when you were there? You’re stupid? You’ll never amount to anything. You know God responds to our praise. That doesn’t mean that He doesn’t respond to our needs or hear our complaints because I believe He does. However, if we really want him to come into our lives and the night of our lives, you need to just start telling Him, “Your Wonderful. Your Majestic. I bless Your Name. I wouldn’t be able to go through this if You weren’t on my side. I thank You for being with me. I magnify You. Even if You don’t get me out. Even if You don’t fix it. It just helps me to know that You are there. Just to know that I can feel Your presence, just knowing that Your rod and Your staff they comfort me. Though the storms are raging in my life, just knowing that You’re the Shepherd of my life. I can deal with anybody, anytime, anywhere. I thank You. You brought me through yesterday. You brought me through back then. You brought me through over there. You brought me through over there. You brought me through over yonder.” I’m telling you that if you start talking to God like that, He’ll start coming your way. He says, “If you’re going to praise me I’m coming to where you are.” He inhabits the praises of His people. So if you are going through a night, the worst thing that you can do is sit up like a knot on a log looking pitiful. Like we said last time, it makes God go wash the car.
When you simply praise Him out of your heart, not when you go to church, but out of your heart it breaks the shackles off of you. The limitations diminish. All things become possible. Because when you praise Him you are saying, I still believe You. Come hell or high water, I still believe You.”
Now you can’t talk about praising the Lord at night without talking about Paul and Silas. You find their story in Acts 16:16. However, I want to focus on v. 25, Acts 16:25 (GW)
“Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God. The other prisoners were listening to them.” They were thrown in jail after taking a beating. Not just a whipping but a beating. Not many of us have ever taken a beating. They took a beating. This beating was to the point that you couldn’t recognize who they were. They took a beating and were thrown into prison. This wasn’t just any prison, especially not like what we know today. They were thrown into the inner prison. However, in the midnight hour Paul says, “Let’s have church. Let’s worship. Let’s praise God. Let’s sing songs to Him. Let’s tell Him who He is. Let’s tell Him how cool He is. Let’s tell Him that He’s awesome. Let’s thank Him for a place to sleep tonight. Let’s thank Him for a little the little bit of food that we get. Let’s thank Him for this solitude in which we are able to worship. Let’s thank Him for sparing our lives. Let’s thank Him for all the souls that have been won for the Kingdom. Let’s have church.” They started singing. They started praising God. They were getting warmed up and something amazing happened. An earthquake hit the place where they were. The prison doors opened up, their chains fell off and they had an opportunity to leave. However, this didn’t happen so they could leave. Not so that they could be free. Not so they could walk out. This happened so that God could get in. God wasn’t providing an escape route. He was coming in so He could inhabit the people that praise Him. He was coming into the midst of the problem to listen to the praise. He was opening court. He was being attracted to the praise.
Let me close with this, when you praise Him He comes in the midst. When you praise Him, He comes in, in a big way. When you praise Him, He shakes the place. When you praise Him, the shackles come off. When you praise Him there is new strength. When you praise Him joy returns. When you praise Him there is new power. When you praise Him there is new power. When you praise Him things happen. When you praise Him things change. When you praise Him, Heaven hears and the Lord is glorified. Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord. Let me encourage you to start shaking the prison church. No matter what happens in the election, no matter what happens in our country, no matter what happens in our neighborhoods, God is God and deserves our praise. Lift it up and watch Him inhabit your praise.
Pastor Rob
