"Understanding The Effects Of Praise"
Introduction To The Bible Study
It is important that we as believers understand the necessity of establishing a lifestyle of praise. Satan wants us to stay focused on our problems however, when we give praise to God in every situation, we defeat the enemies scare tactics and therefore are able to win these spiritual battles that are waged within our minds.
There is always something we can find to worry about, but there is always something we can also find to be thankful to God for! Whatever we think about the most determines the direction of our lives. We can either give God praise for the things that He is doing in our lives (even in the midst of what we are going through) or, we can murmur and complain because it appears that we cannot see our way out. Which direction will you choose?
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A. The Three Benefits Of Praise
1. Praise builds your faith.
2. Praise defeats the devil
3. Praise ministers to God.
B. When We Praise And Worship God, We Shift Our Thinking To His Promises And Away From Our Problems
* Proverbs 23:7 AMP. "For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. As one who reckons, he says to you, eat and drink, yet his heart is not with you (but is grudging the cost)."
1. Our thoughts determine the course of our life.
a. Our life will go in the direction of whatever we think about the most.
b. Satan attacks the mind, but praise will stop him in his tracks!
c. When we are going through trials, it is imperative that we praise God even more!
* Colossians 2:6-7 AMP. "As you have therefore received Christ, (even) Jesus the Lord, (so) walk (regulate your lives and conduct yourselves) in union with and conformity to Him. Having the roots (of your being) firmly and deeply planted (in Him, fixed and founded in Him), being continually built up in Him, becoming increasingly more confirmed and established in the faith, just as you were taught, and abounding and overflowing in it with thanksgiving."
* Psalm 34:1 AMP. "I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth."
d. Our lifestyle of praise and thanksgiving increases our faith.
C. The Amount Of Time We Spend Praising God Demonstrates Where We Are In Our Relationship With Him.
1. As Christians, our praise should be the driving force of our lives. Our lifestyle of praise should set us apart from worldly people and the world.
a. Praise will change our circumstances and restore whatever we have lost.
b. We should be so filled with praise that is spills over into the lives of others, causing others to praise God with us!
c. Satan wants our praise; he wants us to focus on the negative things, which is why he is always attacking our minds with negative thoughts. When we surrender to these negative thoughts and start to murmur and complain, we are literally surrendering our praise to Satan.
d. We constantly fight a spiritual battle within our minds. Meditation on The Promises of God through praise will give us the victory in every spiritual battle!
e. There is always something to praise God about. We must guard ourselves against murmuring and complaining.
f. Murmuring and complaining will cause a person to focus only on the negative things in life.
g. This is why maintaining an attitude of praise is so vital to success in the life of a Christian.
Scripture Reference
Proverbs 23:7 AMP.
Colossians 2:6-7 AMP.
Psalm 34:7 AMP.
* Notes from: Dr. Creflo Dollar, Life Changing Church International
