Blessing – Page 22 – Prince Chimaobim

RENDER ACCEPTABLE PRAISE (2): BY LIVING WITH A JOYFUL HEART

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Monday September 26, 2022

RENDER ACCEPTABLE PRAISE (2): BY LIVING WITH A JOYFUL HEART

Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms.
James 5:13 (KJV)

What makes praise melodious or noise to Yahweh is the heart from where it is emanating. II Chronicles 16:9 says that the eyes of the LORD runs to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. A king Amaziah did what was right but not with a perfect heart, so what he did was discounted (see II Chronicles 25:2). It is only praise that comes from a merry heart that is satisfactory. You are not qualified to sing until your heart is merry. Until you are full of joy or showing high-spirited playfulness, you are not qualified to sing. If you have followed the devotional from first of November, you would have seen that real praise can only be done from a joyful, grateful heart. It goes most times with demonstrations, like Yadah, would require you to throw your hands up in adoration; halal will require you to praise with reckless abandon and be clamorously foolish in both your eyes and that of others. You can never do those things, if you are depressed or moody. The foundation and requirement for acceptable praise is a joyful grateful heart. Until that is in place, it is noise that you are making before the Lord. You can sing without actually praising Yahweh. Many people sing for different reasons and with different motives in their hearts, which make their songs of no effect.

RENDER ACCEPTABLE PRAISE (1): BY LIVING IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH

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Sunday September 25, 2022

RENDER ACCEPTABLE PRAISE (1): BY LIVING IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH

God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
John 4.24 (KJV)

For praise to be acceptable, it must be offered by the living. The dead cannot praise Yahweh. ‘The living, the living, he shall praise thee, as I do this day: the father to the children shall make known thy truth.’ (Isaiah 38:19). But then there is a problem. Yahweh told Adam in Genesis 2:17, ‘for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.’ Guess what? Adam actually ate that fruit and died. From that day, humanity ceases to be qualified to praise Yahweh because only the living can praise Yahweh. Man died and became separated from Yahweh. Goodnews! Yahushua came, died, was buried, rose on the third day and ascended to heaven where He is interceding for us now. If anyone surrenders to Yahushua HaMashiach he/she is quickened by the Spirit of HaMashiach and recreated. This experience we call being ‘born again’ is the only way man can be alive towards Yahweh and therefore, qualified to praise Him. Until you are quickened back to life and recreated by the Holy Spirit, you cannot praise Yahweh; you are dead in trespasses (see Ephesian 2:1-4). Why do you need Yahushua HaMashiach? The problem is not just the act of sin, but the nature of sin. Even if you claim that you have not sinned, you are still dead in sin because you inherited the nature of sin from Adam. When the Spirit of HaMashiach recreates you, you come alive with a new nature of righteousness not because of what you have done but because of the price Yahushua HaMashiach paid for sin.

OBSTACLES TO ACCEPTABLE PRAISE (6): NEGATIVE PAST

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Saturday September 24, 2022

OBSTACLES TO ACCEPTABLE PRAISE (6): NEGATIVE PAST

Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old.

Isaiah 43:18 (KJV)

Negative past talks about events in your past that when you remember them, you are full of hurt, resentment, hate, vengeful, bitter and depressed. The habit of looking back at past failures is an enemy of praise. You can’t live a life of praise until you let go of the negative past. For instance, if you are driving a car forward, and rather than facing your front, you concentrate on looking backward, you know of course that you are heading for a ghastly motor accident. Lay all the troubles of the past to rest! If you have lost anything, He is the reason why you have not lost everything. You can’t praise Him with burdens. Looking at your negative past all the time will make things negative in your life. Let them go! The Bible says anyone who puts his hand on the plough and looks back, is not worthy of the kingdom (see Luke. 9:62). That means he is not fit for the blessings of the kingdom.

OBSTACLES TO ACCEPTABLE PRAISE (5): SORROW

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Friday September 23, 2022

OBSTACLES TO ACCEPTABLE PRAISE (5): SORROW

A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.
Proverbs 15:13 (KJV)

Whatever breaks your spirit-man breaks your praise. Sorrow is an enemy of praise, and whatsoever stops your praise is an enemy of your destiny. Praises in the mouth of an unhappy man are like songs in the mouth of a pig; it’s a nuisance in the ears of Yahweh. Sorrow does not only break the spirit, it also blocks your access to Yahweh. Many ailments people suffer today are as a result of sorrow of heart. When your heart is broken, your body will soon fall apart. Your physical body is in danger at the instance of prolonged sorrow of heart (depression). There are two basic causes of sorrow in the lives of people:

1. Hopelessness: Hopelessness is a major source of sorrow. When you become hopeless on any issue, sorrow is the reward you get, it is the prize for hopelessness.

OBSTACLES TO ACCEPTABLE PRAISE (4): HIGH-MINDEDNESS

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Thursday September 22, 2022

OBSTACLES TO ACCEPTABLE PRAISE (4): HIGH-MINDEDNESS

Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:
Romans 11:20 (KJV)

Highmindedness is one of the greatest enemies of praise. It is a condition where an individual sees everything as below his expectation. He sees himself as too much for where he is and hardly appreciates the acts of Yahweh in his life. As a matter of fact, Yahweh is too slow for him. This is nothing but a device of the enemy to turn one against Yahweh, by portraying Him as unfaithful and slow. The Bible says that in the last days, men shall be high-minded, lovers of pleasures and of self more than lovers of Yahweh (see 2 Timothy.3:2-5). They are never satisfied and they celebrate their qualifications and expertise at the expense of their relationship with Yahweh. At the end of the day, Yahweh leaves them to themselves. But 1 Timothy 6:17 says, ‘Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy.‘ Life is in phases! Until you accept the reality of that statement, you may be phased out. You must appreciate the fact that you are where you are now, by the faithfulness of Yahweh. So, whatever you possess is not as a result of your expertise, but the hand of Yahweh upon your life.

OBSTACLES TO ACCEPTABLE PRAISE (2): COVETOUSNESS

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Tuesday September 20, 2022

OBSTACLES TO ACCEPTABLE PRAISE (2): COVETOUSNESS

And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
Luke 12:15 (KJV)

Covetousness is an attitude marked by inordinate desire for wealth or possessions or for another’s possessions. It is showing extreme cupidity (extreme greed for material wealth); painfully desirous of another’s advantages. Another obstacle to a life of praise is covetousness. Nothing is ever enough for the covetous. People are running helter-skelter daily, because they are under the plague of covetousness. Oh yes, it is a plague which wipes smiles off its victim’s face. The worth of a man is not in what he possesses. But what is the cure for covetousness? 1 Timothy 6:6-8 says, ‘But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment, let us be therewith content.’ Contentment is the answer to covetousness. The Holy Spirit makes us understand that everybody has what it takes to be contented. He said, “And having food and raiment, let us be therewith content.” Note that it says, “having food”, not “foods”; “and raiment”, not “raiments.” Godliness with contentment is great gain. That means contentment is your open door to great gains in life. Why? With contentment, you maintain a praiseful lifestyle, which would bring you outstanding liftings. It is impossible to maintain joy where contentment is absent.

AWESOMENESS OF PRAISE (9): SUPERNATURAL LIFTING

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Saturday September 17, 2022

AWESOMENESS OF PRAISE (9): SUPERNATURAL LIFTING

1 Praise ye the Lord. Praise, O ye servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord. 7 He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill;
Psalms 113:1, 7 (KJV)

There is a lifting up; a raising up when praise goes up to the Lord. Psalms 134:2 says, ‘Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the LORD.’ The lifting up of the hands in praise is very symbolic. Just like a child when his father arrives from work or journey, is overjoyed to see him and runs to him, lifting up his/her hands gives the father an opportunity to lift the child up; lifting up our hands in praise is giving the Lord the opportunity to raise us up and that is exactly what our opening text is saying. As you praise the Lord, He lifts and raises you from any place that makes your life uncomfortable. Not just that, He places you in places that is humanly unimaginable, among the nobles of the earth (see Psalms 113:8). Psalms 141:2 says something striking, ‘Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.’ The lifting up of our hands in praise is as the evening sacrifice which produces sweet savour to the Lord, who in turn lifts you and places you where the mind of man cannot imagine. Yadah is praising Yahweh with extended hands in adoration. When you yadah the Lord, you give Him the opportunity to turn you into a wonder in your world. Sometimes, the lifting can be instant, other times, it can be in the process of time, you discover you are way beyond whatever efforts, connection and perspiration can achieve. Praising the Lord engenders a supernatural raise in life.

AWESOMENESS OF PRAISE (8): YAHWEH TAKES OVER YOUR BATTLES

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Friday September 16, 2022

AWESOMENESS OF PRAISE (8): YAHWEH TAKES OVER YOUR BATTLES

Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you, …
2 Chronicles 20:17 (KJV)

‘You shall not need to fight in this battle.’ That is Yahweh taking over the battle from your hands. Praise is like tapping Yahweh to take over the battle while you step out of the ring and watch. That is how we emerge more than conquerors. We don’t fight, but we always win. Yahweh fights for us because in praise we hand over the battle to Him. In Second Chronicles 20, three kings came up against Judah. Three great armies with great multitude came against Jehoshaphat. King Jehoshaphat turned to the Lord and sought the Lord with prayer and fasting, then Yahweh told them that the battle is not theirs but His. How did they hand that battle over to the Lord? They set themselves to sing and praise the Lord. That is how to hand your battle over to the Lord, thank Him, sing and celebrate Him. It doesn’t matter who is against you, the battle is the Lord’s and you know if Yahweh is fighting for you, you have already won. You are more than a conqueror in HaMashiach (see Romans 8:37). All you need is to allow Yahweh to take over your battles and that is only possible in praise. Whatever cannot stand Yahweh cannot stand praise. That is the reason the greatest battles in your life will always bow to praise. When you become ‘a lion of praise’ roaring loud and clear from your heart to the Lord, you cannot be stopped. When you become valiant in praise, you become more than a conqueror in life.

AWESOMENESS OF PRAISE (7): SECURED/PRESERVED BLESSING

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Thursday September 15, 2022

AWESOMENESS OF PRAISE (7): SECURED/PRESERVED BLESSING

I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.
Ecclesiastes 3:14 (KJV)

The blessings some people enjoy are not sustained forever because they do not know how to preserve them. Praise is the secret for preserving our blessings. Yahweh said in Malachi 2:2: ‘If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart, to give glory unto my name, saith the Lord of hosts, I will even send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings: yea, I have cursed them already, because ye do not lay it to heart.’ Psalm 50:23 also says, “Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me…” Giving glory to Yahweh is the covenant device for the preservation of blessings. Yahweh expects you to give Him glory for His hand on your life; when you don’t, He is compelled to curse that blessing or withdraw it. When you hit a jackpot in business or you are singled out among a thousand people for honour, don’t kiss your hand and congratulate yourself as an intelligent, energetic and unbeatable person. Give Yahweh the glory, because without Him you can do nothing.

AWESOMENESS OF PRAISE (6): MIRACLE-FILLED EXISTENCE

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Wednesday September 14, 2022

AWESOMENESS OF PRAISE (6): MIRACLE-FILLED EXISTENCE

1 Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. 7 He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel.
Psalms 103:1,7 (KJV)

Firstly, let us understand that to ‘bless the Lord’ means to thank Him. In 1 Corinthians 14:16, the word says, ‘Else when thou shalt bless with the spirit, how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say Amen at thy giving of thanks, seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest?’ Here to ‘bless with the spirit’ was equated with at your ‘giving of thanks’. So, how do we bless the Lord? By giving Him thanks and with our opening verse by kneeling before Him (Barak). When we give Yahweh thanks, it unleashes His acts. It secures existence in the realm of the miraculous as a lifestyle. When you let praise happen, Yahweh makes known His ways to you, giving you direction. Most of the time, He speaks to you in the heat of praise; then His acts (diverse miracles) take place. Your surest access to miracles is knowing what to do to have them. There is a gift o