devotional – Page 34 – Prince Chimaobim

OBSTACLES TO ACCEPTABLE PRAISE (1): THE SPIRIT OF HEAVINESS

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Monday June 19, 2023

OBSTACLES TO ACCEPTABLE PRAISE (1): THE SPIRIT OF HEAVINESS

Reproach hath broken my heart; and I am full of heaviness: and I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none.
Psalms 69:20 (KJV)

The spirit of heaviness is an enemy of praise. It is not a state of the mind, neither is it an attitude. It is a spirit – a force in the realm of the unseen. Its victim is not down because of any negative thing that has happened to him; he is depressed most times without even knowing why! He wonders what life is all about. I believe that was the spirit that came upon Elijah when he fled from Jezebel. He said, “… It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.” (1 Kings 19:4.). Until the spirit of heaviness goes, praise, which is your guarantee to the high places in life, cannot flow. But Isaiah 61:1,3 says, ‘The spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to… appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness…’

DIVIDENDS OF PRAISE (10): DESTRUCTION OF PRIDE

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Sunday June 18, 2023

DIVIDENDS OF PRAISE (10): DESTRUCTION OF PRIDE

And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost.
Acts 12:23 (KJV)

Pride is a trap of the enemy; it has destroyed many destinies. Most unusual liftings lead to pride; but the answer to pride is praise. If you must escape the trap of pride, then you must understand the mystery of praise. A personal life style of continuous praise is able to destroy the poison of pride. Worms ate up Herod because he did not give Yahweh the glory. That means that if he had given Yahweh the glory, he would have been preserved. That means that giving Yahweh the glory, kills pride. If you want pride to be eliminated from your life, then you must learn to promptly and honestly return the glory back to Yahweh. Pride is real and it goes before destruction (see Proverbs 16:18). Whenever pride appears, the next thing that you will see is shame (see Proverbs 11:2). So destroying pride must be the goal of everyone that wants to go far with Yahweh. With pride you don’t need the devil to attend to your case, it is Yahweh Himself that will destroy you because He resists the proud (see 1 Peter 5:5). There was a man called Ahithophel. He was David’s counsellor. When he gave counsel, it was like hearing from Yahweh. But he saw this as a personal achievement and became puffed up. So, when his counsel was rejected, he hanged himself (see 2 Samuel.17:23). He was cut down because of pride. Remember also the story of the rich fool? He said, “I have made enough wealth, I will pull down these barns, I will build bigger ones, and I will say to my soul…” (Luke. 12:16-19). He was too full of himself, thinking that his rich harvest was as a result of his expertise. But Yahweh said to him in verse 20 ‘…Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?’ Pride cut him down!

DIVIDENDS OF PRAISE (9): SUPERNATURAL LIFTING

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Saturday June 17, 2023

DIVIDENDS 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.

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

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Friday June 16, 2023

DIVIDENDS 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.

DIVIDENDS OF PRAISE (5): RELEASE OF UNCTION

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Tuesday June 13, 2023

DIVIDENDS OF PRAISE (5): RELEASE OF UNCTION

1 It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High: 10 But my horn shalt thou exalt like the horn of an unicorn: I shall be anointed with fresh oil.
Psalms 92:1, 10 (KJV)

Unction talks about the power of Yahweh to perform His will on earth. Purpose is the will of Yahweh concerning your life, your career, family and church. Anything that concerns Yahweh requires His unction for execution. To walk in prosperity as a child of Yahweh, you require unction. To function in the gifts of the Holy Spirit as seen in 1 Corinthians 12, you need the unction of the Holy Spirit. That power upon you helps you to enforce the will of Yahweh even in the face of satanic opposition. Until you are in praise, you cannot access fresh oil. There is a flow of fresh anointing in praise which ultimately engenders the fulfillment of divine agenda for your life and world. When you give thanks and sing praises from the heart to the Lord, there is a release of fresh anointing from His presence that comes upon you. When you are not in praise, you are not in Yahweh. The moment Yahweh is not for you, He can’t help you. When you are in praise, you are in Yahweh, and consequently in power. You are not just in power, but in unlimited power!

DIVIDENDS OF PRAISE (4): YAHWEH’S MANIFEST PRESENCE

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Monday June 12, 2023

DIVIDENDS OF PRAISE (4): YAHWEH’S MANIFEST PRESENCE

It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of musick, and praised the Lord, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the Lord;
II Chronicles 5:13 (KJV)

Praise is the vehicle that conveys anyone into Yahweh’s presence. Yahweh inhabits the praise of His people (see Psalms 22:3). Whenever anyone wants to experience God’s presence, all that is required is to enter with thanksgiving and go on with singing praises to the Lord from the heart, then His presence is provoked. When Yahweh arrives what happens?

1. Everything holding you quakes out. There is earthquake when Yahweh arrives at the scene. Paul and Silas were thrown into the prison for preaching the gospel but at midnight, they praised Yahweh. As Yahweh visited the prison to inhabit their praise, there was great earthquake so that the foundation of the prison was shaken (see Acts 16:25-26). Praise builds a house for the presence of the Lord and when He arrives, whatever is harassing your life must be shaken out by fire. That is the wonder of praise. It has the capacity to bring Yahweh on the scene who in turn sets you free from every harassment of the enemy.

DIVIDENDS OF PRAISE (3): A HURT-FREE ZONE OF LIFE

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Sunday June 11, 2023

DIVIDENDS OF PRAISE (3): A HURT-FREE ZONE OF LIFE

Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.
Psalms 16:11 (KJV)

II Peter 3:13 (KJV) says, ‘And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good?’ It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord (see Psalms 92:1) and when you align yourself with that which is good, you enter into a hurt-free zone of life. You become unharmable, untouchable, unmolestible, unconquerable, indomitable and unsubduable. Praise is a good thing. Praise is comely (see Psalms 33:1). Why does praise secure and usher one into a hurt-free zone of life? Firstly, II Peter 3:13 answers that. Praise is a good thing and no one can harm you if you are a follower and doer of that which is good. Embedded in that which is good is security that covers every practitioner. Secondly, praise is the habitat of Yahweh. Divine presence is realised in praise and when Yahweh comes down, nothing that hurts can remain around. The presence of Yahweh has the mountains skipping like rams and the hills like lambs. The earth literally trembles at the presence of the God of Jacob (see Psalms 114:7). Can you imagine what opposition against your life and destiny that can stand that majestic presence of Yahweh? Can you imagine whatever brings hurt and pain that can stand before the presence of Yahweh? That presence turns the rock into a standing water. That is no matter how hard your situation seems to be, at the presence of Yahweh, there is a supernatural intervention turning obstacles into testimonies.

DIVIDENDS OF PRAISE (2): UPWARD AND FORWARD EXISTENCE

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Saturday June 10, 2023

DIVIDENDS OF PRAISE (2): UPWARD AND FORWARD EXISTENCE

Now these be the last words of David. David the son of Jesse said, and the man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel, said,
II Samuel 23:1 (KJV)

“The words of the man who was raised up on high.” Praise ensures existence in upward and forward living. You never know a better yesterday. Your paths are like the shining light, that shines more and more unto the perfect day (see Proverbs 4:18). While others say that there is a casting down, you are always on the mountain top shouting there is a lifting up (see Job 22:29), and they are wondering at the wonders that are oozing forth from your life. Praise establishes one on the upward and forward life. That was the secret of David who at the end of his journey on earth made the statement we read in our opening text. When you are praise-full, you enjoy being raised. Yahweh designed praise for your supernatural lifting, but how much light you have on it determines how much raise you enjoy by it. No Christian will ever be at his best without an understanding of praise. Psalm 92:1,12 says, ‘It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High: The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.’ “…He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon”, that talks about you being outstanding. The cedar tree grows far above all other trees. In verse 14, God says you will not only be outstanding for a season, but you will also bring forth fruit in old age! That means you will keep producing results, until when you leave this earth.

DIVIDENDS OF PRAISE (1): PROVOKES/PROCURES HARVESTS

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Friday June 9, 2023

DIVIDENDS OF PRAISE (1): PROVOKES/PROCURES HARVESTS

5 Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee. 6 Then shall the earth yield her increase; and God, even our own God, shall bless us. 7 God shall bless us; and all the ends of the earth shall fear him.
Psalms 67:5-7 [KJV]

Praise provokes the release of your harvest. Even when you are a cheerful and consistent giver, you still need praise to turn your seed into harvest. When you praise Yahweh, His blessings upon your life become inexhaustible. No matter what you do in the kingdom of Yahweh, until you have praised Him, you cannot be fruitful. Behind every prosperous life is the mystery of praise. This is because praise effectively waters the seeds you sow – your services and offerings in the kingdom. David was a mighty seed sower and was also a praising king. As a result, he became a mighty man on the earth! The more you praise Him, the more meaningful your life becomes! The quality of your life is determined by the quality of your praise. Let’s give it to Him! I’d like you to know this: Yahweh owes you nothing, for He has done all things well. Rather, you owe Him praise. And as you praise Him, you won’t need to struggle for your needs to be met any more; they will be met of their own accord. Remember that the presence of Yahweh is the environment that man was created to live in and for his life to produce fruits and harvests, he must continue to exist in the presence of Yahweh. What the soil is to the plant is what the presence of Yahweh is to the life of man. Without the presence of Yahweh we wither and die.

EDEN: THE ENVIRONMENT OF YAHWEH’S PRESENCE

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Thursday June 8, 2023

EDEN: THE ENVIRONMENT OF YAHWEH’S PRESENCE

And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.
Genesis 2:8 [KJV]

Eden in Hebrew means pleasure; delicate, delight. Yahweh planted a garden in Eden and there He put the man whom He had formed. When Yahweh wanted to make man, He spoke to Himself, ‘let us make man in our image, after our likeness’ (Genesis 1:26). Us here is the trinity, Yahweh, the Father, Son and Spirit. When Yahweh wanted to make the plants, he spoke to the ground (see Genesis 1:24-25). So for the plants to survive, it has to stay on the ground and connected to the ground. Whenever you remove the plant or disconnect it from the ground, death results. This is the principle of creation. Everything that is created must be connected to the environment that produced it to survive and live. Death occurs when creation is disconnected from its environment of creation. Yahweh spoke to the water to bring forth the fish. So the environment of the creation of the fish is the water. If the fish must live, it must be connected to the environment of its creation. This is a principle of creation that cannot be violated. Yahweh spoke to Himself to create the man, so Yahweh is the environment of man’s creation. Yahweh is a spirit. So for man to be in Yahweh’s image and likeness, he must of necessity be a spirit. Man is a spirit that has a soul and lives in a body. The physical body of man was made out of the ground. The soul of man came by the breathe of Yahweh. The breathe of Yahweh is the Spirit of Yahweh. The Spirit of Yahweh when it was imparted to the man activated the soul of man which comprise of the will, the mind and the emotions. So Yahweh made man and placed Him in Eden, the place of His presence. Eden is a place of delight where Yahweh’s presence created a climate of pleasantness for the man.