In the past two sessions, we have seen how God is worthy of praise. Emphasizing the fact that praise is not a religious act but a demonstration of our affection and honor to God. We saw that, even if we don’t have any special thing happen on us for the day, God deserves our full gear praise for who He is and what He has already done and would possibly do based on His righteousness.

We encourage you to meditate on the following scriptures that reaffirm to our soul and inner most being that God is worthy of praise regardless of what is going on within and around us before we discuss some of the stumbling blocks that hinder our sense of praise in persistent way:

• "For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods" (Psalm 96:4).

• "Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom" (Psalm 145:3).

• "I call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies" (2 Samuel 22:4).

• "You are worthy, our LORD and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being" (Revelation 4:11).

We find the Bible as saying that God inhabits in the praises of His people (Psalms 22:3). That means, praise sets the atmosphere of dwelling for the Most High. You can imagine what is going to happen when He dwells! We also know that God’s power and might are unleashed through praise and worship. David- our hero about praise- said: "Be exalted, O LORD, in your strength; we will sing and praise your might." (Psalm 21: 13) Therefore, if our desire is God to dwell in our life and in the midst of us, we should maintain an atmosphere of praise and anything less than that is a roadblock to enjoy the utmost sequel of having Him in our midst. If we expect to His indefinite and mighty power exercised in our favor, we should exalt His name. Anything short of praising and exalting Him, whatever you may call such a situation or circumstance; it is a barrier and should be bulldozed.

There are many stumbling blocks that are the creations of ourselves either out of ignorance or misinformation or misunderstandings. Most importantly, there are deep rooted religious mentalities and/or cultural/traditional believes that have been denying us from enjoying the life of praise to its full. In this session, we will try to bulldoze some of the barriers, and enter into our inheritance as the Israelites entered into their inheritance- Jericho- without labor and sweating but by just praising Him. We will praise, regardless of where we are in terms of human measure like Paul and his prison partner Silas, to watch in our very eyes the shattering down of things that have constrained our progress.

Among many awkward reasons why we are not standing before God to praise Him on daily basis and enjoy His power, love, and compassion is the attitude that praise is for some who are ministers, choirs, who have the gift of singing and who are endowed with smooth throat, those who are rich, healthy or those who got something special from God, those who are king like David and the list continues. The Bible doesn’t exempt any one from praising as far as he is breathing. "Let everything that has breathes praise the LORD. Praise the LORD," states Psalm 150:6. We all breathe as far as we are on earth; praise is our act of proof that we live. Of course, the duty is exponential when it comes to us who are His servants- Christians, who are called to be priests of His Kingdom: "Praise the LORD, all you servants of the LORD who minister by night in the house of the LORD. Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the LORD" (Psalm 134:1-2). Therefore, no one is exceptional, whether a believer or not, to praise God as far as he is in taking the unpaid oxygen.

Another roadblock to have a life of praise is the feeling of condemnation; the feeling of unworthiness. While we are feeling condemned, we cannot expect ourselves to praise Him. While we are hesitant on whether He accepts our praise and while we are still uncertain about whether the whole of His Angels and Hosts dwell as we lift up His Holy Name and recount His mercy, love, gifts, and compassions, there is no appropriate praise and worship that amounts to the class of the Most High. We may still feel condemned and unworthy and praise but it takes quality sacrifice of praise to provoke the intervention of the Most High and His army. It is a futile attempt to think that God who searches the heart accepts and consumes sacrifice of praise that doesn’t come from a ‘pure’ and full of gratitude heart.

In most cases, we don’t present a gift to someone we think doesn’t deserve. We may not also feel comfortable to do so for people whom we think we are unworthy to give one. But once we determine to give while hesitant, someone can tell it by just seeing how we present the gift. It is pretty easy to figure out whether you are enjoying doing so or you are just doing it superficially. In most cases, recipients are more interested on our emotion and the way we present it than the amount of it. The ways we present a gift to someone equals and even sometimes overtakes the value of the gift itself. On earth and in the world filled with hypocrisy and short of perfection, we want to make sure, if we revere and respect the recipient of our gift that our present stands of good quality. It must be wrapped up with excellent cover that appeals for the sense of the prospect recipient. We must show lots of gesture and bright countenance to add up more than the actual worth of our main gift.

Will you be excited to open a gift presented with unpleasant face or from a person whose approach shows you that he is not sure whether you would love his gift? If that is the case down here and among us, what about the Divine recipient of praise who dwells in heavenly and perfect places? Can we, while down, fearful, condemned, and at the same time offer praise to the King and draw His attention while He enjoys heavenly praises every fraction of seconds, all day long, and from holy creatures? Can we compete with these heavenly choirs and lure the LORD to leave theirs and dwell among our praise while we are in such attitude and mood? Think about it!

David was well aware of how his Father was delighted on him. David said, "He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he DELIGHTED in me." (Psalms 18: 19) I can imagine how David approached God when he praised and worshiped Him. I sympathize now how he made the heavenly hosts jealous when they had been seeing the Most High turned His face to accept the sacrifices of praise each time David, just a mere man who was far from perfection, offered sweet smelling flavor praise down here from the earth. David knew that he was not always perfect but believed that God was delighted in him and rewarded him of His attention because he was found righteous (Psalms 18: 20). David did not trust by his ability to be righteous but in God who could: "He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake." (Psalm 23: 3) He was humble enough to ask God to guide Him in His paths: "Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long." (Psalm 25: 4 - 5)

David also knew that God is pleasant and good who was not in the business of pursuing those whom He punish and curse: "Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good; sing praise to his name" (Psalm 135:3). We should believe that He is good and not interested to condemn us. But that doesn't mean that He loves sin and encourages those who do sin but rather than condemning, He guides them into His ways: "Good and upright is the LORD; therefore he instructs sinners in his ways." (Psalm 25: 8) He paid the highest price to free us from feeling rejected, condemned, and went long way to ignore our transgression at the point where He won’t bring it against us because His beauty, power, and right hand-Jesus was the price. As far as we are in Christ, there is no condemnation at all: "There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus and walk not after the dictates of the flesh, but after the dictates of the Spirit" (Romans 8:1).

To offer sweet smelling praise, we have to first come to the point where we acknowledge what God has done in favor by feeling we are righteous in Christ and clean as far as we are washed with the Blood of Jesus. Since Christ, the High Priest, stands at the right Hand of God, we have a reason to approach His Throne boldly and in confidence to offer our praise to the One who is always worthy (Hebrews 4: 16). Even if we loss everything we have had, feel life is not fair, and swimming against the tide, we should not forget the priceless and incalculable gift God offered for our redemption, Jesus Christ. That alone should be the reason to remain praiseful in the rest of our life because He demonstrated unwavering Holiness and Faithfulness to maintain His covenants to our forefathers. He gave us another chance, through acknowledging His greatest offer of pardon by accepting Christ as a savior, to dwell in His presence in the heavenly places filled with continual praise and worship throughout eternity.

Another roadblock is the mentality of praising God with a sense of bribing Him. Any gift, even in human senses, giving under the expectation of something back in return is no more a gift of love or respect but a bribe. Let alone the most Holy, Principled, and Righteous King who has everything and remains Alpha and Omega without any say from any of His creations and who lives in eternity as rich and glamorous without the addition of whatever possessions they might have, a principled mortal man won’t accept bribe.

The other issue is the feeling of abandonee. We may ask something and we don’t get it to assume that delay is denial. We might be inflicted with our enemies and felt we are left ignored like orphans. We might still be in sickness, debt, bareness, and warfare, and so on where we might be tempted to refrain from praising God while we are in these kind of setbacks and the likes. We might even feel God sided with our enemies and question His Holiness and trustworthiness. While we are in the doubt of God’s integrity, it is obvious we may not enter into His Holiest places to adore, exalt, and reassure Him that He is still in control of everything and whatever happens is for our good and He won’t fail to disappoint us in the end. David felt it when he said "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning?" (Psalm 22: 1)

The above setback never prompted David to fail short of praise because God is Holy and righteous one. He never questioned the integrity of God. While he was in that troublesome situation and groaning, he adored the Mighty and Holy one when he said "Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the praise of Israel." (Psalm 22: 3) David rather used his praise as a bargain to bring more praise to God if delivered. He promised to multiply the praise by referring to his people and the congregation how God is worthy of praise regardless of his circumstances. He didn’t want to judge God because of what was going on his life; rather, he recounted how faithful God was for his ancestors when he said, "In you our fathers put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them. They cried to you and were saved; in you they trusted and were not disappointed." (Psalm 22: 4-5)

David was not only fighting with his situation as thorn that tried to deny him of praising the worthiness of God but people mocked him and multiplied the reason he should not praise God. "All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads: He trusts in the LORD; let the LORD rescue him. Let Him deliver him, since he delights in him." (Psalm 22: 7 - 8) But for David it was not only God trustworthy for his ancestors but acknowledged Him as his God from the womb and told Him that there was no point to denounce God though he was in trouble and mocked. He made clear to God that he couldn’t come out of this trouble by his strength and there is no way to be offended and give his back against God because people made fun of him. He reduced himself as a worm and not a man.

What an outstanding integrity from a man who was in the midst of struggles but remained acknowledging the integrity of God regardless of the short term setbacks he was experiencing. Rather than feeling pity and murmur against God, David still envisioned praise once he was rescued. "Rescue me from the mouth of the lions; save me from the horns of the wild oxen. I will declare your name to my brothers; in the congregation I will praise you." (Psalm 22: 21- 22) He even didn’t wait till he was relieved from his distress to confess his vows, “You who fear the LORD, praise Him!....From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly; before those who fear you will I fulfill my vows." (Psalm 22: 23, 25)

This man left God with no option! Not only had he praised Him privately while he was still in his trouble but went to praise Him before the congregation. He was persistent! We have already read the blessings of God for David's unwavering integrity and persistent praise from the Bible. We also read how His Son Jesus too never turned back His face for those who press on even when the law didn’t favor some of the people out side of the covenant. We saw how Christ was surprised by the Samaritan lady who was persistent against His rejection for healing. We know how He finally gave her what she demanded regardless.

Let's bulldoze the barriers and be persistent in praising to enjoy its benefits! Remain tune to read the fourth part on the benefits of praiseful life and more.