Read Psalm 34:1-3
"I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth" (v. 1). That verse is much easier to read than it is to practice. How can we praise the Lord at all times? Sometimes it's difficult to praise Him. Sometimes we are weak, and our bodies hurt or circumstances are difficult. Sometimes we must helplessly watch people we love go through hard times.
If we are to praise the Lord at all times, then praise must be important. Notice the results that come when we truly praise the Lord continually. Praise sanctifies our lives at all times. It sanctifies us when we're in the dentist's chair or when we are standing by an open grave. The Lord Jesus sang before He went to Calvary. "And when they [Jesus and His disciples] had sung a hymn, they went out" (Matt. 26:30). Paul and Silas praised the Lord in prison when their bodies hurt (Acts 16:25).
Praise also unifies God's people. One thing we can all do together is praise the Lord. We may not always agree on the sermon, but we can agree on the hymnbook. That's why there will be so much singing and praising in heaven.
Finally, praise magnifies the Lord. That's why we should do it at all times. Anybody can praise the Lord when things are going well. But it's during the "furnace experiences" that praise really magnifies the Lord.
Let praise sanctify your life, unify your fellowship and magnify the Lord.
Is praising God part of your Christian experience? Praise Him always, for praise is a necessary part of the life of faith.
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