8 Things That the Power of Praise Does in Your Life

1. Gets focus off of ourselves and back onto the Lord.

• We're prone to selfishness but we have to actively turn our attention back to Him.

Praise Him for His mighty acts; Praise Him according to His excellent greatness!

Psalms 150:2 NKJV

I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

Psalms 34:1 NKJV

2. Praise brings us to a place of humility.

• We admit that God has all control.

Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. For the Lord  is the great God, And the great King above all gods.

Psalms 95:2‭-‬3 NKJV

I will give You thanks in the great assembly; I will praise You among many people.

Psalms 35:18 NKJV

to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, that they might be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of Adonai , that He may be glorified.

Isaiah 61:3 TLV

https://bible.com/bible/314/isa.61.3.TLV

3. Praise makes the enemy flee.

• Pushes back the darkness.

• Light and darkness cannot coexist

• Jehoshaphat: As they began singing and praising, Adonai set ambushes against the children of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir who had come against Judah, and they were defeated. For the Ammonites and Moabites rose up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir to exterminate and annihilate them. When they had exterminated the inhabitants of Seir, they helped to destroy one another. When Judah came to the lookout in the wilderness and looked for the multitude, behold, only corpses were lying on the ground—no one had escaped. When Jehoshaphat and his people went to take the plunder, they found an abundance of goods, clothing and precious articles, which they pillaged, more than they could carry away. For three days they were taking the plunder because there was so much.

2 Chronicles 20:22‭-‬25 TLV

• Confuses the enemy

4. Praise leaves no room for complaining.

• The power of life and death are in the toung.

5. Praise makes room for God's blessings for our lives.

6. Praise invites his presence.

Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the one Israel praises.

Psalms 22:3 NIV

Bless Adonai , O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: He forgives all your iniquity. He heals all your diseases.

Psalms 103:2‭-‬3 TLV

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

1 Peter 2:9‭-‬10 NIV

7. Our spirits are refreshed and renewed.

You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Psalms 16:11 NKJV

https://bible.com/bible/114/psa.16.11.NKJV

8. Paves the way for miracles to happen

Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, My lips shall praise You. Thus I will bless You while I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name.

Psalms 63:3‭-‬4 NKJV

But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's chains were loosed. And the keeper of the prison, awaking from sleep and seeing the prison doors open, supposing the prisoners had fled, drew his sword and was about to kill himself. But Paul called with a loud voice, saying, "Do yourself no harm, for we are all here." Then he called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. And he brought them out and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"

Acts 16:25‭-‬30 NKJV

• Praise breaks chains

• You don't see the opportunity if you aren't praising.

-Jeniro on the go!
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It's Just a Matter of Time

Pastor Joel at Lakewood Church

We know God's promises but we can't see anything changing. We then get discouraged but

Then Jesus said to the tree, "May no one ever eat your fruit again!" And the disciples heard him say it.

Mark 11:14 NLT

When Jesus spoke, nothing changed on the outside.

The next morning as they passed by the fig tree he had cursed, the disciples noticed it had withered from the roots up.

Mark 11:20 NLT

The moment you pray, God cuts off the source! The roots have been cut off.

"All the horns of the wicked I will also cut off, But  the horns of the righteous shall be exalted."

Psalms 75:10 NKJV

When Jesus spoke to the tree there was no evidence that anything has changed.

You can't be moved by what you don't see, be moved by what you know.

Stay in faith until what you're believing for manifests.

Clipping a Rose from it's bush

It may bloom and blossom but it's still dead.

And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.

Galatians 6:9 NKJV

Roses should last up to one week and possibly longer after being cut. The truth is that your fresh cut roses aren't going to last forever...just like your difficulties.

The enemy makes the most noise on their way out. 

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

I Peter 5:8 NKJV

Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

Mark 11:24 NKJV

You have to be healed in your spirit before you are healed in your body. It happens right when you pray!

The Osteens prayed for Mama Dodie's healing on December 11, 1981 and she believed she received that healing right then while always thanking God for it.

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.

Hebrews 10:23 NKJV

In the unseen realm things have already changed.

Pastor John prayed for 2 cows but instead bought the meat for the conference.

Leadership Testimony Segment

Tauren Gabriel Wells, Lakewood Worship Leader, American Christian rock and pop 

Operate in Excellence 

Excellence isn't a stage of life it's a Spirit that we carry.

Do the best you can with what you  have. 

Do you see a man who excels in his work? He will stand before kings; He will not stand before unknown men.

Proverbs 22:29 NKJV

Alveda Williams, Lakewood Member, Ph.D Corporate Director of Inclusion for Dow Chemical

Be an ally.

Meet people where they are and stand in the gap no matter what their background is.

Behold, God is my helper; The Lord is with those who uphold my life.

Psalms 54:4 NKJV

Brett Gunning, Lakewood Member, Houston Rockets Assistant Coach

Seek God for wisdom

Call on God because he will tie everything together.

Ask me and I will tell you remarkable secrets you do not know about things to come.

Jeremiah 33:3 NLT

-Jeniro on the go!
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***This message will self-destruct.

The Power of an Empty Net

Later, Jesus appeared again to the disciples beside the Sea of Galilee. This is how it happened. Several of the disciples were there—Simon Peter, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples. Simon Peter said, "I'm going fishing (to go for some goal)." "We'll come, too," they all said. So they went out in the boat, but they caught nothing all night. At dawn (theyd been fishing all night) Jesus was standing on the beach, but the disciples couldn't see who he was. He called out, "Fellows, have you caught any fish?" "No," they replied. Then he said (do it God's way), "Throw out your net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you'll get some!" So they did, and they couldn't haul in the net because there were so many fish in it. Then the disciple Jesus loved said to Peter, "It's the Lord!" When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his tunic (for he had stripped for work), jumped into the water, and headed to shore. The others stayed with the boat and pulled the loaded net to the shore, for they were only about a hundred yards from shore. When they got there, they found breakfast waiting for them—fish cooking over a charcoal fire, and some bread. "Bring some of the fish you've just caught," Jesus said. So Simon Peter went aboard and dragged the net to the shore. There were 153 large fish, and yet the net hadn't torn. "Now come and have some breakfast!" Jesus said. None of the disciples dared to ask him, "Who are you?" They knew it was the Lord. Then Jesus served them the bread and the fish. This was the third time Jesus had appeared to his disciples since he had been raised from the dead. After breakfast Jesus asked Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you love me more than these? " "Yes, Lord," Peter replied, "you know I love you." "Then feed my lambs," Jesus told him. Jesus repeated the question: "Simon son of John, do you love me?" "Yes, Lord," Peter said, "you know I love you." "Then take care of my sheep," Jesus said. A third time he asked him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" Peter was hurt that Jesus asked the question a third time. He said, "Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you." Jesus said, "Then feed my sheep. "I tell you the truth, when you were young, you were able to do as you liked; you dressed yourself and went wherever you wanted to go. But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and others will dress you and take you where you don't want to go."  Jesus said this to let him know by what kind of death he would glorify God. Then Jesus told him, "Follow me."

John 21:1‭-‬19 NLT

• Apart from me you can do nothing (not even catch fish)

Sometimes the worse thing that could happen is easy success.

• God knows sometimes we need to go through a "long night" before the full net

• If they would have filled the net before the long night (EARLY) then they would have missed Jesus.

Our impulse is to go our own way and do things without God.

How much would we pray?

• The empty net teaches us our dependence on God.

• Both the empty net and the abundant net were gifts from Jesus.

It takes 20 years to make an overnight success.

Eddie Cantor

What if you get the full net but lose focus of the purpose of getting the fish...the bigger picture.

The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed. People curse those who hoard their grain, but they bless the one who sells in time of need. If you search for good, you will find favor; but if you search for evil, it will find you! Trust in your money and down you go! But the godly flourish like leaves in spring. Those who bring trouble on their families inherit the wind. The fool will be a servant to the wise. The seeds of good deeds become a tree of life; a wise person wins friends.

Proverbs 11:25‭-‬30 NLT

I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."

Genesis 12:2‭-‬3 NKJV

When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Now go out where it is deeper, and let down your nets to catch some fish." "Master," Simon replied, "we worked hard all last night and didn't catch a thing. But if you say so, I'll let the nets down again." And this time their nets were so full of fish they began to tear! A shout for help brought their partners in the other boat, and soon both boats were filled with fish and on the verge of sinking. When Simon Peter realized what had happened, he fell to his knees before Jesus and said, "Oh, Lord, please leave me—I'm such a sinful man." For he was awestruck by the number of fish they had caught, as were the others with him. His partners, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were also amazed. Jesus replied to Simon, "Don't be afraid! From now on you'll be fishing for people!"

Luke 5:4‭-‬10 NLT

• The empty net makes us willing to do it God's way.

Once you're humbled you're more willing to do things God's way because whatever you have been doing isn't working and you're "hungry"

This entire fishing miracle was leading to breakfast; an opportunity to Fellowship with Jesus.

Take care of your body, it's the only place you have to live.
⚡🌸💪🤘💚⚡

Positioned for Increase

We've seen God's favor in the past but it seems like that favor is being taken away: a close friend leaves your life, a business deal ends, etc....

Sometimes God removes what is working to stretch your fait

Manna was temporary provision but they got used to it and counted on it.

And the manna ceased on the morrow after they had eaten of the old corn of the land; neither had the children of Israel manna any more; but they did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.

Joshua 5:12 KJV

They would have lived off of manna for their entire lives even though other things were available.

You're close to your promise land when the Manna dries up. 

The friend who left may have been limiting you. 

Tony Dungy

Was pushed pushed out of his Tampa Bay coaching job but then was offered a position with the Colts and won the superbowl

Would have missed the abundance that belonged to them if God kept providing manna.

If something stops then it wasn't supposed to be permanen. Don't have a Manna mentality.

The closer the Israelites got to the promised land, the less God helped...they had to grow up. They got new responsibilities.

The longer we hold on, the more miserable we'll be. 

Elijah 

And the word of the Lord came unto him, saying,  Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.  And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there.  So he went and did according unto the word of the Lord : for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.  And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook.  And it came to pass after a while, that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land.  And the word of the Lord came unto him, saying,  Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee.

1 Kings 17:2‭-‬9 KJV

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-Jeniro on the go!
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