“Let everything that has breath and every breath of life praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!)” –Psalm 150:6 (AMP)
(LISTEN TO AUDIO VERSION)
Let’s do a little bit of journalism today as I share with you, what I learned in school years ago. It’s known as the Five Ws and H of News. The Five Ws and H constitute a formula for getting the complete story. Answers to the questions: WHAT, WHO, WHERE, WHEN, WHY, and HOW, are considered basic and necessary in information gathering. Every student journalist is familiar with this formula. It will help you to write a catchy lead in a news story.
I could use so many scriptures in the Bible to explain why you must praise God, but I chose Psalm 150 because I discovered that the 6-verse chapter goes beyond answering the question of why. Psalm 150 answers all 5 Ws and even the H. I believe this Psalm, titled “ A Psalm of Praise” will spark a new desire in us to praise God always with a better understanding.
A Psalm of Praise.
150 Praise the Lord!
Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty heavens.
2 Praise Him for His mighty acts;
Praise Him according to [the abundance of] His greatness.
3 Praise Him with trumpet sound;
Praise Him with harp and lyre.
4 Praise Him with tambourine and dancing;
Praise Him with stringed instruments and flute.
5 Praise Him with resounding cymbals;
Praise Him with loud cymbals.-
6 Let everything that has breath and every breath of life praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!)- Psalm 150:1-6 (AMP)
WHAT?
Now let’s see how the formula works. The whole chapter of Psalm 150 from verses 1 to 6 answers the question WHAT. What is the Scripture talking about? Praise, specifically praise for God. The 6- verse chapter has praise mentioned 13 times including praise God, praise the Lord, and praise Him.
WHO?
Verses 1 and 6 answer the question WHO. Who should be praised? The answer is God. Who should praise God? Everything that has breath. If you are breathing, then you are to praise God. That goes beyond human beings to include every living creature on the face of the earth.
WHERE?
WHERE should we praise God? Everywhere. We are to praise God in His sanctuary and His mighty heavens according to verse 1. As a believer in Jesus Christ, God dwells in you therefore wherever you are, you can praise God. We don’t have to wait to get to the building called “church”. We don’t have to wait for conferences. We can praise God in the garden, garage, or even in the kitchen. I think I do a lot of praise when I’m taking a shower.
WHEN?
When should we praise God? Anytime and every time. Verse 6 specifically calls on everything that has breath to praise the Lord. To have breath is to be alive. Therefore, every second, minute, and hour that you are alive, is a good time to praise God. The dead cannot praise. No! there is no breath in them. It’s only the living who can. Let’s praise God as long as we can breathe.
WHY?
Let’s now answer WHY. Why should I praise God? Verse 2 teaches us to praise God for his acts of power and His surpassing greatness. Some people think that praise must be a response to what happens. If good things happen to them, they will automatically praise God but if bad things happen, there will be no place for praise. That is not what the word of God teaches us. The focus of praise here is God, not us. That means praising God in every circumstance. Praise God when emotions have been affected. Praise God when in trouble. In prison, Paul and Silas sang praises unto God-Acts 16:25 (KJV) and when they were thrown into the fire, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego with one voice praised and glorified God-Daniel 3:51
Just like thanksgiving, praise must also be a lifestyle, not a duty.
HOW?
With all five Ws answered, let’s look at the only H which is HOW. How should one praise God? The answer is in verses 3 to 5. We are to praise God with every instrument that can give a good sound- trumpets, harps, tambourines, drums, clapping, and dancing. Yes! praise God through dance. The Bible says David danced before the Lord with all his might -2 Samuel 6:14
I can confidently write that Psalm 150 is a complete journalistic report on praising God. Hallelujah! It qualifies for a headline. Symbolically, it is also the last psalm.
Praise is an expression of gratitude and respect towards God usually in songs. It’s a powerful way to rejoice in the Lord. It’s a great tool to help us encounter any negative vibe. I believe when we allow praises to abound, problems will become afterthoughts.
God is no longer requiring any sacrifice for sin because of Jesus Christ. But you can continually give to God, the “sacrifice of praise” -Hebrews 13:15 David said the praise of God will continually be in his mouth-Psalm 34:1 You should praise God, believing in your heart that God indeed inhabits the praises of His people -Psalm 22:3 (KJV)
So, don’t wait till you get to heaven; praise God now!
Recommended Videos: “PRAISE FOR GOD’S PROMISES “ with Patrick E Quainoo on our YouTube Channel
Let me hear from you. Send all your comments or questions to mailto:pqgm29@gmail.com
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