Discovering the Power of Praise, Part 1 (cont'd)

You're not doing anything special when you praise God.

You're giving Him what He's worthy of, what is due to Him. I just came to let somebody know it is time for you to put some more on your praise bill. Your praise bill is a little delinquent. You haven't been praising Him enough. You owe God more praise than you've been giving Him.

No one on earth praises God enough because there's no such thing as praising God enough. Thanks for stopping by for today's Destined for Victory message with Pastor Paul Shepherd. Well, what better time than right now as we prepare to start a brand new year together to begin praising God at all times. When all is well, praise His name.

When all seems lost, do the same. Pastor Paul has a word of encouragement for you today and it comes your way next. Stay with us here or visit pastorpaul.net to listen to Destined for Victory on demand.

You can also subscribe to the podcast at Google Podcasts or at Spotify or wherever you enjoy your podcasts. But here's Pastor Paul with today's message, Discovering the Power of Praise. I just came to let somebody know it is time for you to put some more on your praise bill. Your praise bill is a little delinquent. You haven't been praising Him enough. You owe God more praise than you've been giving Him. Some of you have been focusing on yourself.

All me, me, me. I'm unhappy. I'm unfulfilled. I need more money. I need a better job. I need a boo. I need a whatever. Some of you all major in me and you'll never give God praise focusing on yourself.

You've got to say, yes, there's some things I want in my life, but I do know one thing. Were it not for the goodness of the Lord, I would be way worse off than I am now. So for God's sake, get caught up on your praise bill. Some of you all owe God some praise, some much more praise. You're about two, three years behind on your praise bill. Ever since something went wrong in your life, you stopped praising Him as much as you used to. You stopped giving Him glory because you got focused on something. We've got to learn even in bad times, you owe God praise because if it weren't for Him, times would be worse than they are now. The Brooklyn Tabernacle back in the, what was that?

The early eighties, probably they sang a song in the good times, praise His name, but in the bad times do the same. Let everything, let everybody give the King of Kings all of the praise. He's worthy of it. He deserves to be praised.

I love that song that JJ Hairston gave to the body of Christ. You deserve it. You got to learn to tell God you deserve it. All of the praise belongs to Him.

He literally deserves it. Hallelujah. And you need to make sure you're paying constantly on your praise bill.

Make sure you're constantly letting Him know. I have met people, the first time I met someone who was one of those kind of conspicuous praisers, it caught my attention immediately. It was a gentleman from Africa and he was visiting our particular church at the time. I was in Philadelphia and I mean, we would take him out to a dinner wherever we would take, but within every 10 seconds, this guy was praising God for no particular reason. Hallelujah.

And then we talking, so I was like, yes, sir. Praise God. And it's all the glory to God at the table. Bless the Lord ordering the food. Thank you, Jesus. I said, wow, this man sure praises a lot.

But you know what? It became contagious because it made me realize, well, God is always worthy to be praised. And here's a man who just gives him praise every chance he gets. And I caught that. I remember thinking, God, I want to be a praiser like that.

And I started, I found myself, I'd be taking my shower in the morning. Thank you, Jesus. Hallelujah. I said, Oh, I've caught what that man has.

And I'm glad I caught it. And I'm glad that I continue to pray sometime driving. Thank you, Lord. Glory to God. Just give him praise all the time. When you think of the goodness of Jesus and all that he's done for you, your soul ought to cry out. Hallelujah.

When you think, you see the old saints, they used to pray. Thank you for keeping us from danger seen and unseen. You do realize there's some things he did for you and you don't know. You never saw it. The enemy had just set up and you never saw the setup. All you know is it didn't go that way. But I came to tell somebody, if you realize there were times you were set up and the devil tried his best to get you and the Holy Spirit said, not so you've got to learn to praise him for what you don't know. Thank you that they set me up, but it didn't work. Thank you that he meant my demise, but it didn't happen. Thank you that you kept me from danger seen and unseen. You owe him some praise, put some more on your praise bill every chance you get every now and then just put something new on your praise bill.

You can pay it in advance. That's what I've learned. I'm learning to praise him for stuff that hadn't happened yet. There's things I'm asking him to do.

There are things I'm believing him to do and I don't even see a cloud the size of a man's hand, but just based on I'm believing for it, I'm going to put some praise on it. I'm going to put some, you know what? We grew up in days of layaway. See, some of y'all don't know anything about layaway. I need some honest people who would be willing to say there was a time in my life when I wanted a certain coat or a certain garment and we went to the store and we would say, all right, can I put this on layaway? And what that meant was they said yes, and you'd put us the minimum deposit down and you would pay the store for something you can't take home yet. And they created a record and you'd go back the next week or two and put another $10. That's what it was back then. You didn't have no major money, but every now and then you put another $10 on it. Oh, listen, I'm talking back in the day, we would ride our bikes up on the avenue, tell our friends, that's what I'm getting.

Show it to them in the window. I'm getting there. I got money on that right now.

We would ride our bikes to show somebody I'm going to get one of these days, you're going to see me with that on. Listen, I can't tell somebody it's about time you open up a praise layaway account. I want somebody to just set up a heavenly praise layaway account. It hasn't happened yet.

I don't know when it's going to happen, but I'm believing for it. And so every now and then I'm going to just put some praise on layaway. Thank you, Lord. I don't know when you're going to come through, but I'm a thank you in advance. Oh, you got to learn to praise him in advance.

Marvin Sapp saying that years ago, but that's still true. Praise him in advance. I'm believing for it. So put some praise on it until it comes through.

I'm a still be praising God because when you see the scriptures, folk who had that kind of faith are people who got rewarded. You remember that little lady? I've taught about her often that lady, that's a Canaanite woman who wanted her child who was vexed with a devil delivered and she went to Jesus.

And the first thing that happened is he put it through a two phase test. The first was he ignored her. She's asking for mercy for her child and Jesus didn't even dignify her with a response. He just ignored her.

Now some of y'all say that's so cold. I don't like that. And I've even heard people try to preach around that. Well, he didn't actually ignore her. He was just, and they tried to explain it away. No, Jesus ignored her, but he knew she was asking. All he was doing is putting her through a test.

Every master teacher gives tests and he put us through a test. He kept on doing what he was doing, but she refused to do what some of y'all would have done, which is that you to got insulted and you would have teed off on him. Now look, I know I'm not an Israelite woman. I know I'm a Canaanite, but you don't have to ignore nobody. See, that's the problem with y'all, right? See, that's where some of y'all would have gone.

You to flunk the first part of the test. Wait, no, no, you're going to answer me. He ignored her. Then when she kept on worshiping, I love that. The Bible says he kept worshiping.

She didn't get thrown off. She just kept worshiping. And then after that, then he said, well, it's not right. And she kept on asking. He said, it's not right to take the children's bread, give it to dogs.

See, that's where some of y'all would have been. It's not even, not even about anything else at this point. Wait, what?

You know, when you go into that self-talk where you're having a conversation with nobody in particular, but that's not keeping you from talking. Did he just call me a dog? I know he didn't call me.

No, I must have heard wrong. He did not stand up here in my face and call me a dog. And it's not like I'm asking just for me. I don't mind.

You want to insult me. I'm asking on behalf of my daughter. I believe the children are our future. Teach them well and let them lead the way.

Show them all the beauty they possess inside. You to teed off on him. Look, I don't care who you are. I don't care who your father is. I don't care. No, she said, fine, we're going to be dogs. She said, that's a fire. And I got something for that.

She said, truth. You're right. It's not right to give the children's bread to dogs, but let's stick with the analogy. Even the dogs get to eat the crumbs that fall from the master's table. So I'm here as a Canaanite woman. I'm not suggesting that I deserve to be sitting at the table.

I know I'm not one of your chosen people, but I do believe that since the children at the table don't always eat properly and drop crumbs, nobody bothers the dogs when they come along and pick up the crumbs. She said, all I need you to do is let me get some of the crumbs of blessing that are left by the Israelites who aren't recognizing your power. When she got through working that analogy, Jesus said, woman, great is your faith. You got faith that I wish some of these other folk would have. And he said, your child is going to be just fine.

And she got delivered from that very moment. I came to tell you, it'll never hurt you if you put some praise on it before you get your blessing, before you get your healing, before you get your deliverance, before the new job comes, before the new stream of income takes place in your life, just go on and give God some advanced praise because he deserves to be praised. And coming up next, the rest of today's message, discovering the power of praise with Pastor Paul Shepherd, senior pastor of Destiny Christian Fellowship in Fremont, California. If you've never stopped by our website, pastorpaul.net, I invite you to do so when you have some time. You'll find all of Pastor Paul's recent messages on demand, plus a host of great resources at our online store, including books and DVD messages from Pastor Paul. Learn more about the ministry and about all the great things friends like you are doing through your prayers and financial support.

Again, that's pastorpaul.net. Do you know why it's so important to discover the power of praise? First, because you were created to praise God. Second, because he is worthy of that praise. And reason number three comes your way next in the rest of today's message, discovering the power of praise.

Once again, here's Pastor Paul Shepherd. Number three, the next reason why you should discover the power of praise is because praise is a gateway into God's presence. Have you ever noticed that Psalm 100 verse four says, enter into his gates with what? With thanksgiving and into his courts with what? With praise. Now that's a picture of the Old Testament temple. You went into the outer court and he's saying, let's use that language to talk about your relationship with God. When you come into the outer courts, he said, bring some thanksgiving with you.

Thank God for what he's already done. So you never have any reason to come to church and have an attitude. You never have any reason to just come to church and just stand there. I'm gonna let them sing. I don't feel like singing.

The nerve of you to act like it is other people's job to entertain you. You come to church as a priest to offer your sacrifice of thanksgiving and praise and you got to come in there and thank him for what he's already done. That's entering into his outer courts. Thank you Lord. See the old saints taught us. That's why you got to realize there was a method to those saints. When they were walking with God, they did it openly because they were letting the children know this is the way you relate to God. We couldn't even have a little cookout without one of the saints praying a long prayer. We'd had a little cookouts and folk would come over, but if they call on one of those prayer warriors, they all man. Mother Hagar, you come on and pray over the food before and you couldn't get to the table before Mother Hagar finished praying. Oh, thank you Lord.

Thank you. Come on y'all, let's pray. Lord, we bless your name. We praise you for blessing us. You woke us up this morning.

You started us on our way. Oh God, you gave us a mind to be here with the saints of God. Thank you Lord that you touched our bodies. Thank you Lord that you let us drive here without the loss of one. Thank you old Lord that no hurt, harm or danger came to any of the saints. Thank you old God. And the kids standing there saying, she's not even praying over the food. We tried to eat and she praying all around the world, the missionaries.

The missionaries going to be all right. They were teaching us, thank him for everything. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, into his courts with praise. You thank him for what he's done, but you're praising for who he is. He is who he is.

That's why he does what he does. And when you start praising him for who he is, exciting things happen because he is worthy of that and it gives you a gateway into his presence. Number four, praise wards off the spirit of heaviness. I came to tell somebody you need to put on a garment of praise and take off that spirit of heaviness. Sometimes heaviness is a spirit.

Oh, I'm not telling you what I think. Sometimes I'm telling you what I know. Every now and then a spirit of heaviness comes over you. You don't even know why you heavy, but you just have to take that thing off because the enemy will saddle you with that. If you let it, if you wear it like it's part of your garment, then he'll leave you heavy.

But I dare you to take that off. Say, no, no, I'm gonna put on a garment of praise. I'm a praise God, even though I don't feel it. See, praise is not related to your emotions primarily.

You can praise him out of your emotions, but don't confine your praise to your feelings. I need to tell you something and you need to let this resonate for the rest of your life. We are spirit who have souls who live in bodies. We're three dimensional. We have bodies. We have souls. We live in bodies and we are spirit beings.

Now here's what I need you to get. Your spirit needs to drive your life. Don't let your soulless realm, which includes your emotions.

Don't let that drive your intellect. Your will are fine, but they too can't lead you and certainly your emotions can't lead you. So don't let your emotions decide whether you praise. Don't let your emotions decide whether you go to church. Don't let your emotions decide whether you worship through giving. Don't let your emotions decide any spiritual discipline in your life. You got to let your emotions be a passenger, but never the driver. Do not put your emotions in the driver's seat of your life at any point.

I just helped you a whole lot. Do y'all realize what will happen if you let your emotions drive your life? If you do things based solely on the way you feel, somebody going to be shot. Come on somebody. All kinds of things will go.

Hey, why? If you let the emotions in the driver's seat, you leave them as passengers and you have got to put on that garment of praise. I will bless the Lord at all times. His praise shall continually be in my mouth. Not I feel like blessing him at all times. There are times I don't feel like praising. I just know I owe him praise and I'm going to give him that praise on the worst day of his life. Job praised God literally the worst day of his life.

Children dead, wealth gone. What did Job say? The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Bless it. Be the name of the Lord. He didn't feel like that.

Tears could have been streaming down his face, but he said, I got to bless God. And so do you. You've got to ward off the spirit of heaviness. One more thing.

Let me let you go. God has given us many blessings and benefits. Psalm one old three says, bless the Lord. Oh my soul.

All that is within me. Bless his Holy name. Bless the Lord.

Oh my soul. Forget not all his benefits who forgives all your iniquities, heals all your diseases, redeems your life from destruction. Just giving you a sampling of the things he's done for us. Crowns you with loving kindness and tender mercies. Anybody ever had God give you tender mercies?

He was tender when he didn't have to be. Satisfies your mouth with good things so that your youth is renewed like the Eagles. There are so many benefits you receive just as you walk with God and the Psalmist said, you got to learn to bless him at all times because of all the benefits. There are benefits and being a praiser. There are benefits and being a worshiper.

There are benefits and being a person who lets the Lord know how much you love him. Whatever you do, brothers and sisters, be on the praising side of things in your life. Don't be on the complaining side. Don't be a complainer. Be a praiser. Have you noticed complaining doesn't do you any good?

Have you figured it out by now? Complaints never add to your life. They only take away. In the good times, praise his name, but in the bad times, do the same. In everything, let the King of Kings have all the praise. Consider the words in Psalm 9 verse 1. I will praise you, O Lord, with my whole heart.

I will tell of all your marvelous works. Thanks so much for being here for today's Destined for Victory with Pastor Paul Shepard. To hear any recent message on demand, including today's teaching, Discovering the Power of Praise, visit pastorpaul.net. That's pastorpaul.net, and you can stop by any time to find out more about the Destined for Victory ministry, to shop for resources at our online store, or to make a safe and secure donation.

And we have a special resource to share with you today, one I encourage you to make part of your home library. Introducing Pastor Paul's new book, Lessons from the Vineyard. You know, even though not every Christian is blessed with the same gifts and callings, all of us can bear the same fruit of the Spirit. But God will not work to develop character in us without our active consent.

Nor will you answer prayers to make us better people if we're not proactive in tending the soil of our hearts, creating a nurturing environment for a great character to develop. In Lessons from the Vineyard, Pastor Paul inspires believers to become attractive as we bear godly fruit that glorifies Jesus Christ. That's Lessons from the Vineyard, a book from Pastor Paul, and our gift to you by request for your most generous year-end gift of $25 or more to Destined for Victory. Remember, all donations received before this Friday at midnight are tax-deductible for 2021. Call 855-339-5500 or visit pastorpaul.net to make a safe and secure donation online. You can also mail your gift to Destined for Victory, Post Office Box 1767, Fremont, California 94538.

Again, that address is Destined for Victory, Box 1767, Fremont, California 94538. In Psalm 107, King David writes, Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and He delivered them from their distress. So if you need prayer today, the Destined for Victory ministry team would like to join you in prayer. From the homepage at pastorpaul.net, use the contact feature to let us know how we can pray for you. And by the way, while you're there, be sure to ask for Pastor Paul's monthly letter of encouragement, yours at no cost or obligation. If you want God to like what he sees when he looks at you, just give him praise, because praise looks good on his people. We live in a world where folk are walking around damning God and cursing God and denying God's existence, but when he sees his child worshiping him and praising him, it looks good on you. You want to make over, just get into praise. That's tomorrow when Pastor Paul Shepherd shares his message, Discovering the Power of Praise. Until then remember, he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion. In Christ, you are Destined for Victory.