December 22, 2024

(Christmas Version) Hallelujah

December 24, 2015 by

I’ve heard about this baby boy
Who’s come to earth to bring us joy
And I just want to sing this song to you
It goes like this—the fourth, the fifth
The minor fall, the major lift
With every breath I’m singing Hallelujah
Hallelujah

A couple came to Bethlehem
Expecting child, they searched the inn
To find a place for You were coming soon
There was no room for them to stay
So in a manger filled with hay
God’s only Son was born, oh Hallelujah
Hallelujah

The shepherds left their flocks by night
To see this baby wrapped in light
A host of angels led them all to You
It was just as the angels said
You’ll find Him in a manger bed
Immanuel and Savior, Hallelujah
Hallelujah

A star shown bright up in the east
To Bethlehem, the wisemen three
Came many miles and journeyed long for You
And to the place at which You were
Their frankincense and gold and myrrh
They gave to You and cried out Hallelujah
Hallelujah

I know You came to rescue me
This baby boy would grow to be
A man and one day die for me and you
My sins would drive the nails in You
That rugged Cross was my cross, too
Still every breath You drew was Hallelujah

Cloverton
Original tune: Leonard Cohen
This version lyrics: Lance Stafford, Layne Stafford, Kirby LeMoine and Josh Svorinic
 *    ♥  ~  ✝  ~  ★    *
HalleluJAH!  This phrase, which most often has been translated “Praise the Lord,” is found only a few times throughout all of the Bible.  We read it in the Book of Revelations, chapter 19, verses 1, 3, 4, 6.  As well as in the Psalms (#111, 112, 113, 117, 135, 146, 147, 148, 149, 150).  Many of us are familiar with Leonard Cohen’s classic original ‘Hallelujah’.  But the words in that version, while though very stirring, pale in comparison, in my opinion, to the lyrics sung here by the Cloverton boys.   Cloverton’s rendition sings out the birth of Jesus, Emmanuel-God with us.   Truly, I would call it a modern-day Christmas carol.

It reminds me of another very popular musical piece—Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus” from The Messiah, his most well-known orchestral composition.  Now they differ greatly in style, of course…but are very similar in their lyrical content.   Point being, both of these songs were written to sing about the birth of Jesus and praises to  Almighty God, as well as give us, fellow singers and praisers, inspired songs to sing our praises.

In the account in the Gospel of Luke of the announcement of Jesus’ birth to the shepherds, the angel and the ‘heavenly host’ similarly offered praise to God.

And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host
praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.”
Luke 1:13 and 14

And upon returning from seeing the Baby and acknowledging the fulfillment of the angel’s words, the shepherds also worshipped and praised God.

They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph.
And there was the Baby, lying in the manger.
After seeing Him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened
and what the angel had said to them about this Child.
All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished,
but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often.
The shepherds went back to their flocks,
glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen.
It was just as the angel had told them.
verses 15-20

The birth of the Savior certainly was an occasion for much ‘Hallelujah-ing,’ wouldn’t you say?!  And there WAS much praise and glorifying of God!

May I encourage you to take time throughout the busyness and celebrations of this season to voice your praises and gratitude to Almighty God!  May each of us be found glorifying and praising God for His goodness and love to mankind.   It doesn’t matter whether it is in quiet meditation regarding how GOOD God is…or singing out our praise and worship through this gorgeous song…or praising God as we sing along with the carols and hymns of the season.

Just let ‘HalleluJAH’‘be on your lips!

Filed Under: Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Your Love Is Amazing (HalleluJAH)

June 17, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

Your love is amazing
Steady and unchanging
Your love is a mountain
Firm beneath my feet

Your love is a mystery
How You gently lift me
When I am surrounded
Your love carries me

Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah
Your love makes me sing
Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah
Your love makes me sing

Your love is surprising
I can feel it rising
All the joy that’s growing
Deep inside of me

And every time I see You
All Your goodness shines through
And I can feel this God-song
Rising up in me

Maranatha Singers
Songwriters: Brenton Brown and Brian Doerksen

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~   ♥   ~   *

Don’t you think this song is actually a prayer—a happy, joyous proclamation of God’s love?   How much our God must thoroughly enjoy hearing His precious possession—us!—sing out,   ♬ ♪ ♬ HalleluJAH!  Your love makes me sing!  ♬ ♪ ♬

And what incredible, awesome company we are in when we do sing out our ‘halleluJAH!’  In chapter 19 of the Book of Revelations, four separate times praises to God using the phrase ‘halleluJAH!’ is recorded.  Three times by ‘a great multitude’, and once by the ‘twenty-four elders and the four living creatures’ (who surround the Throne).  WOW!  This is company I want to be in; you, too?!!!

  • verse 1
    After these things I heard something like a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God;
  • verse 3
    And a second time they said, “Hallelujah! Her smoke rises up forever and ever.”
  • verse 4
    And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sits on the throne saying, “Amen. Hallelujah!”
  • verse 6
    Then I heard something like the voice of a great multitude and like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, saying, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns.”

This record in the Book of Revelations and a few in the Psalms are the only records that tell us of praise being given using the phrase ‘HalleluJAH!’  In doing a study on it, I found that it is used approximately  22 times in the Psalms.  Here are a few examples….

For great is His gracious love toward us and the LORD’s faithfulness is eternal.
Hallelujah!
117:2

Hallelujah! Give thanks to the LORD because He is good,
because His mercy endures forever.
106:1

Let everything that breathes praise the Lord. Hallelujah!
150:6

Hallelujah!
How good it is to sing to our God for praise is pleasant and lovely.
147:1

There are so very many things we have been blessed with for which we should give praise to our great God!

  • mercy
  • grace
  • salvation
  • eternal life
  • fellowship w/believers
  • sanctification
  • peace
  • His Word

But one of the greatest things that God does for us and gives us is His love.  As the songwriters expressed to Him,

“Your love is amazing…steady and unchanging;
Your love is a mountain firm beneath my feet;
Your love is a mystery—how You gently lift me when I am surrounded—
Your love carries me; Your love is surprising…”.

And truly, it is!!!  Below are some of the many verses in the Scriptures which tell us about our God’s love for us…for all mankind.

Who shall ever separate us from Christ’s love? Shall suffering and affliction and tribulation?
Or calamity and distress? Or persecution or hunger or destitution or peril or sword?
Even as it is written, For Thy sake we are put to death all the day long;
We are regarded and counted as sheep for the slaughter.
Yet amid all these things we are more than conquerors
and gain a surpassing victory through Him Who loved us.
For I am persuaded beyond doubt (am sure) that neither death nor life, nor angels
nor principalities, nor things impending and threatening nor things to come, nor powers,
Nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all Creation
will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:35-39

But God demonstrates His own love for us in this:
While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:8

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son,
that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
John 3:16

This is how God showed His love among us:
He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him.
This is love: not that we loved God,
but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
1 John 4:9 and 10

We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in His love.
God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them.
Verse 16

Because Your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise You.
Psalm 63:3

His love is…

steadfast
immeasureable
unconditional
immoveable
unchanging
amazing

Doesn’t it make you want to sing?

  *   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~   ♥   ~   *

Dear Father, we thank You for Your love for us and the incredible ways You show it!  It is—You are!—amazing! HalleluJAH! We thank You and praise You…in Jesus’ name. Amen. ♥  

Filed Under: Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Every Praise Is To Our God (Redux)

January 1, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

Redux means to revisit, bring back, re-release. This last week of 2014, we—the bloggers here at Girlfriends Coffee Hour—are each ‘revisiting’ a blog we wrote earlier this year.  We would love to share with you just a bit about how very good God has been to us!  He has given us all so much grace and mercy, blessings and provision, protection and guidance!  He has led us and taught us through His Holy Spirit so many incredible things!  He has molded, and chastised, and encouraged us to be daughters with humble hearts who are dependent upon Him.  And He has helped us to be strong, committed, and faithful women who love Him and desire to bring Him much honor and glory and majesty.  We pray that our words would encourage you also…and draw You deeper into relationship with the One Who loves you so!

❦

<sigh!>  I have sat at my keyboard pondering and wondering just what to write as I reflect back on this past year.  Choosing which song to ‘redux’…that part was easy!  Singing praises to our wonderful God is one of the major joys of my heart!  As Pastor Hezekiah Walker says, ‘I don’t care how you’re feeling right now…sing HalleluJAH!’  and he is absolutely right.  Truly, it doesn’t matter what is going on in my life today…I can and should and WILL praise God in the midst of it.

2014 has been the most difficult time of my life…ever.  No doubt.  Situations and circumstances have seemed unbearable at times.  Temptations and trials have been abundant and stressful.  There has been much heartache and sadness; more than I thought I could handle.

But God…

But God never left me, He never forsook me, He never ever stopped loving me and holding me up with His mighty Hand.  But God was my Deliverer, my Savior, my Healer!  But God comforted, encouraged, provided, helped me.  I had much opportunity to <continually> confess these precious verses:

[What, what would have become of me] had I not believed
that I would see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living!
Wait and hope for and expect the Lord;
be brave and of good courage
and let your heart be stout and enduring.
Yes, wait for and hope for and expect the Lord.
Psalms 27:13 and 14

But God was always there!  I did ‘wait for’ and  ‘expect the Lord.’  And I praised Him…and continue to praise Him now.   Almighty God, our Heavenly Father, deserves  the praise and worship of His people.  In every situation, in any circumstance…no matter what…God is to be praised!  I look forward, with joyful anticipation, to 2015 because I know there will be much to praise God for!  I pray that you, also, will recognize God’s blessings, and His Presence in your life, and His provision…and sing out your praises, too.    ♥

❦

Hey now!  Chair dancing is just NOT going to be good enough with this moving and inspiring song!  Are your toes tapping…head bobbing…shoulders jiving…hands clapping?  Up on your feet!  Use your whole self—hands, arms, feet…and mind, heart, voice! Allow your WHOLE self to fully engage in giving ‘every praise!’ to your God!  Sing HalleluJAH!

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Every praise is to our God
Every word of worship with one accord
Every praise every praise is to our God
Sing Hallelujah to our God
Glory Hallelujah is due our God
Every praise every praise is to our God

God my Savior
God my Healer
God my Deliverer
Yes He is, yes He is

Praise sung by Hezekiah Walker and friends
Songwriters: Hezekiah Walker and J. David Bratton

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Our God—our Savior, our Healer, our Deliverer—deserves all the praise there is to give!

Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!) O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;
for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever!
Who can put into words and tell the mighty deeds of the Lord?
Or who can show forth all the praise [that is due Him]?
Psalms 106:1 and 2

Truly, no one can…that is why all of the praise of all of the peoples throughout all time is required to ‘show forth all the praise…’!

Throughout the Scriptures there are many records of God’s people praising and worshipping Him—the object of their every praise. For example,

  • Moses praising with the children of Israel praising God Almighty for the miraculous way He saved them from the Egyptians (Exodus 15)
  • David worshipping with the people of Jerusalem when the Ark of the Covenant was returned to Jerusalem (1 Chronicles 16)

Each of these show us wonderful examples of these Old Testament believers and their hearts to praise the Great I AM!  However, I just love the praises that are given to God by Daniel…and the king, Nebuchadnezzar…recorded in the Book of Daniel.  Here is one prayer of praise and worship Daniel prayed after God gifted him with wisdom and explanations of King Nebudchednezzar’s dream.

Then the secret was revealed to Daniel in a vision of the night, and Daniel blessed the God of heaven. Daniel answered, Blessed be the name of God forever and ever! For wisdom and might are His! He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and sets up kings. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding! He reveals the deep and secret things; He knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with Him! I thank You and praise You, O God of my fathers, Who has given me wisdom and might and has made known to me now what we desired of You, for You have made known to us the solution to the king’s problem.

Daniel 2:19-23

Just like in this song we are inspired by today, Daniel sang out his ‘HalleluJAH!’ and gave all the praise to his God!  What can we see in Daniel’s prayer of praise?  First, he praised God. Then he acknowledged Who God is and that He is in-charge and in control—‘He changes the times and the seasons…He removes…and sets up kings.’ And that all wisdom and knowledge are His. And then Daniel thanked and praised God for giving him wisdom and might.

Later on, given the mighty and miraculous acts seen (as well as the humbling that Nebuchadnezzar received), he had much praise to give to God, too.  He lifted his praise of the Most High God before all the peoples of his kingdom.

It seemed good to me to show the signs and wonders that the Most High God has performed toward me.
How great are His signs! And how mighty His wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and His dominion is from generation to generation.

And at the end of the days, I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted up my eyes to heaven, and my understanding and the right use of my mind returned to me; and I blessed the Most High [God] and I praised and honored and glorified Him Who lives forever, Whose dominion is an everlasting dominion; and His kingdom endures from generation to generation. And all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing. And He does according to His will in the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth, and none can stay His hand or say to Him, What are You doing? Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, Whose works are all faithful and right and Whose ways are just. And those who walk in pride He is able to abase and humble.

Daniel 4:2 and 3, 34-37

And, of course, there are many, many, many additional accounts throughout the Scriptures of praise and worship being offered to the One Who deserves every praise—our Great God!

Every praise is to our God
Sing Hallelujah to our God
Glory! Hallelujah! is due our God
Every praise, every praise is to our God!

 ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥

I will confess and praise You [O God] with my whole heart;
before the gods will I sing praises to You.
I will worship toward Your holy temple and praise Your name
for Your loving-kindness and for Your truth and faithfulness;
for You have exalted above all else Your name and Your Word
and You have magnified Your Word above all Your name!
Psalms 138:1 and 2

Filed Under: Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

HalleluJAH (Christmas Version)

December 25, 2014 by

phssChristmasgraphic2014

I’ve heard about this baby boy
Who’s come to earth to bring us joy
And I just want to sing this song to you
It goes like this—the fourth, the fifth
The minor fall, the major lift
With every breath I’m singing Hallelujah
Hallelujah

A couple came to Bethlehem
Expecting child, they searched the inn
To find a place for You were coming soon
There was no room for them to stay
So in a manger filled with hay
God’s only Son was born, oh Hallelujah
Hallelujah

The shepherds left their flocks by night
To see this baby wrapped in light
A host of angels led them all to You
It was just as the angels said
You’ll find Him in a manger bed
Immanuel and Savior, Hallelujah
Hallelujah

A star shown bright up in the east
To Bethlehem, the wisemen three
Came many miles and journeyed long for You
And to the place at which You were
Their frankincense and gold and myrrh
They gave to You and cried out Hallelujah
Hallelujah

I know You came to rescue me
This baby boy would grow to be
A man and one day die for me and you
My sins would drive the nails in You
That rugged Cross was my cross, too
Still every breath You drew was Hallelujah
Hallelujah

Original tune: Leonard Cohen
This version lyrics: Lance Stafford, Layne Stafford, Kirby LeMoine and Josh Svorinic
 *    ♥  ~  ✝  ~  ★    *
HalleluJAH!  This phrase, which most often has been translated “Praise the Lord” is found only a few times throughout all of the Bible—in the Book of Revelations, chapter 19, verses 1, 3, 4, 6.  As well as in the Psalms (#111, 112, 113, 117, 135, 146, 147, 148, 149, 150).

Many of us are familiar with Leonard Cohen’s classic original ‘Hallelujah’.  But the words in that version, while though very stirring, pale in comparison, in my opinion, to the lyrics sung here by the Cloverton boys.  Cloverton’s rendition sings out the birth of Jesus, Immanuel.  Truly, I would call it a modern-day Christmas carol.

It reminds me of another very popular musical piece which sings out praise and worship. Now they differ greatly in style, of course…but the lyrical content of Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus” from the Messiah, his most well-known orchestral composition. Point being, both of these songs were written to sing praise to the Almighty God, and give us, fellow singers and praisers, an inspired song to sing our praises.

In the account in the Gospel of Luke of the announcement of Jesus’ birth to the shepherds, the angel and the ‘heavenly host’ similarly offered praise to God.

And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host
praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.”
Luke 1:13 and 14

And upon returning from seeing the Baby and acknowledging the fulfillment of the angel’s words, the shepherds also worshipped and praised God.

They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph.
And there was the Baby, lying in the manger.
After seeing Him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened
and what the angel had said to them about this Child.
All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished,
but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often.
The shepherds went back to their flocks,
glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen.
It was just as the angel had told them.
Verses 15-20

The birth of the Savior certainly was an occasion for much ‘hallelujah-ing,’ wouldn’t you say?!  And there WAS much praise and glorifying of God!

May I encourage you to take time throughout the busyness and celebrations today to voice your praises and gratitude to Almighty God!  May each of us be found glorifying and praising God for His goodness and love to mankind.   It doesn’t matter whether it is in quiet meditation regarding how GOOD God is…or singing out our praise and worship through this gorgeous song…or praising God as we sing along with the carols and hymns of the season.  Just let ‘HalleluJAH’ be on your lips!

Filed Under: Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

I Will Stand In The Congregation

November 15, 2014 by

seekingHimthanksgivinggraphic

Praise the Lord! Hallelujah!
I will praise and give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart
in the council of the upright and in the congregation.
The works of the Lord are great, sought out by all those who have delight in them.
His work is honorable and glorious, and His righteousness endures forever.
He has made His wonderful works to be remembered;
the Lord is gracious, merciful, and full of loving compassion.

Psalms 111:1-4AMP

I will stand in the congregation, and I will exalt You
Let the children of Your salvation lift Your praises, too
Hallelujah!

I will stand in the congregation, and I will praise Your name
With Your people in ev’ry nation I will shout this praise
Hallelujah!

Hallelujah!  Hallelujah!  Hallelujah!  Hallelujah!
You’re the only inspiration for my praise, O God
Hallelujah!

We will join as a congregation and we will exalt You
We will sing as all creation lifts the song anew
Hallelujah!

Filed Under: Seeking Him Daily Devotional Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Hallelujah…Your Love Is Amazing

November 6, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah
Your love makes me sing
Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah
Your love makes me sing

Your love is amazing
Steady and unchanging
Your love is a mountain
Firm beneath my feet

Your love is a mystery
How You gently lift me
When I am surrounded
Your love carries me

Your love is surprising
I can feel it rising
All the joy that’s growing
Deep inside of me

And every time I see you
All your goodness shines through
And I can feel this God-song
Rising up in me

Songwriters: Brenton Brown and Brian Doerksen

Performed by San Antonio Community Bible Church Acts Church Productions

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~   ♥   ~   *

Don’t you think this song is actually a prayer—a happy, joyous proclamation of God’s love?   How much our God must thoroughly enjoy hearing His precious possession—us!—sing out,   ♬ ♪ ♬ HalleluJAH!  Your love makes me sing!  ♬ ♪ ♬

And what incredible, awesome company we are in when we do sing ‘halleluJAH!’  In chapter 19 of the Book of Revelations, four times praises to God using the phrase ‘halleluJAH!’ is recorded.  Three times by ‘a great multitude’, and once by the ‘twenty-four elders and the four living creatures’ (who surround the Throne).  WOW!  This is company I want to be in; you, too!

  • verse 1
    After these things I heard something like a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God;
  • verse 3
    And a second time they said, “Hallelujah! Her smoke rises up forever and ever.”
  • verse 4
    And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sits on the throne saying, “Amen. Hallelujah!”
  • verse 6
    Then I heard something like the voice of a great multitude
    and like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, saying, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns.”

This record in the Book of Revelations and a few in Psalms are the only records that tell us of praise being given by using the phrase ‘HalleluJAH!’  In doing a study on it, I found that it is used approximately  22 times in the Psalms.  Here are a few examples….

For great is His gracious love toward us and the LORD’s faithfulness is eternal. Hallelujah!
117:2

Hallelujah! Give thanks to the LORD because He is good, because His mercy endures forever.
106:1

Let everything that breathes praise the Lord. Hallelujah!
150:6

Hallelujah! How good it is to sing to our God for praise is pleasant and lovely.
147:1

There are so very many things we have been blessed with for which we should give praise to our great God!

  • mercy
  • grace
  • salvation
  • eternal life
  • fellowship w/believers
  • sanctification
  • peace
  • His Word

But one of the greatest things that God does for us and gives us is His love.  As the songwriters expressed to Him, “Your love is amazing…steady and unchanging; Your love is a mountain firm beneath my feet; Your love is a mystery—how You gently lift me when I am surrounded—Your love carries me; Your love is surprising…”.  And truly, it is!!!  Below are some of the many verses in the Scriptures which tell us about our God’s love for us…for all mankind.

Who shall ever separate us from Christ’s love? Shall suffering and affliction and tribulation?
Or calamity and distress? Or persecution or hunger or destitution or peril or sword?
Even as it is written, For Thy sake we are put to death all the day long;
We are regarded and counted as sheep for the slaughter.
Yet amid all these things we are more than conquerors
and gain a surpassing victory through Him Who loved us.
For I am persuaded beyond doubt (am sure) that neither death nor life, nor angels
nor principalities, nor things impending and threatening nor things to come, nor powers,
Nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all Creation
will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:35-39

But God demonstrates His own love for us in this:
While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:8

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son,
that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
John 3:16

This is how God showed His love among us:
He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him.
This is love: not that we loved God,
but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
1 John 4:9 and 10

We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in His love.
God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them.
Verse 16

Because Your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise You.
Psalm 63:3

Doesn’t our Father’s steadfast, immeasureable, unconditional, immoveable, unchanging love just make you want to sing?

  *   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~   ♥   ~   *

HalleluJAH, we thank You for Your love for us and the amazing ways You show it!

Filed Under: Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Praise Him

August 16, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

Praise the Lord!  Hallelujah!  Praise the Lord, O my soul!

While I live will I praise the Lord; I will sing praises to my God while I have any being.

Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no help.

When his breath leaves him, he returns to his earth; in that very day his thoughts, plans, and purposes perish.

Happy (blessed, fortunate, enviable) is he who has the God of  Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God,

Who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, Who keeps truth and is faithful forever,

Who executes justice for the oppressed, Who gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets free the prisoners,

The Lord opens the eyes of the blind, the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down, the Lord loves the [uncompromisingly] righteous.

The Lord protects and preserves the strangers and temporary residents, He upholds the fatherless and the widow and sets them upright, but the way of the wicked He makes crooked.

 The Lord shall reign forever, even Your God, O Zion, from generation to generation. Praise the Lord!  Hallelujah!

Psalm 146

Filed Under: Seeking Him Daily Devotional Tagged With: , , , , , ,

As Long As I Live

August 15, 2014 by

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Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!) Praise the Lord, O my soul!
While I live will I praise the Lord;
I will sing praises to my God while I have any being.
Psalm 146:1 and 2

Haven’t we each uttered words similar to these!  I know for myself that there are times when my heart is just so full of praise and I profess that I will always be found praising Him…my whole life-long!  And, by God’s grace, we each will continue to praise our God for as long as we are alive!   ‘Cause, truly, is there anything better?

Throughout the psalms, we read of David’s (and the other psalmists’) dedication and commitment to praise the Most High God.  Verse after verse, chapter after chapter, contain beautiful words of praise and worship!  And it is such a joyful thing to do when days are easy, and trials are few, and our minds and hearts are not stressed and overwhelmed.

But we each know that, at times, days like those are a distant memory…. We each have experienced seasons of our lives where the pressures and stresses are so burdensome. And our relationships with friends and loved ones seem filled with contention. Times when the cares of this world—finances, and health issues, and rumors of wars, and threaten to overshadow the praises we have committed to bring to our God.

These are the very times…the situations and circumstances…when our praises should be more constant.  It takes a concerted effort and a willful choice sometimes to sing out our HalleluJAHs! And yet we must! We are not yet in the grave. Our lives are not over. We do still have voices and strength to lift our hands in praise to the One Who deserves every praise!

Here are a few expressions of one who is praising God ‘as long as I live!’ Perhaps you might write them down…and tuck them away for encouragement when the times come that the praises of your own heart are not spilling over. Our God does not change. He is faithful. He always brings to pass what He has promised to do. So let’s purpose to do as we so want to do—praise Him as long as we live!

Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,
My lips will praise You.
So I will bless You as long as I live;
I will lift up my hands in Your name.
Psalms 63:3 and 4

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I love the Lord, because He has heard my voice and my supplications.
Because He has inclined His ear to me, therefore will I call upon Him as long as I live.
Psalms 116:1-2

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Let my supplication come before You; deliver me according to Your word!
My lips shall pour forth praise [with thanksgiving and renewed trust] when You teach me Your statutes.
My tongue shall sing [praise for the fulfillment] of Your word, for all Your commandments are righteous.
Let Your hand be ready to help me, for I have chosen Your precepts.
I have longed for Your salvation, O Lord, and Your law is my delight.
Let me live that I may praise You, and let Your decrees help me.
Psalms 119:170-175

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I will sing to the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God while I live. *
May my meditation be pleasing to Him;
I will rejoice in the Lord.
Psalms104:33 and 34

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(* some other versions translate this phrase: while I have my being, to my last breath, while I exist)

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Let everything that has breath and every breath of life praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!)
Psalm 150:6

My prayer today is that we will praise God—from morning when we get up ‘til night when we lay our heads down—we will sing our praises to the One Who deserves all the praise and glory!  May we recognize the privilege of praising our great God!  As long as we have breath, may our lives and hearts and everything within us PRAISE THE LORD!

 

So, check right now…are you breathing?  Is blood flowing through your veins?  Is your heart pumping?  Can you wiggle your toes?  Well, GOOD!  Now get busy praising Him!

Filed Under: Seeking Him Daily Devotional Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Every Praise Is To Our God

August 14, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

Hey now!  Chair dancing is just NOT going to be good enough with this moving and inspiring song!  Are your toes tapping…head bobbing…shoulders jiving…hands clapping?  Up on your feet!  Use your whole self—hands, arms, feet…and mind, heart, voice! Allow your WHOLE self to fully engage in giving ‘every praise!’ to your God!  Sing HalleluJAH!

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Every praise is to our God
Every word of worship with one accord
Every praise every praise is to our God
Sing Hallelujah to our God
Glory Hallelujah is due our God
Every praise every praise is to our God

God my Savior
God my Healer
God my Deliverer
Yes He is, yes He is

Praise sung by Hezekiah Walker and friends
Songwriters: Hezekiah Walker and J. David Bratton

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Our God—our Savior, our Healer, our Deliverer—deserves all the praise there is to give!

Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!) O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;
for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever!
Who can put into words and tell the mighty deeds of the Lord?
Or who can show forth all the praise [that is due Him]?
Psalms 106:1 and 2

Truly, no one can…that is why all of the praise of all of the peoples throughout all time is required to ‘show forth all the praise…’!

Throughout the Scriptures there are many records of God’s people praising and worshipping Him—the object of their every praise. For example,

  • Moses praising with the children of Israel praising God Almighty for the miraculous way He saved them from the Egyptians (Exodus 15)
  • David worshipping with the people of Jerusalem when the Ark of the Covenant was returned to Jerusalem (1 Chronicles 16)

Each of these show us wonderful examples of these Old Testament believers and their hearts to praise the Great I AM!  However, I just love the praises that are given to God by Daniel…and the king, Nebuchadnezzar…recorded in the Book of Daniel.  Here is one prayer of praise and worship Daniel prayed after God gifted him with wisdom and explanations of King Nebudchednezzar’s dream.

Then the secret was revealed to Daniel in a vision of the night, and Daniel blessed the God of heaven. Daniel answered, Blessed be the name of God forever and ever! For wisdom and might are His! He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and sets up kings. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding! He reveals the deep and secret things; He knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with Him! I thank You and praise You, O God of my fathers, Who has given me wisdom and might and has made known to me now what we desired of You, for You have made known to us the solution to the king’s problem.

Daniel 2:19-23

Just like in this song we are inspired by today, Daniel sang out his ‘HalleluJAH!’ and gave all the praise to his God! What can we see in his prayer of praise? First, he praised God. Then he acknowledged Who God is and that He is in-charge and in control—‘He changes the times and the seasons…He removes…and sets up kings.’ And that all wisdom and knowledge are His. And then Daniel thanked and praised God for giving him wisdom and might.

Later on, given the mighty and miraculous acts seen as well as the humbling that Nebuchadnezzar received, he had much praise to give to God, too. He lifted his praise of the Most High God before all the peoples of his kingdom.

It seemed good to me to show the signs and wonders that the Most High God has performed toward me.
How great are His signs! And how mighty His wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and His dominion is from generation to generation.

And at the end of the days, I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted up my eyes to heaven, and my understanding and the right use of my mind returned to me; and I blessed the Most High [God] and I praised and honored and glorified Him Who lives forever, Whose dominion is an everlasting dominion; and His kingdom endures from generation to generation. And all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing. And He does according to His will in the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth, and none can stay His hand or say to Him, What are You doing? Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, Whose works are all faithful and right and Whose ways are just. And those who walk in pride He is able to abase and humble.

Daniel 4:2 and 3, 34-37

And, of course, there are many, many, many additional accounts throughout the Scriptures of praise and worship being offered to the One Who deserves every praise—our Great God!

Every praise is to our God
Sing Hallelujah to our God
Glory! Hallelujah! is due our God
Every praise, every praise is to our God!

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I will confess and praise You [O God] with my whole heart;
before the gods will I sing praises to You.
I will worship toward Your holy temple and praise Your name
for Your loving-kindness and for Your truth and faithfulness;
for You have exalted above all else Your name and Your Word
and You have magnified Your Word above all Your name!
Psalms 138:1 and 2

Filed Under: Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,