LESSON 9

*November 24 - 30

A Life of Praise

Read for This Week's Study:

Memory Text: 

The Week at a Glance: 

What is praise? How could praise be such a powerful spiritual weapon in difficult circumstances? How can praise transform us and the situation around us?

*Study this week's lesson to prepare for Sabbath, December 1.

Framework for Praise

The great Russian writer Fyodor Dostoyevski had been sentenced to death, only to have the sentence commuted at the last moment. He spent years in prison instead. Talking about his prison experience, he wrote: "Believe to the end, even if all men go astray and you are left the only one faithful; bring your offering even then and praise God in your loneliness."

In these lessons we have already seen how Paul endured incredible opposition and persecution. But now he is sitting in a Roman prison. But he is not depressed; instead, he is eagerly writing to encourage the believers in Philippi!

Read Philippians 4:4-7. How do you think Paul could have written such things when he himself was sitting in a prison? What are the keys in this verse to gaining the "peace of God"?  

It is one thing to rejoice when everything is going well. But Paul exhorts us to rejoice always. That may sound strange. If we take what Paul writes literally, there are two critical implications for us.

First, if we are to rejoice always, it must mean that we should be rejoicing even when circumstances do not appear to give any grounds for rejoicing. Second, if we are to rejoice always, it must also mean that we are going to have to learn to rejoice at times when we do not feel like it.

Paul is calling us to praise God even though many times it may seem quite unnatural to us. It may even seem unreasonable. But as we will see, it is precisely because there are times where it appears unreasonable that we are called to rejoice. In other words, praise is an act of faith. Just as faith is based not on our circumstances but rather on the truth about God, so praise is something we do, not because we feel good, but because of the truth of who God is and what He has promised us. And amazingly, it is such faith that begins to shape our thoughts, feelings, and circumstances.

What is the truth about God that Paul identifies in today's text—truth that enables him to rejoice, even in prison? Write down a short list of what you know to be the truth about God. Go through the list and praise God for each item. How does this change the way that you feel about and view your circumstances?

Praying Down Walls

There's an expression in English: "to be painted into a corner." Imagine painting the floor of a room but then realizing that you have wound up in a corner and cannot get out—except by walking over the fresh paint. You have to stay there until it dries!

Sometimes our faith seems to paint us into a corner. We arrive at a situation, and, like the wet paint on the floor, our faith "traps" us. We look at the situation and either have to reject God, faith, and everything we have believed in, or our faith compels us to believe what appears impossible.

God brought the Israelites to a corner. After they had wandered for 40 years in the wilderness, God did not lead His people to empty, peaceful grasslands. God led them to one of the most strongly fortified cities in the whole area. Then they had to walk around Jericho in silence for six days. On the seventh day God told them to shout—and that shouting, together with the trumpets, would bring victory.

Read Joshua 5:13-6:20. What is God trying to teach the Israelites?  

Shouting loudly was not going to cause vibrations to trigger the walls to collapse. When God called the Israelites to "shout," it was the same type of shouting that David writes about in Psalm 66: "Shout with joy to God, all the earth! Sing the glory of his name; make his praise glorious!" (vss. 1, 2, NIV). This shouting was praise! After six days of looking at the huge walls, they must have concluded that they hadn't a chance of breaking them down themselves.

How does this idea help us understand the meaning of Hebrews 11:30?  

When God is on the verge of doing something new in our lives, He may bring us to a Jericho, for He may need to teach us that the power to triumph does not come in our own strength and strategies. Everything we need comes from outside ourselves. So, no matter what is in front of us, no matter how insurmountable it may seem, our role is to praise God—the source of everything we need. This is faith in action.

The Life of Praise

Praising the Lord might not be natural to us, even in good circumstances. Thus, how much more difficult to do it in bad ones? Yet, that is what we are called to do. Praise is something that must be practiced until it changes from being an activity done at a particular time to an atmosphere in which we live. Praise shouldn't so much be a specific act but a specific way of life itself.

Read Psalm 145. What are the reasons David gives for praising God?  In what ways should the words of this psalm be your own?  

The great British preacher Charles Haddon Spurgeon wrote a book called The Practice of Praise. It is based on verse 7 of today's psalm. In this short verse, Spurgeon calls our attention to three important things that can help in developing praise in our lives.

1. Praise is practiced as we look around us. If we do not look around us to see the greatness of God, we will have no reason to praise Him. What can you see in the created world that is praiseworthy, such as the beauty of God's creation? What can you see in the spiritual world that is praiseworthy, such as the growing faith in a young Christian?

2. Praise is practiced as we remember what we have seen. If we want to live in an atmosphere of praise, we must be able to recall the reason for it. In what ways can we remember the great things about God, so that His goodness and the truth about Him do not slip from our minds (such as developing new rituals or symbols that remind us of His goodness)?

3. Praise is practiced as we talk about it. Praise is not something that we do in our heads. It is meant to come out of our mouths, to be heard by those around us. What reasons can you think of to praise God verbally? What will the effect of such praise be, and on whom?

Take a pen and some paper and spend some time working through these three points. What can you do to develop the habit of praise in your life?

A Witness Who Convicts

In the book of Acts, praise had an astonishing effect on those who heard it. Read Acts 16:16-34. Having been stripped and beaten hard, Paul and Silas were thrown into prison. No one was there to put ointment on their badly cut and bruised backs. In great physical pain and with their feet in stocks, they were placed in the darkness of the inner prison. But as the other prisoners sat listening, Paul and Silas begin to pray and sing.

After the earthquake, and after the jailer had discovered that neither Paul nor Silas nor any of the other prisoners had escaped, he "fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He then brought them out and asked, `Sirs, what must I do to be saved?'" (vss. 29, 30, NIV).

Why did this event cause the jailer to focus on his own need of salvation? What role do you think Paul's and Silas's prayers and songs played in the prisoners' not running away, and in the conversion of this man and his whole family?  

It is amazing to think that our praise can transform the eternal destinies of those around us. If Paul and Silas had sat in the dark mumbling and complaining as prisoners often do, do you think anyone would have been saved that night?

We don't know what happened to the jailer and his family later on, but can you imagine them reading the words that Paul later wrote from another prison in Rome: "For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him, since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have" (Phil. 1:29, 30, NIV). If they did read this and reflected on how Paul's suffering had brought them joy, it surely must have brought a song to their hearts and a fresh challenge to remain faithful, no matter the cost.

Who do you think could be influenced for God by a song of praise that could come from your heart? Make a concerted effort to be more open and effusive in your praise to God around others. You don't know the positive effect it could have.

A Weapon That Conquers

Read 2 Chronicles 20:1-30. As Jehoshaphat discovered, praise is a powerful weapon. After receiving the report that a "vast army" was coming against him, Jehoshaphat did not immediately jump to military action but "resolved to inquire of the Lord" (vs. 3, NIV). As the people of Judah came to Jerusalem for a fast, Jehoshaphat admitted the reality of the situation, saying that " 'we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you' " (vs. 12, NIV).

When you see a "vast army" approaching, what is your instinctive reaction? From Jehoshaphat's response in verses 3-12, what can you learn about dealing with overwhelming opposition?  

As the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel, he boldly announced: " ' "You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you" ' " (vs. 17, NIV). After that, they worshiped God and sang praises to Him "with very loud voice" (vs. 19, NIV). Even though God was going to fight for them, they still had to go out to face the enemy.

But this was no ordinary march to war. Jehoshaphat appointed a choir to sing praises to the Lord as they marched out. "As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated" (vs. 22, NIV). According to the author, God intervened at the very moment they exercised their faith in His promise, as they began to "praise him for the splendor of his holiness" (vs. 21, NIV).

Further Study:  

Discussion Questions:

What role does community praise have in the life of the Christian? How would you describe the praise in your Sabbath services? Is it uplifting? Does it encourage members to maintain faithfulness amid trial and trauma? If not, what can be done?      What does it mean to "praise the Lord even when you fall into darkness" or to "praise Him even in temptation"? How can praise help us through these situations?      Let members give testimonies on how praise has affected their lives. What can you learn from each other's experiences?      As a class, pick a psalm of praise and spend time reading it. What does it teach you about praise? What impact does praise have on your faith?

Join the SSNET moderated email discussion group.  You are also warmly invited to join a group discussion of this lesson Sabbath morning with your local Seventh-day Adventist congregation.

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