Do you dance?  I’m not talking about a little jive pat in your foot because a rhythm of a song moved you.  I’m talking about a choice to purposefully praise God with dance.  And not only dance, but with singing, shouting, clapping, lifting of hands, or any of the other ways that are spoken of in the Psalms.  Choosing to praise regardless of circumstance, emotion, with or without music.  We are instructed to praise God with all of who we are.  Praise from a believer is beautiful to God, and can be described as an expression of our Love to God. 

Psalm 33:1 says this: Rejoice in the LORD, O ye righteous; for praise is comely for the upright

It seems right to praise God when we see victory, when the enemy is defeated and we see God move in mighty ways.  Much the way Miriam led the women in dance after the crossing of the red sea.  This praise is jubilant and comes from revealed joy (Exodus 15:20).  Then we see David dancing before the Lord as he brings the ark back to Jerusalem.  This was a form of praise stripped down to its humblest form, David, a king willingly disrobing from his kingly array, expressing honor through Praise dance in the presence of God (II Samuel 6:14-22). Then we can see Paul and Silas, imprisoned for doing kingdom work, shackled in chains, beaten but praise was on their lips, and as they sang in the midnight hour the prison shook, the doors were opened and they were freed(Acts 16:16-40).  Praise is a powerful expression rising above our human condition, giving God the honor due His name.  Praise is also a powerful weapon in our arsenal when waging war against our enemy the Devil.

Psalm 149:3-4 Let them praise His name with the dance; Let them sing praises to Him with the timbrel and harp.  For the Lord takes pleasure in His people; He will beautify the humble with salvation.

Verse 6 – Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand, To execute vengeance on the nations, and punishments on the peoples; To bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron; To execute on them the written judgment this honor have all His saints.   Praise the Lord!

We can read above that it is an honor bestowed on us as His saints to execute judgment, bind kings and nobles, to execute on them the written judgment.  How do we do this?  Through the High Praises of God and a two-edged sword in our hand.  This is spiritual warfare, Ephesians 6:12 identifies our enemy saying that it is not flesh and blood that we wrestle against but instead rulers of darkness and spiritual wickedness in high places.  We have been given the honor of binding them, one way we do that is through our praise.  We can purposefully choose to Praise in a way that incapacitates the enemy.

Praise has many purposes of which all share one common denominator and that is putting God in the spotlight.  What ever the circumstance, whatever the occasion He is worthy to be praised! We overcome because He overcame.  We have victory because He is the Victor!  Let your High praises ring!

PRAYER:  Heavenly Father, you are worthy of all my praise, forgive me when I have withheld the glory due your name.  I ask you to help me be aware of the opportunities I have daily to give you praise.