Sacrifice of Praise

One night (in the early morning hours) a couple weeks or so ago, I woke up with the chorus going through my mind...

We bring a sacrifice of praise into the House of the LORD, we bring a sacrifice of praise into the House of the LORD. And we offer up to you, the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and we offer up to you the sacrifice of praise.

I immediately began to sing it in the first person. " I " bring a sacrifice of praise into the House of the LORD.. We sing that chorus, but are we really thinking about what we are singing. Oh yes, I know, there are many times we have entered the doors of the sanctuary and our attitude is just not in a "praise" mode. We are still reeling from our CARNAL day and don't have the inclination to give God any of our praise, after all... what do we have to Praise HIM for today? Oh my! Oh me!

Definition of Sacrifice:
1. An act of offering to deity something precious.
2. something offered in sacrifice
3. destruction or surrender of something for the sake of something else; to give up..

NO MATTER what our attitude is or has been during the day...
NO MATTER what trouble and trials we've had...
NO MATTER what words have been harshly spoken to us...
NO MATTER how someone has treated us...

NO MATTER ...

We MUST make the effort to bring a sacrifice of PRAISE unto our GOD!!! It's up to us as individuals... Yes, we are a body... but we can't wait for someone else to start praising... purpose in your heart that YOU will bring a sacrifice of praise... You may ask... what do I have to sacrifice? NO MATTER... that's the sacrifice... we sacrifice our flesh upon the alter and God anoints our Spirit. Our FLESH is our sacrifice... It may be easier for some of us to actually sacrifice a real LAMB... than to give of ourselves.

To me that is an example of "detachment"... if you sacrifice something that isn't a part of yourself... that's much easier isn't it? Sacrificing our flesh is hard work and takes much effort. I challenge you... lift up those hands... and give yourself to the one who sacrificed himself for you.

A quote:

None can sing a new song who has not the new life. But many who have the new life seem to have lost the song. The first thing that goes when we begin to backslide is the joy of the Lord.
-- Evan H. Hopkins

NO MATTER... I'm going to... Praise the LORD, O my soul. I will praise the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. Psalm 146:1-2

The voice of joy, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the voice of them that shall say, Praise the LORD of hosts: for the LORD is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: and of them that shall bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the LORD. For I will cause to return the captivity of the land, as at the first, saith the LORD. Jer 33:11

By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. Heb 13:15

I purposed in my heart a long time ago... that NO MATTER... I AM going to praise my God. I AM going to offer my sacrifice of praise NO MATTER what I'm going through ... "... a living sacrifice..."

My prayer: O God of my salvation... of whom shall I fear... YOU are the CREATOR of my soul. I desire to continually offer to you the praises of my heart. Help me to keep this carnal man under control and to offer it sacrifically to YOU.

Originally written for Heart2Heart Women's Ministries (Heart for Truth Ministries) April 2007