Gifts of Praise and Tongues

Spiritual Gifts Session 4

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The gifts of praise and tongues are the works of the Holy Spirit

They are freely given and are to be freely received.

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Using it will help us to grow

it will manifest God's presence and power in our lives

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The Gift of Praise

Reasons why everyone should praise and worship God

God commands it in His Word.

• At this, Jesus said to him, Get away, Satan! It is written: 'The Lord, your God, shall you worship and him alone shall you serve.' (Matthew 4:10)
• Let everything that has breath give praise to the LORD! Hallelujah! (Psalms 150:6)
• There are many more places in the Bible where God commands us to praise Him. Many psalms commence with the command “Praise the Lord.”
• Not to praise God is to disobey Him.

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The Gift of Praise

Reasons why everyone should praise and worship God

Praise is proper for the upright.

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• I Rejoice, you just, in the LORD; praise from the upright is fitting. (Psalms 33:1)
• Some Christians feel that praising God and rejoicing in Him is unseemly and improper. But the Bible projects the opposite view.
• A psalm. A sabbath song. I It is good to give thanks to the LORD, to sing praise to your name, Most High, (Psalms 92:1)
• Praise has a beneficial influence. It is good, helpful, healthy, therapeutic. There is a healthy release to be had from praising God that benefits the whole person.

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The Gift of Praise

Reasons why everyone should praise and worship God

Praise honors God.

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• Those who offer praise as a sacrifice honor me; to the obedient I will show the salvation of God. (Psalms 50:23)
• Every time we offer praise, we uplift, magnify and glorify our God. As Christians our whole objective and desire in life should be to glorify God.

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The Gift of Praise

Reasons why everyone should praise and worship God

The praising soul learns to “delight himself in the Lord” and God gives him the desires of his heart.

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• Find your delight in the LORD who will give you your heart's desire. (Psalms 37:4)
• Too many people say “If only God would grant me the desires of my heart, how I would praise Him for it.” The Divine Order is the reverse.
• We praise Him and then He gives us the desires of our heart.

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The Gift of Praise

Reasons why everyone should praise and worship God

Praise precedes victory.

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• After consulting with the people, he appointed some to sing to the LORD and some to praise the holy Appearance as it went forth at the head of the army. They sang: Give thanks to the LORD, for his mercy endures forever. At the moment they began their jubilant hymn, the LORD laid an ambush against the Ammonites, Moabites, and those of Mount Seir who were coming against Judah, so that they were vanquished. (2 Chronicles 20:21-22)
• Story of King Jehoshaphat leading God’s people into battle. He appointed musicians and singers to march ahead of the army (v.21). The result was disaster for their enemies.

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The Gift of Praise

Reasons why everyone should praise and worship God

• Imagine an army being led by singers and people praising God. How strange! But though the weapons of our warfare are not carnal (natural), nevertheless they are mighty and can pull down Satan’s strongholds.
• As we go into battle for the Lord today, we should do so with a realization of the power of praise. Going forth praising God is going with faith and victory. We can then experience God fighting and working on our behalf.

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The Gift of Praise

Reasons why everyone should praise and worship God

Praise is a protection against backsliding.

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• No person ever backslides who maintains a life of praise to God.
• Example: Job. He did not backslide because he steadfastly maintained his praise to God even in the most trying circumstances.

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Characteristics of the gift of praise

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Praise begins from the heart and manifests itself.

• I will praise you with all my heart, glorify your name forever, Lord my God. (Psalms 86:12)
• Real praise begins in the heart. It is the expression of our feeling, sentiment and desire towards the Lord. It is the very depth of our being, the seat of our emotions. It begins in the heart (musing, meditation, etc.) and issues forth in a physical manifestation.

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Praise is audible.

• Bless our God, you peoples; loudly sound his praise, (Psalms 66:8)
• Praise can be done:
• with shouting. Ps 47:6; Ps 35:27a; Ps 66:1-2.
• with singing. Ps 100:1-2; Ps 95:1-2.
• with laughter. Ps 126:2.
• with musical instruments. Ps 150:1-5.

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Praise involves physical participation.

• Clapping.
• Lifting up one’s hands. Ps 134:2.
• Dancing. Ps 150:4a.
• Can mean “leaping,” “skipping,” “lifting up the feet.” Acts 3:8.
• Dancing was form for expressing great joy and victory. Ps 149:2-3.

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Praise involves the totality of our being.

• Of David. I Bless the LORD, my soul; all my being, bless his holy name! (Psalms 103:1)
• 1 Thes 5:23. We are a tri-partite being composed of spirit, soul and body.
• spirit. Lk 1:47.
• soul. Ps 103:1.
• body. Ps 145:21.

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Praise is to be done continually, at all times, in all places.

• Then my tongue shall recount your justice, declare your praise, all the day long. (Psalms 35:28)
• In order to praise the Lord continually and at all times, we must of necessity worship Him everywhere and in all places.

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The Gift of Tongues

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Two Aspects

• Praying in tongues.
• (For) if I pray in a tongue, my spirit is at prayer but my mind is unproductive. (1 Corinthians 14:14)
• Prophecy in tongues.

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Note: This talk focuses on the first aspect.

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Misconceptions

Misunderstanding regarding this gift.

The Holy Spirit forces you to speak in tongues.

• Reality: The Holy Spirit never forces anyone. With total respect for us whom He has created, God gently makes the grace available to us. It is up to us to cooperate.

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When you first speak in tongues, you are going to have a very dramatic and tremendous emotional experience. Some manifestations: trembling, flapping the hands, hitting oneself, distorting the mouth, gnashing the teeth.

• Reality: Our God is a gentle and loving God. The spirit we receive is a spirit of worship and praise, not one of violence and hysteria.

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Misconceptions

Misunderstanding regarding this gift.

If the Holy Spirit wants you to receive the gift, then you will. So let it just happen; you do not have to do anything. Just let it be. So you just sit there with you mouth shut and your arms crossed.

Reality: we need to approach the Lord with expectant faith, believing that if we ask we will receive. Then we need to open our hearts, minds, our whole being to Him.

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Praying in tongues leads to singing in tongues

Praying in tongues often leads to singing in tongues during worship.

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Doing things that gives glory to God is the most amazing thing to do.

Let us now praise and worship our God.

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