July 2019 – Yadah (Praise) God

“Oh, that men would praise (Yadah) the LORD for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men” (Psalm 107:15).

Introduction: We bless God for His grace and mercy for the past six months. What a Great God we serve. From “Glory Ahead” in January to “All Will Be Well” in February and “Extreme Makeover” in March, “Dreamlike Miracles” in April, to “Shouts of Joy” in May and then making us “More than Conquerors” in June. So, what else can we wish for that He has not given us? If I say long life, it’s our inheritance. If we say favor, it’s already our portion. If we say Peace, it’s our dwelling place. If I say fulfillment and abundant blessing, it’s already ours. So, what else can we say or do for this awesome God than to Yadah Him? What can I render to the LORD Jehovah but to sing His praises?

Yadah is a Hebrew word for Praise. Yadah is a verb with a root meaning “the extended hand, to throw out the hand, therefore, to worship with extended hand. So, to Yadah is raising our hands in praise and worship when we’re in church, in the car, in our homes, or wherever we may be worshiping God. I’m still baffled at this: Why is it that when we’re watching our favorite football or basketball team or a boxing match on television, we have no problem lifting our hands when our team scores a touchdown, hits a 3-pointer or kicks a field goal, but when we’re in church some of us can barely get our hands out of our pockets?

Lifting up our hands to God signifies two things. One, that we love God, and that we’re unashamed to worship Him. Two, it is a sign of our surrender to Him as LORD of our lives. The elders have a saying, “The child with open, outstretched arms is the one that gets carried by the father.” When you do your part, God will do His. Now, 2 Chronicles 20:21 says, “ And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who should sing to the LORD, and who should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army and were saying: “Praise the LORD, For His mercy endures forever.”

When you Yadah (Praise Him) this month, at least seven or eight different things shall happen in your life, family, home, business, neighborhood or community, according to 2 Chronicles 20:17-25. The multiple possibilities of the supernatural consequences of praising God with genuine gratitude and surrender are elicited from this portion of Scripture.

1. God takes over your battles: 2 Chronicles 20:17 says, “You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the LORD, Who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem! Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the LORD is with you.”
2. Enemies are destroyed/silenced/rendered powerless & scattered: 2 Chronicles 20:22-23 says, “Now when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated. For the people of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir to utterly kill and destroy them. And when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, they helped to destroy one another.”
3. No enemy shall escape: 2 Chronicles 20:24 says, “So when Judah came to a place overlooking the wilderness, they looked toward the multitude; and there were their dead bodies, fallen on the earth. No one had escaped.”
4. Prison doors are forced opened: Acts 16:26 says, “…so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened…”
5. Bands are loosed: Acts 16:26 continues to say, “… and every one’s bands were loosed.” Oh, I hear the chains falling! Isaiah 10:27 says, “…it shall come to pass…”
6. The shout of joy produces signs and wonders: Psalm 126:2 says, “Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The LORD hath done great things for them.”
7. You will be located in the Valley of Abundant Blessing: 2 Chronicles 20:25-26 (MSG) says, “When Jehoshaphat and his people came to carry off the plunder, they found more loot than they could carry off—equipment, clothing, valuables. It took three days to cart it away! On the fourth day they came together at the Valley of Blessing (Beracah) and blessed GOD (that’s how it got the name, Valley of Blessing).”
8. God dwells in Yadah: Psalm 22:3 says, “But Thou art holy, O Thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.” There is praise and worship always in heaven (Revelations 4:10-11, 9:11-12). The LORD desires that if it is replicated on earth, worshipping Him should be done in spirit and in truth; God seeks such worshippers (John 4:23-24).

The only way God will not arise as we Yadah God is sin. God loves sinners, but He hates sin. James 5:20 (NKJV) says, “let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.” A believer who plays with sin is a sinner and, thus, wicked. Psalm 15:1-2 says, “LORD, who shall abide in Thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in Thy holy hill? He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart.” Sin replaces joy with sorrow, boldness with fear and victory with defeat. In the Israelite camp, although the Ark was in their midst, representing the Presence of God, and there was a shout of joy, they still lost the battle because there was sin in the camp (1 Samuel 4:5-11).

IMPORTANT WARNING: Let us be sure that we are not at odds with the Most High God by living in sin and twisting His words. Why? Hebrews 10:31says, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

• Modern day terms have been coined for sin because the original words are too convicting. Stealing = long finger, fornication = live-in, adultery = affair, perversion = alternate lifestyle, killing unborn babies = question of choice, lying = joke, being a busy body and tale bearing = over zealousness. WHAT A PITY! Galatians 6:7 says, “God is not mocked, whatsoever you sow, you’ll reap.” Even pornography among married and unmarried = freedom of expression.
• Listen, and listen to me well: A sin is a sin just as a spade is a spade. A lie is a lie. Stealing is stealing. Abortion is murder, adultery is adultery, not just an affair. Hebrews 13:4 says, “Marriage is honorable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.”

Conclusion: This month, in obeying the admonishing of Timothy in 1 Timothy 2:8 (NKJV), “I desire therefore that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.” Raising our hands in Yadah to the LORD means praise and worship in surrender to the LORD and Savior Jesus Christ (Psalm 63:1).
Prayer Arrows:

• Father, I have reasons to praise You (go ahead and sing your reasons) – Thank you for saving me, healing, deliverance, anointing, favor, open doors, etc. Isaiah 52:9 says, “Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem: for the LORD hath comforted His people, He hath redeemed Jerusalem.”
• Psalm 67:3-4 says, “Let the people praise Thee, O God; let all the people praise Thee. O let the nations be glad and sing for joy…” As we praise you, O LORD, let our country (USA, Nigeria, Canada, Australia, etc.) be glad and sing for joy.
• Psalm 67:5 says, “Let the people praise Thee, O God; let all the people praise Thee. Then shall the earth yield her increase; and God, even our own God, shall bless us.” Let our earth yield her increase and make us swim in your blessings, in Jesus’ Name.
• I command every sorrow of my heart to give way to songs of praise unto my God now, in Jesus’ Name.
• Father, send me helpers of praise & worship in spirit and in truth, in Jesus’ Name.
• I relocate from the camp of the murmurers and grumblers to the Yadah camp, in Jesus’ Name.
• Every agenda of sorrow and tragedy drawn up by my enemy is destroyed and shall neither stand nor come to pass, in Jesus’ Name.
• I declare loud and clear that the joy of the LORD is my strength!
• As the LORD liveth and my soul liveth, no one in my family will shed tears of sorrow this year and in the years to come, in Jesus’ Name. Joy, laughter, celebrations, songs of praise and adoration shall perpetually be heard in my family.
• O LORD, I have sown in tears long enough, let me begin to reap the harvest of worship, praise and adoration from now on, in Jesus’ Name (Psalm 126:1-6).
• Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord – Praise the Lord!
• Praise Him for answered worship, adoration, thanksgiving and praise!