1 Thessalonians 5:18
‘In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you’
.DAILY READING – John 2; 1 Chronicles 10-11; Zechariah1
The Christian broadcasting Network [CBN], recently featured a story of a little girl, Ella Stephens, who has come to be known as the ‘Christmas Miracle baby’. Ella was born prematurely on December 18, 2013. Her mother was in the seventh month of her pregnancy when she was diagnosed with preeclampsia —a complication of pregnancy that causes a spike in blood pressure and increases the potential for seizures. When her condition became worse, doctors had to induce labor, and at 33 weeks of the pregnancy she gave birth to little Ella.
As soon as the baby came out, she was straining to breathe. Doctors determined she was losing oxygen and diagnosed her with pulmonary hypertension. She was cared for in the neonatal intensive care unit, and was on a special ventilator, where everything was kept on high settings. Yet Ella’s condition continued to deteriorate. Her parents called upon family and friends to come to the hospital to pray. And though there were a lot of people in her room praying, her vital signs kept going down. Early on Friday morning December 20th 2013, doctors told her parents they had run out of options, and it was time to say their goodbyes to the baby. For 12 hours the family and their loved ones prayed, but still there was no improvement. In the late afternoon of that day, the baby looked blue and lifeless, and finally doctors told her parents she had only five minutes to live. The family was out of time. And that was when her father suggested they switch to praise. And as they began to praise God in the baby’s remaining five minutes of life, suddenly the baby’s eyes opened and she began to look around. The doctors were amazed. A baby who was lifeless only minutes ago, was now awake and alert. The five minutes elapsed and the baby still remained alive. And that was when the family erupted with joy, knowing that God had wrought an amazing miracle for them. And from that moment on the baby’s health began to improve. What would have been a tearful Christmas for the family turned around to become a really praiseful Christmas for them. The baby improved so well, she was released from the hospital in January 2014.
And today, five years later, she has no disabilities and her development is right on track. A baby who went through what Ella went through would normally, if they survived, have numerous deficits; needing wheelchair, unable to even talk or have a lot of disabilities. But Ella is totally healthy and sound. Her life indeed is a testimony of the power of God in praise. Truly God is fearful in praises.
Looking at Jesus’ ministry, the two most profound miracles He did were as a result of praise.
In John. 6:5-12 when He fed 5,000 men in the wilderness, thanksgiving was what multiplied the loaves. And also in John 11:41-44, at the graveside of Lazarus, praise was what brought him back to life.
Indeed Praise is a formidable tool in the working of miracles. When thanksgiving proceeds from the heart, it has the supernatural ability to create miracles.
In Acts 16, Paul and Silas were in the mid-night hour of their lives. They prayed and then switched to praises. As they sang praises aloud to God in the prison, suddenly God showed up and brought deliverance to them.
When praise becomes your lifestyle, you never run out of signs and wonders. According to Mark 16, signs are meant to follow you as a believer, that is a promise of God. But this promise will not be accomplished until you first do God’s will, which is praise.
Hebrews 10:35 lets us know that it is after we have done the will of God that we obtain the promise.
And we find what it takes to do the will of God in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 which says ‘In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you’.
So Praise is the will of God, which after you have done, you are sure to obtain the promise of signs and wonders.
Therefore, no matter what you’re going through, praise God and you will obtain the promises He has made to you.
Praise is a covenant technique that guarantees cheap victory. When you live a praiseful life, God’s presence abides with you; and when He abides with you, He compels signs to attend to you. There is no mountain that God’s presence cannot level, no sea that He cannot dry up, no “Jordan” that cannot be driven back, so that you have an express way to your destination.
It does not matter what situation you find yourself in right now, as you begin to praise God, signs and wonders will erupt around you in Jesus Name.
PRAYER: Lord, please help me to praise you despite any situation, let nothing ever stop the continual flow of your praise from my mouth in Jesus Name.
QUOTE
Praise always guarantees you power for a raise, learning to praise God in season and out of season is key to fulfilling destiny. – WORDBITE 222.
[ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK REJOICE]