Praise and Worship Contagiously

The highest and most powerful human experience is to express our love to the most worthy object of that affection. When a believing community amplifies worship as their ultimate priority, they are shaped buy adoration into the most powerful human force possible. When you worship, you are saying, “This God is worth more.” At the same time you are implying, “I am worth less.” Worship is the magnification of God and the minimization of self. One of the most succinct expressions of a worshipper’s heart in all the New Testament came from John the Baptist: “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30). Come and Worship with us…It is contagious.

As a child, I remember the first time I experienced the power of praise and worship for myself. I was going through so many things that a young child should not have to deal with at a tender age. I was searching for acceptance, love and just trying to fit in. One Sunday, I heard Bishop Bradley say, the joy of the Lord is your strength. I’m sure that those words had been spoken before, but for reason, this time, those words resonated in my soul. If you want joy, clap for it'. So I began clapping my hands and jumped to my feet like my soul was on fire. I wanted that joy that my pastor was speaking about; and I was willing to do anything to get it and not lose it?

Clapping my hands and calling on God awakened praise in me that I never experienced before. Praising God made me feel stronger and closer to God. I felt that I was not by myself, as if God was someone fighting with me and for me.

From that day onward, I praised and worshiped God like it was going out of style. You see, I wanted my release, I needed my deliverance, and I wanted to receive my break through. I know only God has the answer, so I used the only tool that I had to bring me to victory. I used my praise.