Today I breakdown Hebrews 13:15. This verse encourages us to praise God continually. Through scripture especially the Psalms we see verses that calls for us to praise the Lord through all circumstances.
Psalm 113:3 “From the rising of the sun to its setting. The name of the Lord is to be praised.”
Psalm 34:1 “I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.”
Psalm 146:2 “I will praise the Lord while I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.”
As I read Heb 13:15, I wanted to delve into why praise and sacrifice are intertwined here.
Praise for the Lord springs forth from us in response to His blessings, provision, protection, and His love.
Sacrifice is something that costs us, whereas praise usually comes from a joyful and thankful heart. When we must sacrifice something, praise is not the automatic first response over it.
But what happens when things do not pan out the way we expect, when things are tough and there does not seem to be a tangible way out from the trial. At those times, praise can be hard to spring forth from our hearts.
So what does a sacrifice of praise mean?
To praise God at those times calls for a sacrifice of our own understanding, of the fear that comes from not knowing how and when God will make a way. We sacrifice those inclinations, those tendencies to lean on our own strength and wisdom and trust in His ways, His faithfulness, and His goodness.
Praise is a gift we can give to God. It’s a sacrifice of our heart – giving him our best, even when we don’t feel up to it.
Prayer: Lord, there are many a times we scramble in our own strength, trying to control things. Forgive us Lord. Help us to do better, to surrender to your wisdom, timing, and your path. May we always turn to you and give you praise not just because you have provided in some way but because you are worthy of all our praise. Help us to feel your presence in good times and amidst our trials. May your praises never be lacking on our lips, making known to others the name above all names.
Amen
The Faithfood Blog 
This is such wisdom, Manu!
There is a prayer I pray daily, “Lord, I thank You for _____ as an act of my faith. You know I don’t like it, I don’t understand it, but I trust You, and I know there’s a reason for this. And it will be part of ____’s testimony someday. So, thank You.” I say it out loud, and hearing myself makes it a little easier to live with.
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Thank you Annie. That prayer is humbling and helps with keeping God, His plan and purpose in the centre of whatever comes your way through the day.
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Wow, this was so timely in light of things God has been showing me as of late. Thank you for taking the time to write this post and share your insights. What an encouragement it is!
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Thank you so much Colleen. Glad it helped in some way 🤗
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This is such a needed reminder. Too often we allow our circumstances to define our mood. But no matter what we are facing, God is always good. And we can trust Him. I have found that when I praise the Lord, even in the midst of difficulties, it restores my heart and makes me feel better. But I don’t always remember to praise Him like I should. So I appreciate the reminder. I love the verses you shared. And I really love how you broke down the Hebrews verse. Which is still something I need to get better at. So thank you for that reminder as well. I pray that praising God will become so natural to us that we automatically praise Him, no matter what we are going through. Blessings, my friend! 🤗♥️
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Thank you Bridget. I agree that we often let our lord define our praise or at least how much we praise. May we grow to praise Him continually.
Blessings my friend 🤗💙
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Amen and Amen! Praise is a lifestyle! Love and blessings, Manu!!!!
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When we are confused, hurting, and afraid, praise helps us focus, to realize Who is in charge. As in Psalm 146:2, I find comfort and peace singing praises to my God. May praise for the Lord become a constant in my life. Manu, thanks for the timely reminder! 💖✨💐🌺
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I so agree, it helps us focus back in Him. That verse is such a perfect reminder.
Thank you Jeanne 🤗💙
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Excellent!! I like your description of what sacrifice of praise means. Once again, a fantastic reminder what we are to do as Christians. Thank you Manu!
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Thank you so much 😊 Meghan
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I love a good prayer model. I’m often at a loss of words before God, so thank you for yours, Manu. In it, I see praise and gratitude and requests for forgiveness and help. It’s a simple formula in theory. Maybe it just takes continued practice.
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I guess it does take continued practice for all of us.
Blessing to you Crystal.
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Oh, my, does this hit me where I live, Manu! Thank you for a wise word and a much needed reminder! Blessings to you!
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I am so glad this spoke to you Marisa. It is never easy to praise in difficult times but through the Lord we can.
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Manu, thank you for sharing how you break down a verse getting deeper into the core truth. I shared your last example with a small group of ladies that meets for a weekly Bible study. We were just finishing the book of James and tried that method during our final week. Everyone expressed that it caused them to slow down and look deeper rather than gloss over the surface.
Your example has helped others to unearth greater wisdom from the Word. Blessings.
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Your words warmed my heart. Thank you so much, I am very encouraged by them. Praise God for enabling me to do so and for you to share it with others.
Blessings to you 🤗
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You have left out the word THEREFORE…. Therefore there could mean, Because we have an assurance that through Jesus we can offer praise in all circumstances, let us(be intentional) continually offer praises to Jesus no matter our situation. Otherwise, I am seriously loving your new scriptural breakdown expertise 😘
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Yes! Love what you pointed out here. Iron sharpen iron sis. And you did so here. Thank you 🤗
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Spot on. Oh that we’d remember to offer our sacrifice of praise by surrendering our inclinations, preferences, experiences and relying on His strength
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Yes!! Thank you Nissi.
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Good morning, Manu! I love the diagram – very helpful. He is worthy of all praise! Blessings!
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Thank you so much Cindy 💙
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