Freedom in the Holy Ghost

There are too many times that people tell us “you can’t do that” or “you’re not allowed to do that” or even “that is not acceptable”. I have had times in life where I have felt boxed into a corner because I was told I could not praise MY JESUS which was the same as THEIR JESUS in a certain way.  Don’t mistake what I am saying… everyone has a way that is best for themselves to praise Christ; however, keeping someone from how they choose to praise (provided it’s within the laws of Gods Word – the Bible) then I don’t feel as though that is fair.

If someone feels the urge to raise one or both hands as a way of praise then they should be allowed to do that. If someone feels the urge to bow their head and close their eyes, they should be allowed to do that and not ridiculed for not being “open enough”. If someone wants to dance as their praise to God, they should should be allowed to do that and not ridiculed for being “disrespectful”. I want to remind these people that God gives a list of ways we can praise His name. Just because it’s not the method you choose does not mean it’s not acceptable to the God we both believe in. I found this summary and loved it! It was simple and yet to the point in what I was trying to say (I’m sure there are others, this is not a complete list):

A. Audibly

1. Singing (TEHILLAH)—“Sing praise to the Lord, you saints of His, and give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name” Ps 30:4; “Speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord” Eph 5:19; see also Ezra 3:11, Ps 40:3, Ps 47:6-7, Ps 61:8, Ps 81:1, Ps 146:2, Ps 149:5, Is 42:11, Zeph 3:14, Matt 26:30, 1 Cor 14:15, Col 3:16, Rev 14:3.

2. Shouting (SHABACH)—“Let them shout for joy and be glad, who favor my righteous cause” Psalm 35:27; “For thus says the Lord: ‘Sing with gladness for Jacob, and shout among the chief of the nations; proclaim, give praise, and say “O Lord, save Your people, the remnant of Israel!”’” Jer 31:7; see also Josh 6:16, 1 Sam 4:5, 2 Chr 13:14-15, Ps 32:11, Ps 47:1, Ps 98:4, Zeph 3:14, Luke 19:37.

3. Instruments (ZAMAR)—“Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet; praise Him with the lute and harp! Praise Him with the timbrel and dance; praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes! Praise Him with loud cymbals; praise Him with clashing cymbals!” Ps 150:3-5; see also 2 Sam 6:5, 1 Kin 1:40, 2 Chr 5:13-14, Ezra 3:10, Ps 68:25, Rev 14:2.

4. Saying amen in church—“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting! And let all the people say, ‘Amen!’ Praise the Lord!” Ps 106:48; see also 1 Chr 16:36, Neh 8:6, 1 Cor 14:16.

5. Weeping—“So that the people could not discern the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of the weeping of the people” Ezra 3:13; see also Judg 21:1, Ps 6:8, Jer 9:1, Joel 2:17, Luke 6:21, James 4:9.

6. Prayer Tongue – Acts 10: ⁴⁶“For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God.” Acts 10 and Acts 19

B. Physically

1. Lifting Hands (YADAH)—“Let my prayer be set before You as incense, the lifting of my hands as the evening sacrifice” Ps 141:2; “Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens” Lam 3:41; see also Ex 17:11, 2 Chr 6:12, 29, Ezra 9:5, Ps 28:2, Ps 63:4, Ps 119:48, Ps 134:1-2, Luke 24:50, 1 Tim 2:8.

2. Dancing—“Let them praise His name with the dance; let them sing praises to Him with the timbrel and harp” Psalm 149:3; “Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! For indeed your reward is great in heaven, for in like manner their fathers did to the prophets” Luke 6:23; see also Ex 15:20, 1 Sam 18:6, 2 Sam 6:12-23, Ps 150:4, Jer 31:13.

3. Bowing & Kneeling (BARAK)—“Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our Maker” Ps 95:6; see also Num 20:6, Lev 9:24, Ezek 1:28, Luke 17:16, Eph 3:14, Rev 22:8.

4. Clapping—“Oh clap your hands, all you peoples, shout to God with the voice of triumph!” Ps 47:1; see also Ps 98:8, Is 55:12.

5. Other forms of praise to look up: standing, lifting up eyes/face, banners, standards, pageantry, processionals.

Notes:
TOWDAH = A sacrifice of praise, thanksgiving, or an offering of praise.
HALAL = To be clean, to shine, and rejoice in the Lord with a distinct sound.
TEHILLAH = To sing a loudation or hymn.
SHABACH = To address in a loud tone, to shout, to be jubilant, and in fact, to be militant.
ZAMAR = To touch the strings or parts of a musical instrument, to play upon it and make music with the voice and to sing forth praise.
YADAH = To praise or to extend the hand.
BARAK = Adoration, when we kneel expectantly, quietly and reverently before Him – “To bless the Lord”

You can also call Him by different names as a way of praising Him. He holds many titles and calling him by one that is specific to your situation when praising or praying is a wonderful way of showing and giving reverance.

31 Ways to Praise: Creating A Vocabulary of Praise
by Bob Hostetler

1. God the Creator “Creator God, I praise you because you made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you’. . . ” (Neh. 9:6).

2. The Only God “God, I praise you because you are the LORD, and there is no other; apart from you there is no God. . . “ (Isaiah 45:5).

3. The Almighty God “O LORD God Almighty, who is like you? You are mighty, O LORD,” and I praise you . . .” (Psalm 89:8).

4. The Everlasting Father, the Ancient of Days “I praise you, Lord, as the Ancient of Days (Daniel 7:9), the Everlasting Father (Isaiah 9:6), who lives forever and ever. . . .”

5. A Loving God “I praise you because you are a loving God, whose very nature is love. . . .” (1 John 4:16).

6. A God of Justice “Lord, I praise and magnify you, who is just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus. . . .” (Romans 3:26).

7. The Trustworthy God “Heavenly Father, I give you my praise and adoration, because you are a “faithful God, keeping [your] covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love [you] and keep [your] commands. . . .” (Deuteronomy 7:9).

8. A Merciful God “You, O Lord, are a gracious and merciful God,” (Nehemiah 9:31), and I praise you for your great mercy. . . .”

9. God my Refuge, my Fortress “I praise you, Lord, for you are my mighty rock, my refuge. . . .'” (Psalm 62:7).

10. A Long-suffering, Persevering God “Father, I praise you because you are patient with [all your children], not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance’ (2 Pet. 3:9).Thank you for your patience with me. . . .”

11. The Only Wise God “I give praise to you, my Father, the only wise God [my] Saviour’ (Jude 1:25). May all glory and majesty, dominion and power, be yours both now and ever. . . .”

12. The Holy One “Holy, holy, holy are you, Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come. . . .” (Revelation 4:8).

13. A Personal God “I praise you, God, because you are a personal God, who gives me the honor of knowing you personally, just like you did to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. . . .” (Matthew 8:11).

14. A Giving God “Praise and honor be yours, O God, because you are a generous God, who did not even stop short of giving your own Son (John 3:16). . . .”

15. The Provider God “I praise you today, Lord, as my Jehovah -jireh, who will generously provide all [I] need’. . . .” (2 Corinthians 9:7).

16. The Shepherd God “I bless your name and praise you as my Jehovah-rohi, who will shepherd me and guide me in the paths of righteousness for your name’s sake” (Psalm 23:1-3).

17. God my Victory “Praise to you, my God, because you are my Jehovah-nissi, God my victory, who always leads [me] in triumphal procession in Christ’. . . .”(2 Corinthians 2:14).

18. God my Peace “I praise you with all my heart, Lord, because you are my Jehovah-shalom, the God of peace [who] will soon crush Satan under [my] feet. . . .” (Romans 16:20).

19. The God Who Heals “Father, I praise you because you are the Lord who heals me. . . .” (Exodus 15:26).

20. The God of All Comfort “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort. . . .” (2 Corinthians 1:3).

21. The God of Miracles “Lord, I praise you because You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the people’. . . .” (Psalm 77:14).

22. A Forgiving God “I want to bless you with my praise, Father, because you are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love’. . . .” (Nehemiah 9:17)

23. The Burden-Bearer “Praise be to the LORD, to God [my] Savior, who daily bears [my] burdens’. . . .” (Psalm 68:19).

24. A Faithful God “I praise you because your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies’. . . Great is your faithfulness’. . . .” (Psalm 36:5; Lamentations 3:23).

25. God the Blessed and Only Ruler, King of kings and Lord of lords “All honor and praise be to you, my God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords’. . . .” (1 Timothy 6:15).

26. God the Liberator “I praise you because You are my help and my deliverer; O LORD’. . . .” (Psalm 70:5).

27. The Lifter of My Head “Father God, I praise you because you are a shield around me, O LORD; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head’ when I am weary or depressed. . . .” (Psalm 3:3).

28. A God of Light “I praise you, Lord, because you are my light and my salvation,’ and because you know what lies in darkness, and light dwells with you’. . . .” (Psalm 27:1, Daniel 2:22).

29. A God of Joy “I give you my praise, O Lord, because you have granted [me] eternal blessings and made me glad with the joy of your presence’. . . .” (Psalm 21:6).

30.  The God Who Answers Prayer “I praise and honor you, Father, because you are a God who loves to answer prayer, and who begins to answer even before I begin to pray” (Isaiah 65:24).

31. The God of All the Earth “I praise and adore you, Lord, as the Holy One of Israel. . . [my] Redeemer. . . the God of all the earth’. . . .” (Isaiah 54:5).

God gives all sorts of gifts to His followers. God gives everyone some part within the church. When you receive your gift, use it, and praise Him for it! The Church is a mix of all gifts. One gift by itself cannot bring a church where it needs to be or bring others into the church:

1 Corinthians 12:10

^4-11God’s various gifts are handed out everywhere; but they all originate in God’s Spirit. God’s various ministries are carried out everywhere; but they all originate in God’s Spirit. God’s various expressions of power are in action everywhere; but God himself is behind it all. Each person is given something to do that shows who God is: Everyone gets in on it, everyone benefits. All kinds of things are handed out by the Spirit, and to all kinds of people! The variety is wonderful: wise counsel, clear understanding, simple , trust, healing the sick, miraculous acts, proclamation, distinguishing between spirits, tongues, interpretation of tongues.”

All these gifts have a common origin, but are handed out one by one by the one Spirit of God. He decides who gets what, and when.

Lastly, God has different names that we can call him. Beautiful names. Learning them and calling upon him appropriate to our needs is another way of praising! Here are names for our Lord:

• Jehovah – The Lord
  Exodus 6:2,3

• Adonai Jehovah – The Lord God
  Genesis 15:2

• Jehovah Adon Kal Ha’arets – The Lord, the Lord of All the Earth
  Joshua 3:11

• Jehovah Bara – The Lord Creator
  Isaiah 40:28

• Jehovah Chezeq – The Lord My Strength
  Psalm 18:1

• Jehovah Chereb – The Lord . . the Sword
  Deut. 33:29

• Jehovah Eli – The Lord My God
  Psalm 18:2

• Jehovah Elyon – The Lord Most High
  Genesis 14:18

• Jehovah ‘Ez-Lami – The Lord My Strength
  Psalm 28:7

• Jehovah Gador Milchamah – The Lord Mighty in Battle
  Psalm 24:8

• Jehovah Ganan – The Lord Our Defense
  Psalm 89:18

• Jehovah Go’el – The Lord Thy Redeemer
  Isaiah 49:26; 60:16

• Jehovah Hashopet – The Lord the Judge
  Judges 11:27

• Jehovah Hoshe’ah – The Lord Save
  Psalm 20:9

• Jehovah ‘Immeku – The Lord Is with you
  Judges 6:12

• Jehovah ‘Izoz Hakaboth – The Lord Strong and Mighty
  Psalm 24:8

• Jehovah Jireh – The Lord will Provide
  Genesis 22:14

• Jehovah Kabodhi – The Lord My Glory
  Psalm 3:3

• Jehovah Kanna – The Lord Whose Name is Jealous
  Exodus 34:14

• Jehovah Keren-Yish’i – The Lord the Horn of My Salvation
  Psalm 18:2

• Jehovah Machsi – The Lord My Refuge
  Psalm 91:9

• Jehovah Magen – The Lord, the Shield
  Deut. 33:29

• Jehovah Ma’oz – The Lord . . . My Fortress
  Jeremiah 16:19

• JehovahHamelech – The Lord the King
  Psalm 98:6

• Jehovah Melech ‘Olam – The Lord King Forever
  Psalm 10:16

• Jehovah Mephalti – The Lord My Deliverer
  Psalm 18:2

• Jehovah M’gaddishcem – The Lord Our Sanctifier
  Exodus 31:13

• Jehovah Metsodhathi – The Lord. . . . My Fortress
  Psalm 18:2

• Jehovah Misqabbi – The Lord My High Tower
  Psalm 18:2

• Jehovah Naheh – The Lord that Smiteth
  Ezekiel 7:9

• Jehovah Nissi – The Lord Our Banner
  Exodus 17:15

• Jehovah ‘Ori – The Lord My Light
  Psalm 27:1

• Jehovah Rapha – The Lord that Healeth
  Exodus 15:26

• Jehovah Rohi – The Lord My Shepherd
  Psalm 23:1

• Jehovah Saboath – The Lord of Hosts
  I Samuel 1:3

• Jehovah Sel’i – The Lord My Rock
  Psalm 18:2

• Jehovah Shalom – The Lord Our Peace
  Judges 6:24

• Jehovah Shammah – The Lord is There
  Ezekiel 48:35

• Jehovah Tiskenu – The Lord Our Righteousness
  Jeremiah 23:6

• Jehovah Tsori – O Lord My Strength
  Psalm 19:14

• Jehovah ‘Uzam – The Lord Their Strength
  Psalm 37:39

• Jehovah Yasha – The Lord Thy Saviour
  Isaiah 49:26; 60:16