The ABC's of Praise: Lift Up Your Hands, Raise Your Praise, and Get Lost in God

By Gloria P. Pruett

While praising God, does your mind often drift to your "To Do List?" Do you desire to keep your mind focused on praise? If you answered yes to these two questions, this book is for you!

Is your heart's desire to make praise a joyful, life-changing experience where your time with God is uninterrupted? Minister Gloria Pruett brings you an ea

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trilogy Christian Publishing
• Release date: Oct 26, 2022
• ISBN: 9781685563936

Gloria P. Pruett

Gloria P. Pruett (gloriapruettministries.org) is an ordained itinerant minister who proclaims the "good news" of Jesus Christ. She loves people and endeavors to touch them through books. She travels the United States preaching the Word of God. She states, "If you were to ask what motivates me most, I would tell you unequivocally, it's the love of God."

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Acknowledgments

First and foremost, I’d like to thank the Movers and Shakers in my life who constantly encourage me to do what I think I can’t: God my Father, Jesus my Savior and Friend and Holy Spirit my Helper and Comforter (the Man). These Three saw something in me that I never saw in myself. They encouraged me to do what I thought I couldn’t. Let me also give honor to whom honor is due. Most of what you’ll read came straight from Holy Spirit -- I am not that smart to come up with this. . .I’m so glad to have You Three in my life.

I want to thank my children, Charles, III (Crystal), Carlton, Sr. (Tosha), and Kelli, for loving me unconditionally, for making me laugh at mistakes, and for godly counsel. My children encouraged me to write when I did not feel like writing. Some people think they can’t learn from their children. That’s a lie! I can testify that you can learn from them. When it’s all said and done, my children helped me be a better mommy and person. And for that, I’m truly grateful.

Finally, I want to thank the Trilogy Christian Publishing Family; my project managers (Cammy Cary), writers, proofreaders, and artists who helped me take this book to another level of Praise. I also want to thank two special friends, Dr. Stacey Hanks, and Daphne Adams for being the eyes I needed to catch errors we could not!

Introduction

Don’t Be Like The Nine!

And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God,¹⁶ And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.

Luke 17:15-16

Does God Require Praise? To answer that question, let’s look at the story of the ten Lepers. If you wondered if God expects praise, this story will answer that question for you.

I confess that I was like the nine for years. While I prayed, I rarely praised. So don’t think I’m throwing stones. However, once my behavior changed and I read God’s word on what He expects from us, I vowed to never go back to being the ungrateful person that I once was. Let’s unpack the above Scripture a little more.

Here we have ten men who had been separated from their families. They lost their jobs. These men were ostracized from society. Think about it -- a life sentence where you can no longer see your kids or family. People today have a hard time being quarantined from Covid for fourteen days, let alone a life sentence that states you can have no contact with the outside world. But one day, Jesus comes along. Let’s look at the text in the Amplified. . .Luke 17:11-19 . . .¹¹While Jesus was on the way to Jerusalem, He was passing [along the border] between Samaria and Galilee. ¹²As He entered a village, He was met by ten lepers who stood at a distance; ¹³and they raised their voices and called out, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us! ¹⁴When He saw them, He said to them, Go and show yourselves to the priests. And as they went, they were [miraculously] healed and made clean. ¹⁵One of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, glorifying and praising and honoring God with a loud voice; ¹⁶and he lay face downward at Jesus’ feet, thanking Him [over and over]. He was a Samaritan. ¹⁷Then Jesus asked, "Were not ten [of you] cleansed? Where are the [other] nine? ¹⁸Was there no one found to return and to give thanks and praise to God, except this foreigner?

Here it is, my proof that Jesus expects praise when He does something for us. Let’s continue, ¹⁹Jesus said to him, Get up and go [on your way]. Your faith [your personal trust in Me and your confidence in God’s power] has restored you to health.

Jesus did what Jesus does, He healed all ten. What’s interesting about this story is that none returned to give thanks but the one.

It boggles the mind. You can now return to your life, but can’t thank the One who gave you your life back? It’s something so wrong with that story. In verse 17, we see how Jesus feels. He asks the one, Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine?

I could really pull this apart and preach to you via this book, but I won’t. However, let me ask this question. How often do we act like the nine? How often are we so happy that God came through for us that we give a praise report to all those around us but forget to praise God? Let’s not do that. These men were so caught up in the fact that they were healed that they forgot about Jesus.

Jesus just gave them their life back. They could finally see their kids, reunite with their wives, start working again being a productive citizens of society once more and all they could do was walk away from the One who healed them?

How much does Jesus have to give us before we give Him praise? He gave you another job with better pay when you didn’t praise Him for the first two. You’re on husband number two when you didn’t praise Him for husband number one. You got a new home when you didn’t praise God for the beautiful rental He gave you with low rent.

When do you think He deserves praise? From this day forward, decide, if you’re not doing it already, that you will be someone who praises God. Praise Him for a new day. Praise Him when you get your hair done and the clouds come, but He lets you get home before the rain begins to pour. Praise Him when you bowl 299, that He let you get that close to 300. (I know some of y’all may not agree with that one ☺.)

When you’re driving past a hospital and you realize, you don’t know anyone who is in a hospital; you’re not and neither are any of your relatives. I think that deserves a hefty praise.

God’s word is clear on praise and here is one Scripture I’ll repeat over and over, Psalms 150:6 which says, Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord.

You don’t want Jesus, who sits at the right hand of the Father, to look over at Him and say, Didn’t We just open the door for them to get a new home with their jacked-up credit? Did you hear anything Father? I didn’t. Didn’t We just give them their dream job? Did you hear anything Dad? And then Jesus says, let’s not charge it against them. We know they will get it right. Your grace still covers the ungrateful. WOW!

As you begin to write your praises, be on the lookout for trigger words that jump out at you and will take your praise higher. Words you’ve not used before when giving praise to God!!

For example, I was reading something about someone becoming confused about something. That word confused jumped in my spirit and right there, I praised God for helping me to not become confused by the enemy’s words that would have me think that God had left me. Confused that He still loved me in spite of what I did recently. No, I’m not confused. God loved me enough to give His only Son for me and He’s not changed, He still loves me. I praise God that I’m stable in my thoughts about His love for me.

Again, I would have NEVER thought of using the word confused in praising God, but once you begin to search out words, you’ll find yourself thinking outside the box when it comes to praise.

As this chapter comes to a close, let’s remember the LEPERS and vow to not be like them. Tell God, You’ve done so much for me, and I admit there have been times in my life that I’ve forgotten to praise You. If I were truly honest, I’ve ignored You when it was You who cleansed me. I left you hanging. I gave You no spiritual handshake. I showed no appreciation. Flat out I failed to say thank You! But this story has lit a fire under me to do better and I will. That’s what God needs to hear from us and from this day forward, let’s not withhold our praise! Together, let’s go higher!

Understanding The Concepts

Of The Abc’s Of Praise

Just what ARE the ABC’s of praise? I am glad you asked. The ABC’s of praise is a concept that will keep you focused on God and not on your surroundings as you praise Him. It never failed that long ago, before I learned this concept, my mind would be all over the place as I tried to praise, especially when I was trying to do it at home. When you’re in church it can be easier, because you have the praise leader as a cheerleader, cheering you on. But to be honest, I believe we get more kudos from God when we praise Him and no one else is around. That’s my personal opinion.

The A represents Your Actions which should convey your gratitude or gratefulness to God daily.

I’m going to give you the simplest definition of the word action. It means a thing done; an act. Actions imply movement, you do something. Your actions really tell how you feel about someone or something. If I’m unhappy with you or don’t want to be around you, you’ll know it by the way I respond to you, either verbally or through my body language, even if I never say a word. But when it comes to God, we need to say it!! We need to convey our gratefulness to Him.

How?

That’s where the B comes in. You do it by Boasting about your Father God, Boasting about your Savior and Lord, Jesus, boasting about your Best Friend Holy Spirit. Boast about them first, then about others second.

What exactly is boasting? Not what one thinks, because we’re not touting our accomplishments. We’re touting with pride what God has done for us.

When you boast about someone, there is no room for doubt that they are special to you. Here though is what some of us do. We tell others how good God is. We tell them how grateful we are for blessings we receive from God. We share the wonderful things our children or siblings are doing with others. But many times, we fail to thank God or tell Him how wonderful He is.

It’s like the story of the couple who went to a marriage counselor. The wife went on for fifteen minutes talking about all the things her husband does wrong and she ends with, He hasn’t told me he loves me since the day we were married!

The minister then says, Wait a minute. I don’t believe for one second that the two of you have been married for thirty-five years, and he hasn’t told you he loves you since your wedding day. That’s inconceivable. He then turns to the husband and says, Tell me she’s exaggerating. You have told your wife many times since your wedding day that you love her, right?

The husband looks at the minister with a puzzled look on his face and says, Now she’s telling the truth on that one! No. I haven’t told her I love her since our wedding day. I told her then and nothing’s changed, I still love her. I’ll let her know when it changes!

That may sound humorous, but we do God like that. We get saved, and for a while we’re good at boasting to Him about how grateful we are, then after a while, we stop. I’m encouraging you to not stop!

By boasting and telling God all that He’s done for you, which I’m sure is a lot, that alone will keep you praising for a while. Make sure you praise Him for your family and friends as well!

Let God know you appreciate Him by saying out loud that you love Him. You’re thankful that He forgives your sins.

Thank Jesus for interceding to the Father on your behalf daily! Dying was enough, but He still intercedes for you. He gave His precious blood for us! He’s the One who gave us Holy Spirit! Tell Jesus that you’re honored He gave you