Aggressive Praising (Day TWENTY ONE-30 Day Challenge)

Aggressive praise. I'd never heard it stated like that before. I would have never seen the importance of it, if not for a speaker I heard recently. I hung in her every word. She was clearly speaking only to me. Lol. Have you ever felt like that? I was in an arena (at the Women of Faith Conference) with I believe somewhere between 7,000 & 8,000 women...and if felt like Sheryl Brady was speaking just to me. She was feisty and passionate. And when she spoke I could relate to where she once was. At the age of 32...which, incidentally, happens to be my current age...God woke up a passion in her that had always been inside. She just didn't know it was there. Her example..."Adam had Eve within him...and he had no idea!" :-)

Let's look at someone who aggressively praised the name of Jesus while waiting for his miracle.

"Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and His disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (that is, the son of Timaeus), was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, 'Jesus Son of David, have mercy in me!' Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, 'Son of David, have mercy on me!'

Jesus stopped and said, 'Call him.'

So they called to the blind man, 'Cheer up! On your feet! He's calling you.' Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus. 

'What do you want Me to do for you?' Jesus asked him.

The blind man said, 'Rabbi, I want to see.'

'Go,' said Jesus, 'your faith has healed you.' Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road." Mark 10:46-52

Bartimaeus was calling out. I'm sure he was annoying. But you have to remembers that he couldn't see who was walking by. He relentlessly called out, not knowing when the footsteps that he heard shuffling by, would be those of Jesus. He was not willing to give up his healing because he was bothering someone along the way. He aggressively praised the Name above all names...Jesus! And what happened when people got annoyed? Opposition.

The people walking by rebuked him. They tried to shut him up. And what IF he had listened? How close was his breakthrough miracle from Jesus when the opposition got really bad? I remember this part of Sheryl's teaching very well. These words landed right on my heart and left me gratefully smiling. She said, "When opposition came, Bartimaeus knew that his miracle was closer than it had been all day."

How about the people who rebuked him for his annoyance? Do you picture them saying their words to him drenched with sarcasm? Haha...I sure do. They'd heard him calling out for a while now as they walked on their journey and now, at Jesus' request, they had to call out to him! 'Cheer up! On your feet! He's calling you.' Bartimaeus could've cared less how they spoke to him. He wasn't praising them. He wasn't looking for their approval. He knew what was on the horizon...and he jumped at the invitation!

What is it today that you are asking God for? What are you believing for, in waiting? Are you close to giving up? Don't! Keep praising the name of Jesus. Your miracle is about to come near...and it will pass you by if you don't call out. You can stop Jesus in His tracks with your words of aggressive praise! :-)

Anyone out there facing opposition?!? If you are actively pursuing Christ and following the will of God...I can guarantee you are facing opposition from some angle. If you are right smack in the middle of ministry...you might have even laughed at that question...because it seems to come from ALL angles.

'Cheer up! On your feet! He's calling you.'

What was your response? Did you jump up?! When Bartimaeus jumped up at the request of his Savior's voice...he was immediately given his miracle. I don't care how tired you are. Jump! I don't care how many times you've stood before. Jump up! I don't care how many people are trying to silence you. Keep praising...your miracle is close my friend!

If you ever showed up at my church on a Sunday...which, by the way, I would absolutely LOVE...you would see me on the worship team. If you were to watch me...which I don't recommend or desire, lol...you'd see a difference in my worship. Not as in 'different than anyone else'...but that I change according to whether God is speaking to me...or I am praising Him. There are times when I reverently worship and just tell God how much I adore Him. How thankful I am for Him. And how amazing He is to me. Then there are times that I aggressively praise. I might be calling forth things in my life that need to line up with God's Word. Sometimes I might be asking God's warrior angels to war over a stronghold that has been revealed in someone I love. Sometimes it is healing I command in the name of Jesus. And if you ever saw me put my mic down to my side...it might be you I am warring for. I don't care where I am, or who is watching; when God asks me to aggressively praise...I become feisty. That is my new favorite descriptive word! 

Are you willing to get a little feisty with me? Are you willing to aggressively praise your God when asked?! Are you willing to go through the flames of opposition to come out of the fire a more refined version of you? I ABSOLUTELY AM! I do not live in fear. Those days are behind me. I know my God fights for me. And I know everything He touches or speaks, has Victory!

"He ransoms me unharmed from the battle waged against me, even though many oppose me. God, who is enthroned forever, will hear them and afflict them-men who never change their ways and have no fear of God." Psalm 55:18-19

I will leave you with one final thought from Sheryl. "Stay in pursuit of Him. Stay through the people. Through the church. Through the opposition. Keep praising because the enemy knows as soon as you open your mouth you will have all you need."