Praise Before the Fact
by Christel Baxter
I discovered a very interesting Hebrew word in connection with praise and thanksgiving – the word ‘Towdah’. One definition of it is, ‘To give worship by the extension of the hand in adoration or agreeing with what has been done or will be’. Towdah speaks of the lifting up of my hands in praise to God, but more specifically as a sacrifice of thanksgiving and praise, not only for things at hand, but also for things not yet received. It would mean thanking God for something I don’t yet have in the natural, a statement of faith in His word.
It’s easy to gratefully praise the Lord when we see our prayers answered and when we experience His promises manifested in our lives and circumstances, but it requires faith in God’s Word and trust in His faithfulness and goodness to praise and thank Him before seeing the evidence of what we’re hoping for. Perhaps this is why it is referred to as an ‘offering’ of thanksgiving and praise – a sacrifice.
Towdah brings glory to God. It chooses to put aside the flesh, and its desire for instant gratification. It puts the glory of God before the need to see His hand at work for personal gain or comfort. Towdah is divine in nature. I believe that this kind of sacrificial praise, the kind that has God’s glory as the motive, ushers one into a place of precious intimacy with the Lord. It is a declaration of faith which, according to Hebrews 11:1 is ‘the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen’.
Numbers 23:19 (NLT) says, ‘God is not a man, so He does not lie. He is not human, so He does not change His mind. Has He ever spoken and failed to act? Has He ever promised and not carried it through?’
God always does what He says He will do. It may not happen according to our desired time table, and it may not always manifest in the way we envisioned it to happen, but He ALWAYS keeps His promises. Therefore, Towdah praise should come from a confident heart, knowing that we can praise and thank Him without wavering, even before we see the desired outcome in the natural.
Prayer: Lord, You’re good and faithful, and so kind towards us. You’re so worthy of all the praise we could ever bring. Teach me to always glorify You with faith-filled worship, even when I can’t see my prayers answered, because I know that You’re a promise keeper, and true to Your Word. Amen.
Christel Baxter joined the Associate prayer ministry team at Shere House, S.Africa in 2008 after attending the 20 day school. Besides serving together on the associate team at Shere House, Christel & her husband, Gary, pastor New Life Ministries, a congregation in Boksburg, Gauteng. Their children, Liezl and Wesley, are both married, and they adore their son-in-law and daughter-in-law and their little granddaughter, Hannah! Christel is passionate about seeing broken lives restored and especially loves ministering God`s love and healing to women of all ages.
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