The garment of praise according to the bible is true worship in the presence of God. The garment of praise is a spirit God pours out upon us, to lift the spirit of heaviness that we all experience. The garment of praise is a very important part of resting in God when uncertain times come, or when life has been difficult.
John 4:23-24, But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
What is the point of us worshiping God in spirit and truth? When we are consumed in the presence with worship, he allows his peace to fall upon us. Not only do we receive his peace and stillness that surpasses all understanding, but this is where we find his love and healing for our lives. The lord is looking for true worshipers as it allows his blessing to rain down on his children. He is able to move in our lives more when we are submitted to him. In his presence he removes the care of this world from us and replaces it with his word, his wisdom and his peace.
Isaiah 61:1-3 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;3 To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.
Having this garment of praise on a daily consistent level with God allows us to rest in him. Why do we need Gods rest? We need it because, life can distract us from the importance of the purpose God has placed us here. We can get distracted and impatient with God's timing because of our desires. The stresses of this world make us weak and tired; it makes us forget that God is our strength and his plans are better than our plans.
Matthew 11:28-30, 28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
In Exodus we see that if the presence of God is not with you it will be difficult to proceed to the next placement that God has for you. Exodus 33: 14-15 14 And he said, my presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest. 15 And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence.
When we are wrapped up in God's presence with worship and prayer, we are reminded of his glory and power. We are reminded that he has the “Outcome” of all situations. We are reminded that God is a good God all the time, his plans are of good towards us. He removes during this time our anxiousness and worry and replaces it with again his upmost peace.
Jeremiah 29:11 11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
How do we Keep the Garment of Praise?
Now that we know what the garment of praise is and the importance of it; let's see how to maintain it. We need to maintain it so we are always at peace and God's word is always on our mind least we forget him in difficulty. The bible says to hide God word in our hearts and to meditate on scripture daily. Psalms 119:11-12, 15-16 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. 12 Blessed art thou, O Lord: teach me thy statutes. 15 I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways. 16 I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word. We are to take God's word with us in spirit and truth where ever we go. We should always be creating a place for his presence to follow us. It is as simple as praying in your thoughts and giving him praise and glory. Singing out loud or in your mind, or even reading scriptures on your way to work or the gym. We are to constantly pray without ceasing unto God. We can do this in our minds when we are busy at work, or school. Whatever you are doing there is always time to give God praise and keep your garment of praise.
1 Thessalonians 5:17-19, Pray without ceasing. 18 In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. 19 Quench not the Spirit. Most importantly, we should always remember to join in fellowship with are brothers and sisters in Christ to give glory unto God. God loves to see his children worship in the multitudes, his presence is drawn to the fellowship. This is also another reminder to stay in Gods peace and timing for our lives, so we don’t forget that he is our peace and sustainer. The meeting and fellowship keeps us accountable in what we are supposed to do for God. It keeps us covered from the attacks of the enemy when we sustain a state of praise. Hebrews 10:25, 24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: 25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. In Matthew 18:19, we see how much God enjoys the assembly of fellowship in spirit and truth in his name. 19 Again I say unto you, that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
To conclude, God's word sustains us, maintains us, refreshes us, covers us and much more. The main thing to take away from this is to always remember who your God is, and keep your mind and lips on him through praise. When times of difficulty come, praise his name so he can restore your peace and trust in his timing and will. When we also make mistakes and have guilt pray with a true heart of repentance and worship your God in spirit and truth. He forgives his children and builds them up to be used by him when their hearts are turned towards him. It all goes back to the mind, and choosing every day to meditate and hide God's word in your hearts so you will know how to defeat the temptress. Colossians 3:1-3, If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. Let's us not get wrapped us with the things of this world and get frustrated that things don’t go to plan. Let's not worry how this will occur, or how that will happen. But always setting our attention on God. Keep your peace in this season and time. God honors his children that honor him with everything that is in them. Keep your Garment of Praise!
Amen!
