Prayer and Praise

Praise, the Lord. Praise God in his sanctuary, praise him in his mighty heavens. Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness. Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre, praise him with timbrel and dancing, praise him with the strings and pipe, praise him with the clash of cymbals. Let everything that has breath, praise the Lord.                                                                                                       Praise the Lord.                          Psalm 150

Some people only cry out to God when they want something. Their short greeting is quickly followed by a request. We know the minute we hear a certain voice during our prayer time we put up the boundaries and expect a yes or no from God right away. After we think we have the answer that we want or even think we never receive one, we then don’t have anytime for God. When we approach God, are we guilty of being like those others, hi God its me, “here is what I need from you. The privilege of even approaching God’s throne with our requests is granted to us at great cost to our Savior Jesus Christ. The least we can do is open our prayers with worship and praise to the “Great I Am” Adore Him. Thank Him, Praise Him. Let your mind focus on His greatness. Then bring your request humbly to Him. He will be honored and glorified by you.

Jesus is the firm foundation on which you can dance and sing praises and continually celebrate His presence, just as you long to. Most of the time, however, you feel earthbound and weighed down. Worshipping Jesus requires the engagement of your entire being, something you can delight in and yet somehow resist. If you want to learn how to celebrate Jesus more consistently, more abundantly, begin by lingering in His peaceful presence. As you relax in His everlasting arms, sense how safe and secure you are. Jesus is indeed the rock-solid foundation on which you can live exuberantly. Dancing, singing, and praying are ways you can express your delight in the “Great I Am” 

Jesus very presence radiates joy in vast, unmeasured fullness. When you praise Him, your joy increases, as does your awareness of His Holy Presence. Your body may or may not be mightily engaged in this endeavor, but he can see your heart. That is where the ultimate celebration of Jesus takes place in all of his children, inside the heart. Even through he knows all of your concerns, and what weighs heavy upon your heart, Praise Him always even through your pain.

Grace and Peace to You My Friends