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Why You Should Always Start With Praise

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Why You Should Always Start With Praise

Why You Should Always Start With Praise

One way to communicate with God is via prayer.  Another way we can and should communicate with God is via praise.  We can offer praise to God through speaking or singing.  Praise benefits both God and us.  Praise allows us to connect with God on a deeper level.  I’d like to spend a little time sharing with you some things God has shown me about praise and specifically why it’s so important to always start with praise.

Over the years, God really impressed upon me the importance of praise.  It’s honestly not an area that I’ve always been strong in.  To me, praise and worship of God have always felt a little awkward (with the exception of praise and worship music at church).  It seems a little fake if I try to praise God the way I’ve seen others do it in church and on TV.  I’m not saying THEY were fake.  It just didn’t feel genuine to me or seemed too forced when I would attempt to say things like “Oh Lord, you are most holy” or “You are worthy”.  So since it just felt too weird, I simply didn’t do it.

Praise God for who you need him to be

Then God softly convicted me about my lack of praise.  He showed me how I could still give praise to him without it feeling strange or insincere.  I felt like God told me one day to just praise him for who I needed him to be.  He wanted me to praise him for his attributes and characteristics that I needed to experience.

For example, if I need healing, I would say, “I praise you, God, because you are a Healer.”  If I need comfort, I can say, “Praise God that you are my Comforter.”  If I need to feel loved, I can praise, “Praise you Lord that you are Love.  Your word says God is Love.”  If I don’t know what to do in a situation or need direction, I can say, “Praise you, God, because you are my Guide.”

For me, this is a simple approach to praise.  It doesn’t seem phony, forced, or unnatural.  It’s almost like a prayer request, but instead, I am offering praise because it’s who God is.  At the same time, praising this way gives me peace and reassurance because not only am I praising God, but I’m also reminding myself that God is the answer to whatever it is I need at the time.

Praising God reminds us of his benefits

“Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits—who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” Psalm 103:1-5 (NIV) 

Praise God for who you need him to be. #HowtoPraise #AlwaysStartWithPraise

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Praise as a part of prayer

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The “Right Way” to Practice Spiritual Disciplines

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The Right Way to Practice Spiritual Disciplines title image

The “Right Way” to Practice Spiritual Disciplines

I’ve been seeing and hearing a lot of Bible teachers (bloggers, speakers, influencers, etc.) teaching about the “right way” to practice spiritual disciplines such as reading scripture, studying the Bible, hearing from God, praying, praising, journaling, fasting, evangelizing, discipling others, teaching others, etc. While I know this teaching is usually good-intentioned, so much of it comes across like and feels a bit condescending and condemning…and honestly, even a little bit arrogant and know-it-all-ish too.

Recently, I’ve even been getting some chastising emails and comments about the “right way” to quote scripture and the correct translation to use. (Most remarks are reprimanding me for not using King James Version ONLY when I quote scripture.) People send emails and comments that I’m not leading people to Christ in the “right way” or not approaching how we should pray in the “right way”. I’m amazed that people truly believe there is only one “right way” to do things and that God leaves so little room for margin in how we should have relationship with him.

I don’t believe this to be so.

I really believe that God is not quite that rigid and will meet us where we are. What I’ve personally learned is that God is pretty forgiving, and there is a lot of grace. Even when there might be a preferred, better, more effective, or more efficient way to do any of these spiritual disciplines, God can and will still work regardless of any of our mistakes or misgivings. Jesus clearly demonstrated that he is not legalistic. Jesus is loving, not legalistic. Even if we are not where we might need to be, he will lovingly and patiently guide us there.

I say all the time… ”God will meet you where you are.”

Even when there might be a preferred, better, more effective, or more efficient way to practice spiritual disciplines, God can and will still work regardless of any of our mistakes or misgivings.

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Promoting a “right way” can lead to self-righteousness

As I was reading my Bible this past week, my belief that there is not only one “right way” to practice spiritual disciplines was reinforced.

Matthew 9:14-17 (NLT)

“One day the disciples of John the Baptist came to Jesus and asked him, “Why don’t your disciples fast like we do and the Pharisees do?”

Jesus replied, “Do wedding guests mourn while celebrating with the groom? Of course not. But someday the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.

“Besides, who would patch old clothing with new cloth? For the new patch would shrink and rip away from the old cloth, leaving an even bigger tear than before.

“And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the old skins would burst from the pressure, spilling the wine and ruining the skins. New wine is stored in new wineskins so that both are preserved.””

I was reading Matthew 9:14-17 where John the Baptist’s disciples came to Jesus and asked why his disciples didn’t fast. Jesus replied with comments about celebrating not morning when with a groom, not patching old clothes with new cloth, and not putting new wine in old wineskins.

As I read Matthew Henry’s commentary, I understood this better. Henry suggested that believing and professing that their practices were the “right way” was likened to being self-righteous because they boasted about the way they did things, such as fasting often. Henry states,

“There is a proneness in professors to brag of their own performance in religion, especially if there by any thing extraordinary in them; nay, and not only to boast of them before men, but to plead them before God, and confide in them as a righteousness.”[1]

Dependence on a “right way” leads to spiritual bondage

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Praising God from A to Z

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Praising God from A to Z examples with praise songs

Praising God from A to Z

Last week I shared a way of praising God using the letters of the alphabet by saying a character trait or attribute of God for each letter and praising God for being that particular trait. I encouraged you to try a few different methods of this type of praise as another way of praising God on a regular basis. I mentioned that this week I would give some examples of praising God from A to Z with accompanying scriptures and praise songs.

So as promised…

Take Some Practical Steps and Use These Examples (and songs–click song title to play songs in YouTube) to Praise God From A to Z:

Praising God because He is Able

“And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” 2 Corinthians 9:8 (NIV)

“Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.” Ephesians 3:20 (NLT)

“He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises.” Romans 4:21 (NLT)

“Therefore he is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf.” Hebrews 7:25 (NLT)

“He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back.” Hebrews 11:19 (ESV)

Praise Song: God is Able (Hillsong Worship)

Praising God because He is Beautiful

“One thing I ask from the LORD, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple.” Psalm 27:4 (NIV)

“On that day the LORD of Hosts will become a crown of beauty and a diadem of splendor to the remnant of His people” Isaiah 28:5 (HCSB)

“But in that day, the branch of the LORD will be beautiful and glorious; the fruit of the land will be the pride and glory of all who survive in Israel.” Isaiah 4:2 (NLT)

“Your eyes will see the king in his beauty and view a land that stretches afar.” Isaiah 33:17 (NIV)

“From Zion, perfect in beauty, God shines forth.” Psalm 50:2 (NIV)

“Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end.” Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NLT)

Praise Song: What A Beautiful Name (Hillsong Worship)

Praising God because He is Compassionate Continue reading →

God From A to Z

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God from A to Z

God From A to Z

I was at a Moms in Prayer meeting a few weeks ago, and one of the moms mentioned a creative way to praise God from A to Z. Each week at the start of every Moms in Prayer meeting, we spend time praising God for one of his many attributes, characteristics, or personality traits. Our leader can either choose a prayer sheet with a pre-printed attribute and accompanying verses, or she can choose her own attribute and verses and customize our own prayer sheet for the week. Somehow we got into a conversation about choosing these attributes. She mentioned that she had once heard about saying a prayer of praise via the ABC’s of adoration.

I loved this idea. The concept is to say a character or attribute of God for each letter of the alphabet and then praise God for being that particular trait as you work your way through the alphabet. For example, I praise you God because you are Awesome, Bold, Caring, Defender, etc.

God from A to Z journal entry

God from A to Z journal entry

I took it on as a challenge one morning, and started writing some ABC attributes of God in my journal.

Making praise a habit

Praise is important, and we should be praising God on a regular basis.

“Praise the LORD, O my soul! With all that is within me, praise his holy name!” Psalm 103:1 (NET)

“Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.” Psalm 100:4 (NIV)

“Praise the LORD! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heaven! Praise him for his mighty works; praise his unequaled greatness! Praise him with a blast of the ram’s horn; praise him with the lyre and harp! Praise him with the tambourine and dancing; praise him with strings and flutes! Praise him with a clash of cymbals; praise him with loud clanging cymbals. Let everything that breathes sing praises to the LORD!” Psalm 150:1-6 (NLT)

I mentioned in a previous post about how praise (particularly separate from praise and worship) was always a little awkward and unnatural feeling to me. However, God convicted me about how I need to spend more time praising him…and not just for his benefit but also my own. Until it became a habit, it was sometimes a little hard to come up with what to say. This idea of praising God from A to Z would’ve come in handy!

In that post on starting with praise, I listed several reasons WHY it’s important, and WHY we should start with praise.

Praise God for who you need Him to be

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