Read: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
“Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of
praise - the fruit of lips that confess his name. And do not forget to do good
and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.” - Hebrews
13:15-16
Sometimes, we just don’t feel like praising God or showing gratitude for
some of the events in our lives. We are upset, overcome, overwhelmed or just in
a rotten mood. This is totally human, and it is also perfectly understandable.
The problem comes, when we spend too much time throwing a pity party, and we
have no time for praising God!
Did you ever notice that very few of your friends ever come to your pity
parties? Those that do come, do not stay very long; in fact, the only friend
who comes early and stays late is Jesus! So when you feel a negative emotion
rise up in your soul, don’t even bother involving your friends. Take it to
Jesus right away.
Paul suffered negative experiences in his life through shipwrecks, beatings,
starvation, getting taken for granted, imprisonment, abandonment, rejection,
and times of working to the point of utter exhaustion. Even so, he still had
the grace to encourage us in our hard times. He said to be joyful always; pray
continually; and to give thanks in all circumstances. He even dared to say that
this is God's will for us in Christ Jesus. This is when it is a sacrifice to
praise, but we praise God simply because it makes Him so happy.
God inhabits our praises (Psalm 22:3). Therefore, when we praise Him, even
when we just don’t feel like it, it brings us closer to Him. We do this by
entering into that quiet place within our spirit and changing our focus. Then
we pray and gain God’s strength to change or to accept our circumstances no
matter what they are.
This brings up a thought that the Bible recommends that we pray without
ceasing. How in the world can we pray without ceasing? Praying all day long
makes a big difference in our productivity, our joy and our fulfillment. You do
not have to go to a physically quiet place and kneel to pray. You can pray
every moment of the day as you live it.
Have you ever woken up at night and found a prayer or a song on your mind?
Your spirit is praying while you sleep! Our spirit is connected with the Spirit
of God, and the Holy Spirit prays for us even when we are sleeping! (Romans
8:26)
Another concept in praying without ceasing is to gain God’s direction for
each moment of the day! The Holy Spirit guides and directs our steps if we ask
His help in everything we do - even in the simple or mundane things that we
normally take for granted! He may show you a better way to do a task or He may
change your direction altogether!
When you finish one job, pray about what to do next. If God is interested
in what we eat and drink, He is certainly also interested in what we do and
when we do it, even if it is what’s for dinner! It is vitally important for you
to ask God’s direction in every decision you make, so that you stay in the
center of His will throughout the day.
As we maintain an attitude of prayer, we also start paying attention to the
feelings within our own soul. Then, we can take them to God to learn how to
heal the negative aspects and to multiply the positive ones. At times, anxiety
burdens our soul to the point, which may make us physically and emotionally
ill. When we live in the present moment, however, fully attentive to everyday
life as we live it, we find joy in the gifts God provides. We erupt into
spontaneous praise throughout the day. I encourage you to practice dwelling in
the present moment with a prayer and His praises filling your heart.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, I praise You for the sun rising and setting, the butterfly
fluttering on the breeze, the air we breathe, the laughter of little children,
the flowers blooming along the roadside, the rain for our garden, for toes to
balance our body, for the warmth of clothes, for soap and shampoo to keep us
clean, for birdsongs, for the antics of my pets, for the glitter of the sun on
the water, for the shape and color of flowers, for fluffy clouds in the crystal
blue sky, for the sound of my neighbor starting her car and my loved one
returning home, and for a roof that does not leak! I even praise you for the
hard times and the trials of life that draw me closer to You. Thought for the Day:
“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.” - Colossians 3:15
