Prayers Of Praise

Jan 20, 2022

How much time do you spend praising God?

I ask this question because I’ve been convicted about this topic in my own heart. I was at a prayer meeting last week with a group of local pastors. We spent an hour going through different prayer stations - lament, hope, petition, and praise. It was easy to lament to God for fifteen minutes and think of dozens of things to ask for. But when I got to the praise station, I was surprised at how foreign it felt to simply acknowledge God’s goodness for fifteen minutes straight. Normally, my praise is contained to a few sentences or is quickly followed up with a series of requests. But concentrated, specific, extended time telling God about His goodness? That felt new. And it felt beautiful.

As I prayed and praised and thanked and acknowledged, I was floored about how my own heart changed. What started as a somewhat robotic prayer, turned into an outpouring of gratitude. The discouragement in my heart about the state of the world slowly was replaced with trust and peace. When we acknowledge God’s goodness, the worries of our world begin to fade.

How could I be stressed about my finite problems, when I am reminded of the infinite goodness of God?

I don’t know where you’re at today. Maybe God’s goodness is tangible and real, and praising Him is something you do often. Maybe God’s goodness is the last thing on your mind as you try to navigate COVID, finances, parenting, work stressors, and a long list of New Year’s resolutions.

No matter where you’re at, we all need more time spent praising the King of kings and Lord of lords. What if that was the one thing that we changed in 2022? More time spent acknowledging God’s goodness. I wonder how incredibly different our outlook on life would be, how much more encouraged our spirit would feel, and how different our problems might look as we approach them with confidence rather than fear. Of course it’s not a bad thing to ask God for what we need - but what if we didn’t always hop straight to the to-do list? What if we reserved time to just thank Him?

If your prayers tend to start with “Please do this…” or if your heart feels extra burdened today, just take the next five minutes and remind your heart of who your God is. Praise Him. And watch as the way the world looks changes.

At our prayer meeting we praised God through the following passage, Isaiah 40. Let’s take the rest of our devotional time to slowly pray through these verses, and give glory to our God.

10 Behold, the Lord God comes with might, and his arm rules for him; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him.

11 He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.

28 Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.

29 He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength.

30 Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted;

31 but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.