Ever wonder why your faith never seems to grow? Or why in spite of your Bible studies, church attendance and church programs, your prayer life seems more like a trip to the DMV than to the playground?
The fact is you’re not alone. Millions of Christians feel exactly the same way you do! Too often we’re numbed by our phones, exhausted by the world, and so easily frazzled by our latest emergency. We hate to admit it, but we get tired of thanking God for the same things over and over again, and so we feel a bit guilty that our worship is so stagnant and lifeless. But could it be that we got praise and prayer all wrong? That just maybe, we’re missing a vital part of an intimate personal relationship? Something deep and vibrant that we never even knew we had to cultivate?
Seeking God’s Face More Than His Hand
Scripture tells us we need to come to God as little children. However, it never says in Scripture that we must stay that way. Small kids love to ask for things. And as good parents, we love to give them much of what they ask for. But this is just the beginning of the relationship. It’s the milk not the meat.
There’s nothing wrong with asking for things. It’s just that this should never be the end of our spiritual walk. With our friends and family we have so many examples of mature relationships. These relationships go far beyond us looking for the latest gift.
Ask yourself, why do I love my spouse? Why do I delight in my best friend? Is it just about what these people can do for you? Or is it something much bigger than this?
Of course, you know the answer here. Sure, you love it when your spouse rubs your back or your friend helps you wash the dishes. But it’s not about the dishes or the back rub is it? It’s about their character. It’s about their personhood.
Perhaps at first, all you saw was that they did good things for you. But this would never make you love them. Your love for them came only when you could look beyond these gifts and see into their soul. If the things they did for you were the joke; it’s the character revealed by such things: that’s the punchline!
And so it is the same with our Jesus. As baby Christians, we sought only His hand. But as maturing adults it’s now time to seek His face. It’s now time to delight in His personhood. How you do this is not much different from how you relate to your own friends and family.
You actively remember what God has done for you, what He has done for others, and what He says about Himself in the Bible. Then ask Jesus to show you the things to praise Him for; things that relate to His character and His divine attributes, not just for His gifts and physical blessings. He will then transform your prayer life into something you delight in.
In Psalm 37:4, Scripture says to delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your Heart. So if you won’t do this for God, then do this for you! You know how to praise your spouse for their devotion, their tenderness, their creativity, their attention to even the smallest things in your life.
You know how to praise your friends for their steadfast loyalty, for their amazing compassion, for their marvelous insights and for their gentleness. Now borrow what you’ve learned in these relationships and apply it to our God! The blogs below will help you with specifics. The Lord loves a cheerful giver. And this extends to your praise!
Praising The Lord And Keeping It Real!
Tired of forcing yourself to have a praise life? Here’s how to spice things up a bit!
Other Blogs on Praising & Prayer Time
Songs of Praise
- Anything Is Possible (Judah)
- Way Maker (Leeland)
- Anyone But You (John Mark Kohl)
- You Can (Cade Thompson)
- First Things First (Consumed By Fire)
- Smell The Roses (Cecily)
To quote Janet Jackson, my life can often be about “What have you done for me lately?” My human nature, although frequently boxed in by my self-centeredness, still recounts what God has done for me (miraculously healing my right shoulder, appearing to me in dreams and sharing in my suffering in a hospital room about fifteen months ago when my physical body was in a battle against bilateral pneumonia, of which he healed me a few days later). It also seems, in spite of my incessant, earthly hand-wringing and worry regarding money, every time I’ve needed extra cash in the last four years or so, while not working a job, he sends the stock market into an upsurge that enables me to continue to support my wife and myself.
However, if we want to follow in the path of Yeshua our Messiah, He’s all about not only loving Him with all our heart, soul and strength, but also our neighbors/friends, etc. as ourselves. Most people, in my experience, including myself, are so used to living in fear, lack, distrust and a paucity of faith that we can’t help remaining stuck within the confines of our selfish, survival/slave focused borders. A pastor once told me to walk in the way of Christ is impossible, which would be true if not for the gift of His Holy Spirit. This requires stepping through the portal that leads to God’s kingdom of heaven where all things are possible. This is the ideal environment to build our relationship with our Lord. Worship, prayer and being in the word are wonderful things, but I believe what God most desires for us is to be in an intimate relationship with Him. This can be a simple conversation, which brings to mind Him walking with Adam in the cool of the afternoon in a spirit of fellowship. The Godhead consists of many attributes, including personhood, as mentioned above. If I have a healthy relationship with my wife with Jesus at the center and me actually putting her first, this pleases God’s heart immensely. In his strength, I can bring this same attitude to my Heavenly Father. Our tendency is to ask Him about what He can do for us. How about flipping the script and asking Yeshua what we can do for Him that will please His heart. This pleases Him greatly and is an opportunity to go so much deeper with God and as a favorable consequence, also with our Earthly family and friends. This pleases His heart greatly and in the process of doing so, we also get our desires of the heart fulfilled. With God, right relationship always leads to righteous action. Bask in His glory in order to glorify Him, and prepare to be amazed at the potential of how fulfilling our walk and healing journey with Him can be. If you are creating a win/win, then you get to experience the joy of being in His will, which is simply an added bonus.