Praising the Lord in prayer
This is the fifth in a series of studies on the subject of prayer.
God is magnificent; he can never be praised enough. There are no boundaries to his greatness.
Psalm 145:3 (The Message)
When thinking about how we should begin our prayers let me suggest that praising God should be high on the list. When we think about the majesty, the glory, the holiness, the wisdom, the mercy, the love, and the grace of God, we will soon recognise, along with the Psalmist, that ‘God is magnificent’ and that ‘there are no boundaries to his greatness.’
The more we learn of, and experience these things, the more we will find ourselves wanting to follow David’s example: ‘I will praise the Lord at all times. I will constantly speak his praises… Come, let us tell of the Lord’s greatness; let us exalt his name together.’ (Psalm 34:1, 3 NLT). Then having praised God, David says, ‘I prayed to the Lord and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears. Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy;
no shadow of shame will darken their faces. In my desperation I prayed, and the Lord listened; he saved me from all my troubles.’ (vv. 4-6).
When David prayed, first praising God and exalting his name, God answered his prayers, freed him from fear, removed his shame so he could radiate with joy, and saved him from his troubles.
If you are ever stuck wondering what to pray about just take some time to think about who God is and what he has done and then praise him for those things. Our praise of God will soon lead to thanksgiving, and it is striking how often in the New Testament we are encouraged to praise and thank God: ‘Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.’ (Col.4:2 NIVUK). As Christians, we should be, ‘…overflowing with thankfulness’ (Colossians 2:7), to which Apostle Paul adds, ‘Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.’ (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).
We can praise and thank God every day in our prayers for all of the good things in our life, and especially, and above all, we can reflect and meditate on the wonder of our salvation in Christ, saying along with Paul: ‘Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!’ (2 Corinthians 9:15).
Prayer
Loving Father, we praise you for who you are, and for your great love towards us, and we thank you for sending your Son to reconcile us to you. In Jesus’s name, Amen.
Study by Barry Robinson
About the writer:
Barry Robinson is a minister in Grace Communion International and Regional Pastor for Southern England, the Midlands, and Wales
Local congregation:
Grace Communion West Hampstead
Sidings Community Centre
150 Brassey Road
West Hampstead
London
NW6 2BA
Meeting time:
Sunday 12.30 pm
Local congregational contact:
Gordon Brown
gordon.brown@gracecom.church
Word of Life contact:
wordoflife@gracecom.church