Unceasing Praise

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November- The Month of Thankfulness and Praise.

“I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.” Ephesians 1:16 (NIV)

            The Apostle Paul penned these words to the believers at Ephesus. Theirs was a city dominated by pagan worshipers and their gods. However, these believers in Christ had strong faith in the LORD, in spite of this background. Those who came to belief in Christ burned all their scrolls that contained magic formulas.

            We, also, might want to lift some group or individual up to God in prayer. Each of us knows someone who may have a hard time walking with Jesus due to the environment they may be in. Sometimes, we meet people who are trying to change their lives and want to leave some issues in their past.

            How do we love someone who we know has a difficult life? We could do as Paul did, we could pray for them and praise God for them.

We all have people in our lives who do things that cause us to be concerned about them. In several of these instances, we have to love them as they are and lift them up in prayer each time we think of them. Having Jesus in our hearts allows us to discern thing about those people about which they feel uncomfortable.

            By praying for these people, we give thanks to God for them. By giving thanks, we give praise that we know them. Even talking to them and greeting them when we meet them throughout the week or on Sunday mornings at church tells us that they are important to us.

Praise God at All Times.

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November- The Month of Thankfulness and Praise.

“I will extol the LORD at all times, his praise will always be on my lips. My soul will boast in the LORD; Let the afflicted hear and rejoice. Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name together.” Psalm 34:1-3 (NIV)

            David wrote these words to God. He had kept Abimelech from killing him. David acted as if he were insane. (I Samuel 21:31) God spared his life. In this three-verse passage, I identify six words  and one phrase used for the word praise.

“I will extol the LORD at all times. . .”

           

            He tells us he will highly praise God, even in the tough times. Could this mean we are to follow his example and praise God highly, whatever the conditions?

“. . . his praise will always be on my lips.”

In these few words, David confirms that he intends to praise God ALWAYS. When a person states an action and restates it right away, that person means business. Have we forsaken the value of praising God?

“My soul will boast in the LORD.”

            David doesn’t say, “I will brag on the LORD when He does something good for me.” He praises God even in the bad times. One of my favorite Gospel songs tells me to remember “ God of the mountain is still God in the valley, in good times and the bad.” ^1.

            God performs many acts that, as humans, we tend to take for granted. A roof over our heads, Central heating, Keeping us safe when we travel, Healthy family members, Positive Life experiences,   

“Let the afflicted hear and rejoice.” In our society, we see people who once were active cannot do as they once did. David states we are to let those dealing with diseases, illnesses, and disorders give praise to the LORD.

”Glorify the LORD with me. . .” Our job on this earth is to bring glory to the LORD. We do this in various ways. Seeking His guidance, praying for another person, coming together for worship, sharing scripture, inviting Him into our days.

“. . . let us exalt his name together.” I find this phrase interesting. David invites those who will read this down through the ages to lift the name of Jesus up. Do we ask others to help pray for a special need? Do we ask friends to pray for us when we face trying circumstances?        

1.      1.“God on the mountain” written by Lynda Randle

Book Review: Everyday Praise By Julie Sunne

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I am running this post from September in order to celebrate the availability of Julie’s book in paperback.

            Julie Sunne, a wife and a very active mother of four children, has explored the element of praise to God as a part of our daily worship. As I read these devotional essays, I felt a peace come over me that I had been missing. For each devotion, she has designed a meme that drew me closer to the text and allowed the words speak to my heart.

            Included in the e-book is a link to a downloadable journal to aid the reader to enhance what she or he has read. I find this a plus for the reader. At present, this book is a Kindle publication. Later in the fall, Julie plans to make this book available as a paperback.

            I would recommend Julie’s book to anyone who feels adrift from God and desires to have a closer walk with Jesus.

The new devotional, #Everyday Praise by Julie Sunne, is now  available in paperback. Get it at www.createspace.com/pub/simplesitesearch.search.do?sitesearch_query=julie+sunne&sitesearch_type=STORE

Julie writes on her blog at http://www.juliesunne.com/

            I received a copy of this book and the accompanying journal free from the author. All she asked of me was to give an honest review.