A visiting preacher at our church recently urged us to aim at spending 80 per cent of our prayer times in praising God.
For most of us, that's a daunting goal.
And many of us will also wonder: "What about my prayer requests? Aren't they important?"
Yes, they are. But perhaps God can deal with some of those prayer needs while we are exalting him.
Terry Law, author of The Power of Praise and Worship, says that he has found praising God has changed him and changed the lives of other people, too. He declares that a "lifestyle of praise" is not only possible, but desirable.
Decades ago, Law's wife died in a traffic accident while he was out of the country touring with a Christian band called "Living Sound". He was left with three young children and a bitter heart.
He was angry with God and decided he would give up his music career. But a talk with friend and mentor Oral Roberts ultimately changed his mind and his future.
Roberts, who had suffered loss in his own life, urged him to praise the Lord. Law objected, but did as Roberts suggested. He felt nothing as he praised God until a couple of hours later, he broke down in tears and felt an inner release. He found himself rejoicing in the Lord.
He returned to leading the band, but with a new vigour and purpose. His praise band toured eastern European Communist countries and huge crowds - many of them young people - turned out. People were healed during the services and many became believers - even young Communists.
Law later moved into other areas of ministry, but continues to stress the importance of praising God. Law says that, along with changing our own outlook on life, praising God:
We can look up the various names for God in the Bible - the Lord as Creator, Almighty, Peace, Shepherd, Healer, Provider and more - using them as a launching pad to reflection and praise.
And something I have started doing is using simple objects in my everyday world to prompt thoughts of the Lord - who he is and what he has done for me. For instance, standing in the shower in the morning reminds me that the Lord is pouring out his goodness and his love upon me.
Or, we can sit silently before him, adoring him and then speaking words of thanks and praise.
Praising God pleases the Lord and draws us closer to him. And it renews us.
For most of us, that's a daunting goal.
And many of us will also wonder: "What about my prayer requests? Aren't they important?"
Yes, they are. But perhaps God can deal with some of those prayer needs while we are exalting him.
Terry Law, author of The Power of Praise and Worship, says that he has found praising God has changed him and changed the lives of other people, too. He declares that a "lifestyle of praise" is not only possible, but desirable.
Decades ago, Law's wife died in a traffic accident while he was out of the country touring with a Christian band called "Living Sound". He was left with three young children and a bitter heart.
He was angry with God and decided he would give up his music career. But a talk with friend and mentor Oral Roberts ultimately changed his mind and his future.
Roberts, who had suffered loss in his own life, urged him to praise the Lord. Law objected, but did as Roberts suggested. He felt nothing as he praised God until a couple of hours later, he broke down in tears and felt an inner release. He found himself rejoicing in the Lord.
He returned to leading the band, but with a new vigour and purpose. His praise band toured eastern European Communist countries and huge crowds - many of them young people - turned out. People were healed during the services and many became believers - even young Communists.
Law later moved into other areas of ministry, but continues to stress the importance of praising God. Law says that, along with changing our own outlook on life, praising God:
- Silences the evil one (Psalm 8:1-2);
- Lifts our spirits (Isaiah 61:3);
- Leads us into celebrating Christ's triumph over the dark forces through his death and resurrection (2 Corinthians 2:14);
- Prepares us for miracles (Psalm 50:23); and
- Brings revelation - or spiritual knowledge that we would not have otherwise (Psalm 22 speaks of Jesus' agonies on the cross hundreds of years before they happened).
We can look up the various names for God in the Bible - the Lord as Creator, Almighty, Peace, Shepherd, Healer, Provider and more - using them as a launching pad to reflection and praise.
And something I have started doing is using simple objects in my everyday world to prompt thoughts of the Lord - who he is and what he has done for me. For instance, standing in the shower in the morning reminds me that the Lord is pouring out his goodness and his love upon me.
Or, we can sit silently before him, adoring him and then speaking words of thanks and praise.
Praising God pleases the Lord and draws us closer to him. And it renews us.
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