pour out praise

As Christians, we are taught to pray. We know Jesus taught us to pray.  Prayer is very important. I want to be better at praying. I try to start my day with prayer because that tends to give me a better outlook for my day. My days tend to run smoother and my attitude tends to be better when I have taken time to pray in the morning.  I am learning that prayer is also not just a one time a day activity. It is also a lifestyle.  1 Thessalonians 5:17 says, "Pray without ceasing."  We need to have an attitude or life style of prayer. This means we are ready and able to quickly turn to prayer at any moment, in any circumstance. I can go through my day and be talking to God as I go. This is changing my responses to struggles, trials and difficulties. I am trying to talk to God first, rather than letting the fear, emotions and other things take over. Is it easy? no.  Am I good at it? No. Am I getting better at it? Yes.

One thing, though, that God has been working on me about prayer is that I often turn it  into a list of requests. I make lists of needs and rattle them off asking and asking for answers. This is not necessarily wrong  as the Bible teaches us to make our petitions known and in 1 Peter 5:7 to cast our cares on Him.  We all have needs and we all have concerns. We know people that have needs and concerns. We can bring these needs to God and make them  known. He knows what we need before we even ask (Matthew 6:8).

He wants us to come to Him.  He has the answers already in mind.  

The one thing God wants me to remember in my prayer is praise.  I need to focus on the praise, not the worry.  We often have a lot to ask for and may forget to spend time in praise.  We have access to the Almighty God through prayer. He is worthy of all praise. Praise is how we should begin and end prayer. Jesus, himself, taught this in the Lord's Prayer.  "Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be your name."  (Matthew 6:9) When we focus on praise, we begin to focus more on who He is, what He can do, and is doing, rather than our problems.  We recognize His power and authority rather than our fear.  We see how small our circumstance is in comparison to His greatness.  The perspective of praise changes how we pray and how we approach God.  

Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come before him: worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.

1 Chronicles 16:29 KJV

We can approach God in worship and praise rather than in request of help and fear of not getting what we need.  Praise creates faith and boldness to declare victory. Praise creates peace in the storm. Praise creates knowledge of how good God is. 

King David wrote many Psalms with this perspective. He did come with some complaints and concerns. He poured out his heart to God.  But, he always turned to praise of the great, good God.  You can read through Psalms and find many examples of how we need to approach prayer as praise.  We can pour out praise over our concerns and circumstances and find that God is good and He is working out all things for our good.  We can praise Him before the storm, through the storm, and after the storm.  He deserves more praise than I can ever give.  I want my lifestyle to be one of prayer. I want my prayer to be filled with praise.  I want praise to become my first thoughts and my first words each day, rather than words of fear and worry.  May praise pour out of us daily, minute by minute.  May praise be my response to all things. May God hear my praise and find it as sweet incense before his throne.  May we always recognize His greatness and His goodness in every moment. I want to pour out praise. 

Make a joyful noise unto the Lord , all ye lands.  Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing.  Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.  Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.  For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

Psalms 100:1‭-‬5 KJV

found in faithfulness

What is faithfulness?  I am often impressed when someone is described as faithful. I have heard a spouse described as faithful, or an employee called faithful. In the church world, faithfulness is a wonderful attribute. God himself, is called faithful.  We say and sing "Great is Thy faithfulness."

They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

Lamentations 3:23 KJV

The eleventh chapter of Hebrews is full of examples of men and women whom were considered faithful. They are heroes of faith. They were found faithful in the eyes of God. They were not perfect, but they were described as full of faith.  

So, what is faithfulness? Merriam Webster Dictionary defines faithfulness as    1 : steadfast in affection or allegiance : loyal a faithful friend. 2 : firm in adherence to promises or in observance of duty : conscientious a faithful employee. 3 : given with strong assurance : binding a faithful promise.

It is a binding promise, showing yourself faithful, loyal, constant and steadfast.  

Why do we want faithful people and why should we strive to be faithful? 

Someone who is faithful is someone on which we can depend. We want to know that they will be there, keep their word and follow through.  We know they are reliable and do their best to do what they say.  We want those kind of people in our lives. We want to be married to  a faithful person. We want a spouse who is constant,  loyal, and steadfast.   Businesses want faithful employees who will be there and do their best to work and support the business. Churches, groups, and communities are blessed by the faithful members who are there,  steadfast, and always show up to help, support, and do what is needed.

Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.

1 Corinthians 4:2 KJV

It is the same with God.  He is faithful. He is loyal, dependable, steadfast,  and constant. He never changes. He is the same, yesterday,  today, and forever. ( Hebews 13:8) He is ever faithful.

We as a Christian, should also be faithful. Saying we are a Christian is to say we are trying to be like Christ. Christ is faithful so we should also strive to be faithful.  We need to be faithful in service to others, faithful in our lifestyle, faithful in prayer,  faithful in study of His word, faithful in love of others, faithful in worship,  faithful in attendance to church, and many other areas.  We need to be steadfast,  constant and loyal. We need to be dedicated and trustworthy. We should be someone that when others think of us, faithfulness should come to mind.  We should demonstrate faithfulness as God is faithful.  

He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.

Luke 16:10 KJV

Are we always able to do so? No, we are only human. But, we do need to strive toward being better than we were before. We do need to work toward being more faithful and more like Christ. We do need to ask God to help us and work on our hearts to change us and mold us more into His image. Faithfulness to Him and His purpose will become a part of who we are through His leading.  

His Lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.

Matthew 25:21 KJV

It is pleasing to God when he finds us faithful. Is it always easy to be faithful? No, we have human bodies that tire, minds that wonder, hearts that are fickle at times. We have to put aside things we desire to allow God to use us and to do work that He is asking of us. Faithfulness involves setting aside self for others. Faithfulness is rooted in love for God and for others. It is a choice to put God first and put others before self.  It is a chosen action that at times can be hard. It is, however, worthy and rewarding. The more you  choose to be faithful, the more you realize that God is working in you and through you. 

And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:

Hebrews 11:39 KJV

There are blessings for the faithful that only God can give.  Strive for faithfulness, strive to be faithful. Ask God to help you be found as faithful. I pray to be found faithful in the eyes of God.