Praise: Who God Is

One thing I have learned through my experience and the testimony of others is that everything that we do can affect those around us. Lately “praise” has really been highlighted in my spirit and my eyes have been opened to so much more since I started looking into what all is involved with praise. Our actions will always affect someone around us but luckily it doesn’t have to be in a negative way. Praise is something that is ultimately meant to be for God and for you but it still goes beyond that. Praise goes beyond thanking him for what He has done. Praise is thanking him for who He is. I love what Kirk Franklin said once while he was leading worship, “Even when we take God for granite, what is so amazing about God, Paul says He does not treat us the way our sins deserve. So that means even with our imperfections God is still perfect with his grace and mercy. That’s why I don’t want people getting comfortable praising the Lord just when He gives them something. See, you have to learn how to praise because of WHO He is because when you praise him for who He is you don’t have to wait until the trouble comes to learn how to praise him.”

There is so much truth in that because I know there’s been so many times when this has been me. I didn’t take time to praise God until He gave me something. I absolutely loved what he said though because it made me look at praise from a different perspective. Praising God strengthens our faith as well because we are admiring him for his goodness that extends from our past to our present and especially to our future. Same goes for his mercy, love, grace, and favor, etc. We are believing that He, not just who He is today, but that who He is “now” is who He was “yesterday” and will be “tomorrow.” We are acknowledging and reminding ourselves of all that God is able.

These are just a few things learning more about praise meant to me and it took my worship time to a different level. I challenge you to pick a time each week to praise God without mentioning what He’s done for you so that the focus will be more on who He is.

PRAISE:

• For the 85 small groups already started.

• God is raising up leaders and many are taking action and starting small groups and starting fires in the hearts of their friends and people around them.

Prayer Requests:

• The new small groups starting up or in the process of starting up.

• For the broken-hearted students and family relationships. Pray they may feel valued and loved and come to know Christ as their Savior and hope.

• For the really busy season we are entering in (i think big school assemblies, The Annual Celebration Dinner, new ministry projects, etc.).

#AntonioOlivaresJohnson