Monday April 30th

This past week a question was raised in the small group I attend: "Is there a difference between praise and thanksgiving.  We determined that there most definitely is. 

As defined:

Praise means to exalt, to express admiration, exalt in worship, to proclaim or describe the glorious attributes of a deity (that would be God).

Thanksgiving means to express feelings or thoughts of gratitude and to acknowledge divine favours (Grace and/or mercy)

Praise is recognizing and giving glory and admiration for who God is. The total focus is on the greatness and goodness of Gods character.  It is for our benefit not his.  Thanks is recognizing and giving gratitude for what God has done in our lives and how we are blessed by who he is.  Again it is for our benefit not his.

Thanksgiving is a much easier thing for most of us to do then praise is.  Why?  Because we so often are "me" focused and "problem" focused that we don't remember who our God is and how big he is; what he is capable of doing.  We just know when he intervenes and help us in our times of need and in response (which is correct) we give him thanks.

But what if we changed our focused from being me centered and focused on the temporal world we live in to being focused on the Creator of heaven and Earth and the life eternal that awaits us?

What I found remarkable is all of today's Psalms were nothing but verse after verse of praise.  I haven't been feeling well today but from what I can see the word thanks is not mentioned once in any of them.  These Psalms were all about praise to a very big, a very powerful, a very mighty, a very loving, a very majestic, a very gracious God (and this list goes on and on doesn't it?).  It has points where the Psalmist remembers what God has done but instead of thanks being offered up the writer chooses to focus on praise and adoration for the God who was able to do such mighty works.

Question for you: "How often do you spend in each day simply giving praise to God?"

Another question for you: "How much of your daily prayer time is spent in praise? How much in thanksgiving?  How much in confession? How much in lifting up requests?"

All 4 areas are of vital importance to a well-rounded prayer life but I think that we can tend to skimp on the praise portion.  We say a "Praise you Lord" here and a "You are gracious and merciful" there.  But, when was the last time you lifted your voice in nothing but simple adoration for the Great God who loves you enough to leave his throne in heaven to take a seat in a manger bed and live a life of a poor carpenter so that he could one day hang on a tree in your place?  What kind of God would do that? When we take time to praise we find out, we remember exactly what kind of God we have.

Despite the difficulties of their lives the Psalmist who penned these 6 Psalms found it important to "Ascribe to the LORD" praises and what beautiful and uplifting pieces of scripture they are.

The very first phrases we read say the following:

"Ascribe to the LORD, O mighty ones (that would be you mighty warriors)
ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name;
worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness."  Psalm 29

I want to challenge you, as well as myself this week.  I want to challenge you to spend at least 5 minutes each day doing nothing but ascribing to the LORD the praise that is due to his glorious name.  Leaving the prayers of gratitude, confession, and requests for another time of day.  Let your mind become enveloped in the majesty of who God is.  Let it wash over you, fill you and transform you.

If you want some help one of the women in our small group had a great idea.  Sit with your bible open and use the words the Psalmists wrote to help get you started.  Pray and ask the Holy Spirit to help direct your heart in an attitude of praise and worship.

I would love to know at the end of 7 days of consistent prayers of praise if any of you experience a change in how you enter your prayers.  In how you face your difficult situations each day.   If we are faithful to give back to God the Glory due his name and worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness then I truly believe that a blessing unlike any we have experienced awaits us ahead.

The challenge has been given.  Are you willing to take it?