SATURDAY — NO PRECEDENT

On our last day of our week of prayer, I want to share about the prayer of praise, worship, and thanksgiving. These three are closely related. A heart of thanksgiving makes you want to praise and worship.  However, I believe one of the things we have to guard against is just repeating empty words that are not heartfelt.

If someone gives me an amazing gift, I don’t just continue to say, “Thank you, thank you, thank you, praise you, praise you, praise you!” I specifically say, “Thank you for that amazing gift”. If my spouse helps me around the house, I specifically tell him, “Thank you for cleaning up the kitchen for me”.

I believe there are times that we may be saying the words, but they are not coming from our heart. We should be specific when we thank the Lord for the blessings He bestows on us. Likewise, it is important that we think about the words that we are singing when we are offering up that type of praise. Without focus and a true heart of worship, we can be singing words and not even think about what they mean. Here are some examples of heartfelt praise and thanksgiving.

Psalm 111:1-4 AMP

PRAISE THE Lord! (Hallelujah!) I will praise and give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart in the council of the upright and in the congregation. 2 The works of the Lord are great, sought out by all those who have delight in them. 3 His work is honorable and glorious, and His righteousness endures forever. 4 He has made His wonderful works to be remembered; the Lord is gracious, merciful, and full of loving compassion.

 1 Chronicles 16:8-11 AMP

O give thanks to the Lord, call on His name; make known His doings among the peoples! 9 Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; meditate on and talk of all His wondrous works and devoutly praise them! 10 Glory in His holy name; let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord! 11 Seek the Lord and His strength; yearn for and seek His face and to be in His presence continually!  

The first reason we should worship, praise, and offer thanks is simply because He is worthy of it. Secondly, it releases great power. God has ordained it to be that way. After Solomon’s temple was completed, we read what happened when the people gathered to offer praise and thanksgiving.

2 Chronicles 5:13-14 AMP

And when the trumpeters and singers were joined in unison, making one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord, and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and other instruments for song and praised the Lord, saying, For He is good, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever, then the house of the Lord was filled with a cloud, 14 So that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the house of God.

Worship, praise, and thanksgiving are so powerful, and they can be a mighty weapon when we walk through times of testing and difficulty.

 Phil 4:6-7 NASU

6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

 What happens when we refuse to get over into fear, but we offer up our prayer with thanksgiving? If you keep reading that passage, it tells us.

7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Another Scripture that shows the power of praise during times of difficulty is when Paul and Silas were in prison. These men had been beaten badly and they were in a horrible place with their feet in chains, yet they were still praising God. That praise had a powerful result!

 Acts 16:25-27 NASU

 25 But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them; 26 and suddenly there came a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison house were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were unfastened.

Because of this display of power, the jailer and his family were saved!

Praise, worship, and thanksgiving will keep your prayer life balanced. Without it you will be too concentrated on the difficulty, and give too much credit to the enemy. With it, you will be less focused on the problem and more focused on God your provider!

Prayer Focus:

• Pray for the eyes to see and ears to hear the things God has prepared for those who love Him. (1 Cor. 9:12)
• Pray for revelation of the bottomless things of God.
• Pray for God to move in us and through us to do greater things than even Jesus did while on the earth, with signs and wonders following us.

Scripture Focus:

1 Corinthians 2:9-10 NKJV: 9 But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” 10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.

John 14:12-14 NASU :”Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father. “Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.  “If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.”

Ephesians 3:20 NASU: “Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us,”

Jeremiah 33:3 NASU: “Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know.”

Jeremiah 32:27 NASU: “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh; is anything too difficult for Me?”

Luke 12:31-32 NASU: “But seek His kingdom, and these things will be added to you. Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom.”

Hebrews 10:23 KJV: “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)”

1 Corinthian 12:4-11 NASU: “4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. 6 There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons.  7 But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills.”

1 Corinthians 14:12 AMP:  “12 So it is with yourselves; since you are so eager and ambitious to possess spiritual endowments and manifestations of the [Holy] Spirit, [concentrate on] striving to excel and to abound [in them] in ways that will build up the church.”