Praise Him
Praise holds the power to shift the atmosphere.
The Bible says that the Lord inhabits the praises of His people (Psalm 22:3). He enters our presence when we worship Him. Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty (II Corinthians 3:17). When we worship God, we experience freedom.
Praise invites the Lord into our situation and then frees us to…
Walk in agreement with His will
Receive His promises
Stand in faith, not fear
Overcome wrong thinking, misaligned living, negativity, and the power of the enemy
Live out the plans and purposes of God with joy and peace
Place God on the throne of our hearts, destroying bondage and the yoke of idolatry
Plus SO MUCH MORE!!
God is our Liberator. As we worship Him, He frees us. In freeing us, He draws us right back to worship. It is a powerful and poetic rhythm of: worship, freedom, worship. He sets us free so we can freely worship Him!
Thank you, Lord, for setting us free to freely worship and honor and exalt you. Thank you, Lord, that there is no limit to your freedom. You free us and free us and free us. You invite us into greater degrees of liberty as we pursue greater degrees of worship.
Lately, I have unlocked a new realm of praise through prayer! I’ve reached a new level of worshipping God through prayer. It has been a total shift! I typically start my prayers with thanksgiving - thanking God for my health, my family, my job, etc. This is a beautiful practice of gratitude that I believe pleases God.
While I will continue this practice, my prayer life has recently reached a new level of power as I’ve shifted my praise orientation. What do I mean by this? I've shifted the opening part of my prayers from praising God solely for what He’s done for me to first praising Him for who He is.
God, you are Healer. You are Alpha and Omega, beginning and end. You are Author and Finisher. You finish the work you’ve started in me.
You are my hope. You are my source. You are my High Priest. You are Savior and Deliverer. You are Lord and Master.
Just start praying these things and watch the atmosphere shift!!!
In praying like this, our worship becomes uncircumstantial. When we start by praising Him for who He is, we reorient out hearts and minds to acknowledge God’s unchanging character. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
No matter my circumstance, I can praise Him. Simply because He’s worthy. This is freeing.
I praise Him because He’s praiseworthy.
I exalt Him because He is great and greatly to be praised. He is high and lifted up.
I honor Him because all glory, honor, and power belong to Him.
Not because I feel good, but because He is good. Not because life is perfect, but because He is perfect. Not because I have it all together, but because He holds it all together.
Starting my prayers by thanking Him for who He is vs. starting my prayers by thanking Him for what He’s done shifts our focus off ourselves and onto God. After I’ve praised Him for who He is, my thanksgiving for the things He’s done is amplified. My awe is intensified. My gratitude is magnified. My problems are nullified and my faith is fortified.
He didn’t just give me a job. He is my Provider. He’ll do it again. This isn’t a one time thing - it’s who He is.
I am free to trust Him with every pending need, every upcoming battle, every ongoing trial. God didn’t just heal me that one time, He is my Healer time and time again.
You see how this approach is complementary? We praise God for who He is, overflowing with gratitude for His character and the work He’s done in our lives. We are then freed to praise Him continually and receive the abundant blessing of being in love with God, yielded and obedient to Him. Wow!!!
Praise Him and make it personal. He’s not just a way maker, chain breaker, healer, provider, and blesser.
He’s MY Healer.
He’s MY Advocate.
He’s MY Intercessor.
He’s MY Good Father.
He’s MY Shepherd and Protector.
He’s MY Faithful Friend.
He’s the Author of MY story.
He’s MY Alpha and Omega, MY beginning and end.
He’s MY Lord, MY Master, MY King, MY Savior.
He’s MY Peace, Jehovah Shalom.
He’s MY Peacemaker, payment for MY sin.
He’s MY Renewer and MY Redeemer.
He’s MY Refuge and MY Strong Tower.
He’s the Lover of MY soul.
He’s MY Gift-giver.
He’s MY Anointer.
He’s MY Purifier and MY Sanctifier.
He’s MY Answer.
My encouragement is simple:
Worship God through prayer.
Try praising God for who He is before thanking Him for what He’s done. Do both, but practice this sequence and experience the shift!
Make your praise personal. God, thank you for being MY____. Who is God to you? Exalt Him because He’s worthy.
Step into the freedom of true worship. As God takes first place in your heart, your life, and your prayers, He frees you to live in total trust, true surrender, and deeper obedience. It is a Spirit-filled life where you begin to walk on water. We meet Jesus in our worship. We encounter His Spirit there. In encountering His Spirit, we receive His freedom. And as we receive His freedom, we are drawn back into awestruck worship. Thank you, Lord, for who you are. We praise you. We worship you. We exalt you!
XO Elise