PRAYER INVOLVES PRAISE

PRAYER INVOLVES PRAISE!

Ps 150

1 Praise ye the Lord. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power.

2 Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness.

3 Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp.

4 Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs.

5 Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals.

6 Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord . Praise ye the Lord .

The natural outgrowth of faith, worship, confession, and adoration is praise. We may or may not be aware of all these elements when we pray but they are there. The One we love is deserving of praise. The One who hears our confession and forgives our sin is deserving of praise.

Prayer that is void of praise must sound like the demands of a spoiled child. We’ve all heard the screams of that child in the grocery store checkout lane. Mother is emptying her cart and trying to find her wallet when the child spies something he or she wants. An immediate and urgent cry is made to own the thing. Let’s not be that child.

Certainly, some prayers are urgent and must focus on the need at hand. When Peter was sinking after walking on the water a few steps, he did not have time for polite conversation. His cry was short and to the point. He said “Lord, save me!” Nevertheless, in our devotional prayer time we should take the time to praise the One who is praiseworthy.

Ps 107:8

8 Oh that men would praise the Lord  for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

Lord, I do praise you for your wonderful works. Your goodness toward me is so undeserved that it takes my breath away. AMEN