Perspective of Praise
A person's perspective in life is everything. For example, it will feel cool when you've been outside in 100º weather and walk into a room that is 76 or even 78 degrees. However, if you've been inside cleaning and working around the house and it's 76 degrees, it'll feel hot quickly. The home temperature's "comfort" depends on your perspective.
The same thing can happen in our spiritual lives if we aren't intentionally focusing our perspective on gratitude for all God has done and praising him.
The same thing can happen in our spiritual lives if we aren't intentionally focusing our perspective on gratitude for all God has done and praising him.
During your daily prayer times, instead of rattling off all your problems to the Lord like a grocery list, spend a few minutes thanking Him for things you've never thought of mentioning before. –The Red Sea Rules, by Robert J. Morgan (Rule 10)
In my sermon, I recommend that people keep a prayer journal or a prayer list. This doesn't have to be anything complicated. When I kept a paper list, it was something like this:
I put the date I started praying, a name and a few words for what I was praying for, and then the date I saw God fulfill my prayer request. Every day I sit down to pray, I pull out this list and pray over the items. Some are there all year, like praying over my family. Sometimes I add specific things they need, like when someone's sick. I can easily see all God had done to answer my prayers and praise him for those things.
In my sermon, I recommend that people keep a prayer journal or a prayer list. This doesn't have to be anything complicated. When I kept a paper list, it was something like this:
1/5 – Request
3/7 – Request - 5/30
3/25 – Request
5/3 – Request - 6/1
6/2 – Request - 6/38
7/14 – Request
I put the date I started praying, a name and a few words for what I was praying for, and then the date I saw God fulfill my prayer request. Every day I sit down to pray, I pull out this list and pray over the items. Some are there all year, like praying over my family. Sometimes I add specific things they need, like when someone's sick. I can easily see all God had done to answer my prayers and praise him for those things.
"And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for." –1 John 5:14-15 NLT
Scripture promises that God hears our prayers and will give us all we ask for, as long as it's within his will. If we want to ensure we have the right perspective, we have to put ourselves in a position to see the prayers God has answered. That happens when we record what we're praying for to see what God is doing.
You can also pray over the church's prayer list to improve praying for others. You'll find the list in our eMag. It is password protected, so we don't put people's personal information on the wide web. Contact the church office for the password, or look for it in the weekly eNews email.
Scripture promises that God hears our prayers and will give us all we ask for, as long as it's within his will. If we want to ensure we have the right perspective, we have to put ourselves in a position to see the prayers God has answered. That happens when we record what we're praying for to see what God is doing.
You can also pray over the church's prayer list to improve praying for others. You'll find the list in our eMag. It is password protected, so we don't put people's personal information on the wide web. Contact the church office for the password, or look for it in the weekly eNews email.
Thoughts to Ponder
- When in your day could you add 5 minutes to pray over a list of requests?
- Have you considered praying for the church family's needs?
- How can others help me in my prayer life?
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