Praise God!

Praise God!

The LORD lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be my God, the Rock, my Savior!
2 Samuel 22:47 NIV

Some years ago I surveyed several Christians with the question; “What area of your faith walk would you like to learn more about?” Hands down, the answer was “prayer”. And, that answer bewilders me. I have observed that when life gets tough, believers get on their knees and seek God with immense fervency. I have experienced the strength of their prayers when they have interceded on my behalf. They don’t need additional training about prayer. These people know how to call upon the Lord.

I have prayed in front of congregations of varying denominations and in small groups. I have interceded for others in private and on street corners. Prayer has yet to be an issue for me either. But praise... well for some reason, I am just now coming to the realization that praise is incredibly important and far too often overlooked. You really can't have a thriving prayer life and ignore praise.

The thing I have to remember is that no matter the ups and downs, one should always worship the Lord. And if you have trouble finding a reason to praise God, start at the beginning of your faith-life. The beginning is the cross-work of Christ. For me, the cross is not only what compels me to keep following God, but it is a source of praise and extreme gratitude. As long as the Lord gives me breath, His praise will always be on my lips (Psalm 34:1).