Tuesday, September 26, 2023

Have you ever observed the night sky in a place that doesn’t have a lot of streetlights? It's breathtaking! The velvet black expanse filled with stars glittering like diamonds reminds me of an exquisite evening gown. I am humbled and reminded of the psalmist David’s words in Psalm 19.

Psalm 19:1-2
¹ The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. ² Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known.

These verses testify to the righteousness and faithfulness of our Creator. He is God and worthy of our praise.

And it gets better! This amazing God, who is so righteous and holy that even the skies of his creation proclaim his glory, is also tender, loving, and generous. He sent his Son, Jesus, to die for our sins. Through Christ, we are invited to call the Creator of the universe, Dad (Abba), and he gives us his Spirit to be our Advocate.

Romans 8:15
So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.”

Last weekend, we learned about an acronym to provide structure to our prayer time.

P — Praise

R — Release/Repent

A — Ask

Y — Yield

Today, let’s unpack the “P” — Praise.

I don’t know about you, but if I’m not mindful, I’m tempted to step into prayer time, dump all my troubles and spew all my requests at God’s feet, say “amen,” and be on my way. But not before I grab that backpack of burdens and heave it up onto my raw and blistered back, setting out once again to handle things (quite ineffectively) on my own.

By starting with praise, we remember who God is and what he is capable of. It reinforces our trust in his goodness and reminds us that he will handle the outcome better than we could ask or ever imagine. It allows us to lay our requests at his feet … and leave them there! Acknowledging God’s magnificence—praising him for who he is and what he has done for us through Christ—puts our troubles in the proper perspective and our hearts in the posture of prayer.

As you open your prayer time today, I invite you to take a moment to praise God’s holy name, entering into his sanctuary of peace fully aware of who he is and what he is capable of. When you’re finished, let your burdens remain with him, so you can leave refreshed and renewed.

Questions:
How do you like to praise God? Through song? Being out in nature? Reading Scripture?

Next Steps:
Take time to praise God today before spending time in prayer. You could listen to a song such as Bless the Lord, Oh My Soul, take a walk in nature to observe his Creation, meditate on scripture such as Isaiah 25:1, Psalm 63:1-8, or 1 Timothy 1:14. Or do something else that reminds you to give glory to God for his magnificence.

Prayer:
Father in Heaven, you are holy. Your name is above all names. And yet, you love me so much that you sent your Son to die on the cross for me so I can call you Father. Abba, thank you! I want to bring you glory every day so others may come to know of your love through me. Amen.

Series Theme Verse:

John 14:26
“But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.”

This post was written by Kelly Pagel, Director of the LivingItOut Devotional.