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"Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever." - Psalms 107:1 NKJV Each time someone does something nice for you, or gives you a gift, or allows you to go first, or helps you, then you know that the polite thing to do is to say, “Thank you”. The same should happen in our relationship with God. Giving thanks should be part of our everyday life when it comes to being a Christian because God has done so much for us. In this verse, the writer is directing us to say “Thank You” to the Lord. He isn’t just suggesting we do it to be nice, he is saying we should do it because our Father is good and because His mercy towards us is never ending. For all He has done He deserves to hear our thanks. Philippians 4:6 is another verse that commands us to give thanks. It says, “In everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.” Not only has God has done so much for us, He has also promised so much for us. Among other things, He is our Father, He is our Protector, He is our Healer, He is our Provider, He is our Redemption, He is everything we need and more and He wants us to “come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16 NKJV) Know that you are always welcome to come before God in prayer, but remember, saying thank you doesn’t cost you anything. Giving thanks is a valuable part of our worship because He is a God who is worthy of all the honour and praise we can give Him. Declaration Starter: “I declare Lord God that You are good. I give You thanks for all You have done. Your faithful love endures forever…” 
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"He has paid a full ransom for his people. He has guaranteed his covenant with them forever. What a holy, awe-inspiring name he has!" - Psalms 111:9 NLT There is a line from the play, Romeo and Juliet where Juliet says, “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” Consider that for a moment. The name of someone you know, or maybe know of, stirs something in you because of the character of the person behind that name. There is meaning because of who they are, not just because of their name. Well, Philippians 2:9 tells us that Jesus was given the name that is above every other name. Before He even came to earth, He was given a name that demons trembled at. But as we read through the New Testament, we clearly see that Jesus has well and truely proven He is worthy to hold the name that is above every name. Philippians 2:10-11 also says that there is not one single knee that doesn’t need to bow to Him. Jesus left heaven to live on earth and die in our place to make a way for us come back into right standing with Him. He didn’t have to, He chose to. He paid the ransom for us and in doing so guaranteed His covenant with us for eternity. It’s clear that God loves you and I, but the extent of that love we will never know till we stand before him in eternity. When I think about everything Jesus has done for me, I can’t help but be in awe of Him. He is worthy of our praise, admiration, applause, worship, love and even more. He holds the name that is above every name, and every time I hear His name I continue to be in awe of everything He has done for me. Declaration Starter: “I declare that God has a holy, awe-inspiring name…”  "I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples, and I will sing praises to You among the nations. For Your mercy is great above the heavens, and Your truth reaches to the clouds. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, and Your glory above all the earth;" - Psalms 108:3-5 NKJV When I come home from, if the first thing I am asked is something like, “Hey Dad, can I have…?” or “…can we do…?” by my kids, my response is a groaning and corrective, “Hi Dad, how was your day…?!” So often we can do the same with God. We are quick to come to Him when we have a need which isn’t wrong, because the Bible tells us we should do that. But in it’s also good to come before God and just say, “Hey God, I want you to know I think You’re just awesome!” He loves to hear us praise Him, and do you know what? We don’t have to have any needs or desires before we are able to come and worship Him, but even if we do, praise and worship should be a regular part of our prayers because we Love God, rather than because we need something If this is something that seems foreign to you, why not try it out. Spend a few minutes before your Father and just tell Him all the ways you think He is awesome. Let praise and worship begin to be a part of your everyday prayer life. Father will be glad you did. Declaration Starter: “I declare that God is amazing, wonderful, glorious and all powerful! His unfailing love is greater than anything. Thank You Lord, for everything You have done. I will sing your praises for you are amazing…”  "But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint." - Isaiah 40:31 NKJV Waiting on God in this verse isn’t referring to ‘serving’ God, it literally means to be waiting, lingering and expecting. So often we run around frantically doing things like completing our to-do-lists, cleaning the house, taking kids to sports, or even just pleasing people. These things aren’t all necessarily wrong, but what if instead of running around frantically, we chose to follow Jesus example by stopping and waiting first on God? Father wants us to just sit a little while with Him, waiting with Him, talking with Him, worshipping Him. As we do, He begins to talk with us. He communicates His plans and desires to us and beautifully begins to recharge our weary spirit. We begin to hear from Him, learn from Him, and relax in Him. Our stresses begin to trail away and we begin to recharge. If your prayers are short because life is frantic, then change your routine. Spend time waiting on your Father and you too will see yourself being restored and soaring like an eagle, seeing things with new perspective and running with new strength. Declaration Starter: “I declare that God is my primary focus above and beyond the demands and expectation of people. He knows what I need to do today, so my first priority is to wait on Him. I choose not to be stressed, but to trust Him. As I follow His leading, He will renew my strength. I will soar like an eagle and I will run with endurance. No matter what I go through, I will never grow tired, because my direction comes from the Lord…”  |
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