The Power of Praise

           For a few weeks we are featuring material from Teach Us to Pray  ©1995 by Discipleship Publications International and edited by Tom and Sheila Jones. This week’s post is an excerpt from a chapter by Leigh Kinnard who serves as a women’s ministry leader in the New York City Church of Christ.              

              Be joyful always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).

There is power in praise and in thanksgiving.  There is power in looking at what God has done and then rejoicing and being grateful. If this were not powerful, God would not call for it.  Pray continually.  But what should be the content of those continual prayers?

Shouldn't praise and thanksgiving be right at the top of the list?  Can we possibly have a powerful, life-changing relationship with God if we only bring him more requests—if we don’t take the time to praise him and be thankful?

God’s will is for us to be grateful—to be joyful always.  When we make the decision to be thankful in every circumstance, understanding that God is always working for our good, we are motivated and energized.  We want to read the Bible.  We want to share our faith.  We want to talk even more to God.  We want to be discipled.  We find it so much easier to be forgiving and encouraging to others. We want to be open.  We are excited when someone will listen.  In “our joy” (Matthew 13:44) we want to do whatever it takes to fulfill God’s will for our lives.

Several of my friends and I challenged each other to pray 30 minutes a day only thanking God for specific details in our lives.  We were all convicted at how difficult it was not to sneak in a request in the midst of being grateful!  Instead of praying for the things we wished would change in certain people, we thanked God for the strengths he had given them.  We took this approach in all the areas we could think of, and it was so freeing.  Even as some very challenging times set in, we were able to be joyful.

Understand that God deserves our gratitude, and encourage him with prayers of thanksgiving.  Being thankful for what he has done will only bring more of his power into our lives.