Both Sides of the Same Equation

 

There is no end to what we can pray about.  But there also no end to the praise. 

So often we share our needs and prayer requests, but then how often do we follow up by telling about how God has provided?  Not just that He has revealed an answer, a path or a solution, but how we have witnessed His Presence in what He has done.  God most likely has something completely different up His sleeve.

Prayer and praise are both sides of the same equation.  When we come before God in prayer, God enlarges our universe.  He changes our hearts, our vision, our embracing of the extraordinary, the unexpected, and even the familiar.  “I never saw that before.”  “I didn’t even think about praying for that. “

And when we praise, how differently we experience not just the outcome but the journey.  Do we need a little lesson in saying “thank You?”   Praise and thankfulness are not about making God feel good.  But our praise verbally expresses how we see God.  And how we love God for Himself, not just for what He does.

No matter the actual need, in praying and praising, our response is altered radically.  Do we make that connection? God changes our appetites, even for what we pray.  Our trajectory in prayer explores and discovers His unexpected ways and redeeming far beyond our lifetimes.  Our course of action –and how we pray—takes yet another direction on sacred ground we have not yet traveled.

And in praising Him, we find ourselves in a far different place, full of wonder and trusting Him even more.  We realize, “I’ve seen too much to question God in this.”

His glory does not just become visible by our verbal praise, but gets all over everything.  Our praise is focused on the LORD.  But those around us are listening to know that God is real and to be encouraged by His steadfast love, even for them.  It is not just “look what the LORD has done!” Because what the LORD is actually doing cannot be wrapped up in a neat little package and tied with a bow.  His purposes cannot be separated into timed instances, but are cast in great magnificence across the universe.

Our praise is summed up in a simple awe-filled “Wow.”  And yet, we have only seen but a glimpse of what He is up to.

Our prayers show others a whole new dimension to life:  We are not helpless.  We are not alone.  We can pray about that.  Our praises do not tell others that help is on the way. But no, God is already here.   And for them to realize that God loves them too.  When we praise God before others, it is not boasting about ourselves but reveals both His glory and the hope on which we can stake our lives.

For what do we pray?  For what can we praise? 

I will bless the LORD at all times;

His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

                                       Psalm 34. 1