Praising God When We Don't Feel Like It

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This is the Truth Network encouraging prayer, God offers an open invitation for his people to talk with him at any time about anything encouraging prayer Dr. James Banks path of the best-selling and many other books on prayer provides weekly biblical insight help you learn to mom and now today on encouraging prayer will talk about praising God when you don't feel like James you just said before we went live.

This is something we see the Scriptures talking about. So how so let's talk about why this matters so much for moment because often we feel like praising something that happened spontaneously, you know we love something or were excited about at this price just cannot jump from her mouth, no we have no control over like a football game when someone makes a touchdown he had the idea, but but if we look at praise. That way we may feel like it is something that only happens when we feel like something that we really don't have too much control over so we feel like praising God when we like the song were singing in church or when that song comes on. The radiologist moves us right right and there's nothing wrong with those moments, we should praise God that only praise God like that going to miss out on something so good in our appraisal actually kind of stay in a shallow place when we praise God when we don't feel like it. He often changes the way we feel he lifts us out of our challenging places and gives us a whole new perspective. And that's such a good place to be right.

I mean let's go back to where we started said that you see that in Scripture. So how so what you see a lot you see praising God not only as an expression, but also as a command like Psalm 150 praise God in the sanctuary praise him in his mighty heavens praise him for his act of power praising him for his surpassing greatness of the command. Hebrews 313, 15 right the talks about offering God a sacrifice of praise right right, a New Testament expression so it's not about a physical sacrifice like they made in the temple it's about it yesterday versus fruit of lips that openly confess his name so that sacrifice has to do with choosing to take. I believe this I believe you I love you Lord and you are always deserving of praise worthy of praise. That's an interesting thing to say about God. Also, I mean think about it worthy of praise, of course, is a mean there's no one like but you know why we have to point that out because you know we need to. I mean, we need to be reminded that, especially in this broken world.

Yeah exactly and where again, this becomes a helpful ticket because it seemed that you see running for Scripture so much as one of determination with Christ. That phrase I will praise you something. You see all over the place that will praise you oh Lord. Psalm 92 starts out or someone 45 before I will exalt you. My God the King. I will praise your name for ever and ever. Every day I will praise you and extol your name forever and ever forever, never end and then you notices next want greatest the Lord and his greatness no one combative you see all of this type together with this expression of I will praise God I will I will I will liken Psalm 34 one. I will extol the Lord all times were Psalm 138 one I will praise you with all heart. See what you mean about the space it's really a decision we make, yeah, yeah, David. You know, praising God. Yet he saying that he will he's going to do anything this and other places where the song wasn't written by David like Psalm 146, two I will praise the Lord all my life I will sing praise to my God. As long as I live James. You know what comes to mind as we talk about this, what's that God has placed all of these reminders in his word because apparently we need to do this we need to praise him because sometimes that's the only thing that will keep us saying in the same world and I can't help but think, you know, my favorite book is the song of songs in a constant reminder in that book is you know it says that my beloved braces among the lilies. Well lilies in Hebrew is the word praise and so it's a beautiful thing to think man if I need him to come, which I always do.

By the way, that praise is going up is going to bring him in to the party, wow, wow, what an important thing in all of this is again God is at the center of it. It is not our circumstances or how things are going for us in the more moment you know what it whether they're going well or not. In some of these places where you see that expression I will praise it precisely when things are not going well but praising God regardless has a way of reminding us that he's greater that is there no matter what's going on. He will be there for us and he loves us and cares about us. So sometimes that means that we praise him through tears, but we have to keep praising them because as we do. Our eyes are placed on him and lifted beyond ourselves in a way that matters so much but it is not that were doing that when it happens you know when that change occurs in us. It is him.

He has a way of coming in and picking us up when we choose to praise him and we have to make the choice to do it, but once we do, we find that he meets us. There is no light, nothing like the song itself sounds like you were saying. He meets us there and that's all that matters. It's really a place of faith. You know, I know that your afflict to me in that you love me right, I love it so true.

I mean there been so many times in my life where I just decided to love and praise him even though I really didn't feel like it. Most times, actually became really precious to me because when he made to the Aramaean in his presence is fullness of joy. Yeah, that's it. That's it. And we don't want to miss that. Not ever. So James about close with a prayer like that okay Lord we will praise you, help us to praise you, Lord, we know that we need to praise you more and so we do right now. We praise you because you are always worthy of praise because you are good because regardless of our circumstances, you are there you are there, thank you for your perfect love for your son thank you for your spirit. Thank you for your goodness that keeps us going and will bring us home in Jesus and hear more from Pastor James by visiting the website James Banks.org or by visiting these church in Durham, North Carolina.

May God bless you and encourage you to pray. This is the Truth Network