(By Pastor Derrick Dsouza)
I often wonder if God ever gets tired of hearing our prayer requests. The answer is of course, ‘No’. However what if our relationship with Him was filled with 95% requests and 5% thanksgiving? Wouldn’t it make that relationship a little strange and lopsided?
I was riding back from work the other day when God opened my eyes to oft-forgotten, yet profound truth which I believe is a key to solving many self created problems today. It was around 10:30pm and all of a sudden I began to smell the stench of sewage in the air. I noticed a pile of black waste heaped up on the footpath and to my surprise a little further down the path I noticed a light bulb and two families surrounding a gutter. These people were actually digging the waste out of the gutters with their bare hands. For a minute I was shocked! However I realised the compulsion under which the father and the mother were working to provide for their children who were sitting not far away from them, playing in the dirt.
This scene reminded me of how ungrateful we have become in a way that we have taken for granted the many blessings that we have, and have failed to recall the goodness of the Lord. Today many people are frustrated, unhappy and grumbling with what they have, and that includes believers too! We are findings ways to make it big in the ministry, career, work and yet fail to thank Him for the day-to-day things in our lives. At times we forget from where God has picked us and how He has restored us to our current position we have in Christ Jesus. We are always seeking but never grateful; always asking but never thanking; always searching for more but never enjoying today.
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God loves a thankful and praising heart, so much so that He inhabits the praises of His people (Psalm 22:3) You can interpret this verse in many ways however I want to make mention of three important secrets about praise here.
- I recollect my six year old nephew trying to explain the above verse to me and he innocently said, “It means in every habit we should praise God.” It was funny, yet he underlined one important truth–In every habit praise God; and you will experience God’s manifest presence in that situation as you begin praising. Your habit will become His habitation and soon His light will break forth.
- Praise re-creates the atmosphere that is in heaven – The entire universe is joined in one chorus giving praise to our God (read Psalm 148: 150). In fact the very atmosphere in heaven around the throne of God is filled with praise (Rev 4:8). If heaven considers it important to maintain a chorus of praise unceasingly day and night, then it would only be fitting to follow the same on earth (Thy will be done, thy kingdom come on earth as well as in heaven (Matthew 6:10)
- Praise is the highest form of prayer because it combines petition with faith. It is the one thing that gets faith airborne enabling it to soar above the deadly chasm of doubt. In fact, the only time you know faith is there in your prayer is when the outcome is praise. The secret of answered prayer is faith without doubt (Mark 11:23)And the secret of faith without doubt is praise – continuous, massive, triumphant praise!!
There is much to praise and thank God for, lets start today !