Pause, Pray, Praise
Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Psalms 100:1-2
Recently, I have been reverencing the Lord and feeling overwhelmed with humility and gratitude for who He is. Reverence is having an attitude of deep respect tinged with awe; honor, high esteem or adoration. If I could describe my heart posture in a picture it would be a woman bowing on her knees with her hands lifted. Shouting and singing the words“ Emmanuel, God with us forever. Emmanuel, Savior of the world. Behold, behold the One, our love has come. Behold, behold the One, our King has come.”
My word for 2022 is abide, and my scripture is John 15:4-5. It says that I can do nothing apart from the Lord. The Lord is urging me into deeper dependence in Him. When you abide in the Lord it means to be still, remain or dwell. Simply to pause. A practical way I am pausing this year is spending time with Him and studying His word twice a day.
“but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers. “ (Psalm 1:2-3)
The most valuable thing we could ever have is a relationship with Jesus Christ. Paul suggests this in Philippians 3:8, that knowing God is the best thing in the world, and everything else compared to it is garbage. In the presence of God, my soul dances with joy and my heart beats with satisfaction.
Pausing is a call to be. In order to praise God for who He is, we must know Him and His character. The prerequisites to knowing God and getting to this posture of reverence is only achieved by daily devotion in His word and prayer.
I asked the Lord “how does prayer bridge the gap between pausing in His presence and giving Him praise?” I believe I heard Him say that prayer helps us acknowledge our brokenness, and the need for Him. Prayer is how we talk with the Lord. It is an ongoing transaction between you and God. Prayer keeps you connected to The Father and aligns your heart with His. It keeps the mind focused on a godly perspective.
“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18). “But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you” (Matthew 6:6). The Lord continues to show us in scripture the importance and power of prayer. I believe it is the vehicle to praise and it can amplify your worship. Prayer points to your praise.
When you take the time to pause in God’s presence and pray without ceasing, your soul will overflow with praise.
It is a never ending cycle. The more you spend time with God, the more He begins to reveal Himself to you. This results in a deeper love for Him which will manifest itself into your praise for Him. When you get a taste of how good the Lord is, you will have no other desire but to worship Him. The more you pause, the more you’ll pray, and the more you’ll praise God for who He is.
Praising the Lord is what we were created for. It flows from a heart that is full of reverence for the Lord that is a product from substantial time with Him. Will we be a people that declares these words of the psalmist, “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 for ever and ever. Great is the Lord and the most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom” (Psalms 145:1-3).
Prayer:
Father, thank You for who you are. No one compares to You. You have done so much for me and I can’t thank you enough. You amaze me. I adore You. I want to know You more. Help me to consistently pause in your presence. Help me to pray without ceasing. I want to overflow with adoration of You. As the psalmist says in Psalms 119: 171,” May my lips overflow with praise for You, teach me your decrees.” In Jesus name, Amen.
Written By: Ashawrie White
