1 I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever. 2 Every day I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever. 3 Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom. (Psalm 145:1 – 3, New International Version)
You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand. (Psalm 16:11, New International Version)
11You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, 12that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent. Lord my God, I will praise you forever. (Psalm 30:11-12, New International Version)
Theme: Rejoicing and Thanksgiving
Context:
This week we will focus on Prayer and Fasting. We will continue our tradition of jointly participating in a day of fasting this Friday (March 10th).
We start the week though, considering the discipline of Prayer. 1 Thessalonians 5:16 – 18 links Prayer with Rejoicing and Thanksgiving (16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances…). In effect, a habitual life of prayer and a perpetual attitude of rejoicing and gratitude are inextricably linked.
There are many things that we can prayerfully rejoice and give thanks for. Over the next three days we will focus on three. Today we will focus on the most important reason to rejoice and give thanks – God. He is both the inspiration for and the primary subject of our rejoicing and thanksgiving.
Bible Passages:
There is something about Psalms of praise that inspire believers to rejoice and give thanks. Our passages today demonstrate how David talked to God about God and about rejoicing in Him. Please study the passages and answer the question below.
Question:
In your prayer life, does rejoicing in God and thanking God for who He is and what He does feature extensively?
Please leave a comment. We would love to hear from you.
March 6, 2023 at 5:10 am
Yes, rejoicing and thanking God is always included in my prayers. His grace, mercy, faithfulness, kindness and love all inspire and encourage me to give thanks and praise.
March 6, 2023 at 6:33 am
There are literally many times I have prayed and started my prayer by thanking God for who He is, and how great it is to me that despite His awesomeness, lil’ ol’ me can still talk directly to Him.
Right now if I wanted to talk directly to the CEO of a big corporation, it would mean going through a lot of people and take a lot of my time, but with God I don’t have to worry about a middleman. If we really think how majestic, all-powerful, perfect, etc., etc., God is, we should be happy and grateful whenever we are in His presence.
March 6, 2023 at 7:22 am
Praising God does feature in my prayers but not extensively. Initially in the mornings I have a quiet time with my Father and at this junction I usually acknowledge Praise and thank Him. However on going through the day as I pray through different situations my focus is not usually on rejoicing ( not saying it never happens) possibly thankfulness depending on the situation. So my challenge is to in every prayer be cognizant of rejoicing.
March 6, 2023 at 7:24 am
My talking to God in prayers always starts with thanksgiving, praising Him and mentioning his attributes, his greatness and being joyful for all the blessings each day. When I pray, I often feel, I’m in front of the Lord and He is attentively listening and looking at me. That’s the image I often picture in my head while praying. So I know God can truly see me and my heart while I’m talking to him in prayer. What a great privilege to be able to talk directly to my God who knows me and my inmost being.
March 6, 2023 at 7:51 am
I need to do that more consistently. At times I rush into prayer, asking for what I want and at times I’m convicted of my unholiness and pause to ask for forgiveness, grace and mercy before picking up where I left off, asking for things.
As I’m responding here I know that I need time – quiet, set apart time – to pray and use the PRAY method so I can deliberately walk through the stages and not miss the main thing – praising God for being God.
March 6, 2023 at 6:39 pm
My prayers usually include thanksgiving for who God is, what He does. Rejoicing in God is not usual. That’s one area I need to improve on.
March 6, 2023 at 7:39 pm
Thanks to all of you for sharing your experiences. Your transparency helps all of us.
March 6, 2023 at 8:16 pm
I rejoice because I am saved. I rejoice every day not always in words, but I believe there is a constant beat of a drum in my heart that I have been brought out of darkness and into HIS marvelous light! I cannot believe my good fortune. I could have been left to die in my sin, but I received the incredible gift of life everlasting and a growing relationship with Christ.
March 8, 2023 at 10:04 pm
I thank God for his grace and for saving me.