Dear beloved, Before we pray, let's first take a moment to listen to God's word and then we'll pray together.
Do you realized? Every day begins with a contest for first place in your heart.
Before you even step outside, there are voices already reaching for your attention.
Yet, if you are not careful, those voices can shape your desires, your thinking, and your choices without you even noticing.
That is why it matters so much to put God first each and every day.
There really are competing forces all around you.
You live in a world that celebrates what looks good on the outside, even when the inside is empty.
You are exposed to content that dulls your spiritual hunger.
Conversations that pull you toward bitterness and pressure that makes you feel like you must keep up just to matter.
If you only react to the day, you can slowly drift from Jesus Christ without intending to.
But when you begin the day with God, you are starting from a place of alignment.
You are letting your soul remember who is truly Lord.
This is why the words of praise in Psalm 113: verses 2:3 are so powerful.
Let the name of the Lord be praised both now and forever more. From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the Lord is to be praised.
That is a holy rhythm for daily living.
From morning to evening, through ordinary moments and unexpected trials, you were made to praise.
Praise is the decision to place God above everything, to honor Him above what you feel and to lift His name above what you cannot control.
When your heart is filled with praise, it becomes harder for fear to dominate you.
When your mouth is filled with worship, it becomes harder for complaining to take over.
Praise does something deep inside you.
Praise reminds you that Lord Jesus Christ is still worthy even when the road is rough.
It helps you see that your situation is not the biggest thing in your life. God is.
And when you praise him, you are saying,"Lord Jesus, your presence means more to me than the distractions of this world.
Jesus, You are better than what sin promises.
Jesus, You are better than what pride offers.
Jesus, You are better than what people think.
This is also why scripture calls you to guard what shapes your mind.
Romans 12:2 says, "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind."
Your mind is renewed when it keeps returning to God's truth.
Your thoughts change when you keep placing them under the light of God's word.
That renewal is often a daily choice.
You choose what you will entertain.
You choose what you will replay.
You choose what you will feed.
So learn to fight for praise.
Fight to find a moment to thank God again.
It might be while walking, while working, while sitting alone, or while doing the simplest task.
That is how you stay close to the LORD.
That is how you develop the habit of talking to Jesus any moment and everywhere.
And when praise becomes a habit, faith becomes stronger because your heart keeps returning to the Lord.
One of the most beautiful chapters of praise is Psalm 145.
It is full of words that lift your eyes when life tries to push your head down.
Psalm 145: verses 1 to 3 says, "I will exalt you, my God, the King. I will praise your name forever and ever. Every day I will praise you and extol your name forever and ever. Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise. His greatness no one can fathom."
Notice that phrase "Every day" because God does not stop being great when your circumstances change.
And when you feel tired or weak, Psalm 145 speaks again.
Psalm 145: verses 14 and 16 says, "The Lord upholds all who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down. You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing."
That means if you have fallen, He can lift you.
If you are empty, He can fill you.
You are not trying to impress God.
You are learning to rely on Him.
Praise also keeps your heart focused on what matters most.
Colossians 3:2 says, "Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth."
That does not mean you ignore responsibilities.
It means your hope is not trapped in temporary things.
When your mind is set on God above, you can walk through life without being owned by it.
Money cannot control you.
6:15 Approval cannot control you. Pleasure cannot control you because your joy has a higher source.
6:24 And if you ever wonder what God wants you to pursue first, Jesus made it clear. Matthew 6:33 says, "Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things wil be added to you."
When God is first, everything else finds its proper place.
You stop panicking about what you lack because you remember who provides.
You stop rushing in fear because you remember who leads.
So keep praise close as a way of living.
Let it be your offering to God in the middle of normal life.
Hebrews 13:15 calls it a sacrifice of praise.
And a sacrifice means you give it even when it costs you something.
Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. ~ Hebrews 13:15 encourages believers to continually offer a sacrifice of praise to God through Jesus, expressing their faith and gratitude with their words. This verse highlights the importance of acknowledging and professing one's faith openly.
Even when you do not feel like it, even when your emotions are heavy.
That is when praise becomes powerful because it is faith speaking.
So from sunrise to sunset, let your heart return to God again and again.
Praise the Lord when you are strong and when you are weak.
Praise the Lord when you understand and when you do not because Jesus Christ is worthy and keeping him first is how your soul stays alive.
Dear reader, now let's take a moment to pray together.
🙏🏽 : Dear Lord God in heaven, I bring you my praise and worship. You have carried me through seasons I did not understand.
Today I choose to lift up your name again. Fill my heart with a deep desire to seek you day and night.
Place within me a hunger that does not fade.
Teach me to want your presence more than entertainment, more than approval.
Help me to love time with you. Help me to value prayer. Help me to treasure your Word.
I declare your truth from Psalm 103: verses 1:2.
Praise the Lord, my soul, all my inmost being. Praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits.
Lord, I do not want to forget what you have done for me.
I do not want a heart that remembers pain more than it remembers your mercy.
Remind me of your benefits. Not only the blessings I can count, but also the hidden protection I never saw. The doors you closed to save me and the strength you gave me when I thought I had none left.
I praise you, Lord, because you forgive my sin.
You do not treat me as my mistakes deserve. You cleanse me and give me a fresh start.
Your mercy and grace reaches deep into the places where I feel ashamed.
It covers me, restores me, and teaches me to walk in a new way.
Father, wash me again. Clean my thoughts and purify my motives. Set my heart right with You.
Lord Jesus Christ, I praise you because you heal and restore. You mend what is broken in me.
You bring wholeness where I feel divided inside.
Sometimes I carry silent burdens that no one knows. But you know them all.
You know the weight on my mind. You know the worry in my chest. You know the wounds that still sting. And you are able to heal.
Even when the healing takes time, you are still working.
Psalm 147:3 says, "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds."
Lord, touch the places in me that still hurt.
Bring comfort where I have been disappointed. Bring peace where l have been anxious.
Holy Spirit, help my heart and my lips to stay filled with praise in every season.
When things are going well, remind me to bless the Lord with all my soul.
Help me not to forget you when I feel happy and satisfied. Keep me humble in the good days.
And when life becomes difficult, when I feel attacked, when tears come easily, you still teach me to bless your name. Lord, I bless your holy name.
Let praise rise from me even when my emotions are heavy.
Let worship come from me even when I am waiting for answers.
I want my faith to be steady.
Lord Jesus, I praise you because you are the only One who satisfies my thirsty soul.
There are times when I look for comfort in the wrong places.
There are times when I try to fill emptiness with distractions, but those things never last.
Lord, only you can refresh me from the inside. Only you can give me peace that stays.
Matthew 11 28-29 says, "Come to me all who labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me and you willI find rest for your souls.
Lord Jesus, I come to you again. Teach me how to rest in you.
Teach me how to trust you and how to stop carrying what you never asked me to carry alone.
Father, your presence is what I need most.
This is why I pray with the words of Psalm 42: verses 1 to 2. As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God.
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
Lord, I do not want to be spiritually dry while still doing religious things.
I do not want to have routine without relationship with you.
I want to know you.
I want to walk closely with you.
I want my heart to burn with love for you again.
So rekindle what has grown dim inside me. Strengthen my desire for holiness.
Give me power to turn away from sin both in public and in private.
Help me to live with integrity.
Help me to chase what is pure and choose obedience even when it costs me something.
Psalm 51:10 says, "Create in me a clean heart, oh God, and renew a right spirit within me, Lord.
Do that work in me.
Change my appetites.
Remove the things that dull my spirit.
Remove the turmoil and fear that keep me restless.
"And restore unto me, the joy of your salvation.
Let your love rule over my mind.
Let your mercy lead my steps.
Be my sanctuary, Lord.
Be my place of safety.
When my thoughts race, calm me.
When my heart feels fragile, strengthen me.
When I feel alone, remind me that you are near. Right beside me.
Psalm 46:1 says, "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Father, I need that reality today. I need the comfort of knowing you are present.
And Lord Jesus, I hold on to your promise in John 7:38. He who believes in me, as the scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.
Let that be true in me.
You touch my life so deeply that what comes out of me is not bitterness, not fear, not constant worry, but living water.
Let my words carry life.
Let my attitude reflect your Spirit.
Let my inner life be refreshed so I can love others well, forgive quickly, and stand strong with joy.
Father, let these rivers flow continually, not only in church service moments, but in ordinary days, in work, in family, and in hard conversations.
Let my worship be sincere. Let my praise be constant.
Let my heart stay aware of you. I want you to be glorified in me now and forever more.
In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.
I pray that every blessing in this prayer is now upon you in the name of Jesus Christ. Praise God!
And if you need a special prayer, feel free to let us know. We would be honoured to pray for you.
Dear saint of God, may the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you always.
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