OPINION:
In the hustle and bustle of life, we can sometimes overlook the blessings and goodness of God. Family life, daily tasks, job responsibilities, financial concerns, and a host of other items can fill our minds throughout the day and before we know it, bedtime has come, and we fall asleep without even a thought of all that we have been blessed with.
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Several years ago, our family found ourselves dealing with a situation that was completely out of our control. As one who is a fixer, this was very difficult for me. I wanted to rescue my loved ones and protect them from a toxic situation that was causing so much friction, disunity, and heartbreak. This season was extremely difficult but after seeking the advice of two pastoral mentors, I knew I had finally found the answer I was looking for. Their advice was simple: praise and pray.
If I am completely honest, it sounded a little too simple, but I trusted them enough to try their solution. I would love to tell you that it was a quick fix, but it was not. It took time. In fact, it took months and possibly even a year or two for our family to fully catch our breath and move past the deep pain that we had experienced.
How did that healing happen? I truly believe it was through praising and praying. Every morning I started the day with worship and praising God for all that He has blessed us with. I thanked Him for everything…my salvation, my wife, my kids, my family, my job, my house, my car, my health, my friends, my students. The list went on and on.
Praising God at the start of the day and throughout the day at random times was the catalyst for healing to occur. It got my mind off the circumstance, and it focused my attention on the only One who could fix it. After praising God, I started to journal and pray. I journaled my thoughts. I journaled about scripture. I journaled my prayers. And I prayed over the very same things that I praised Him for.
Below are five ideas that can help you become more intentional about your time with God throughout the day. Praise Him in the good times. Praise Him in the tough times. Praise Him in the busy times. Praise Him in the restful times.
As the scripture says, “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord” (Psalm 150:6).
1. Praise Him with your words
Start your day by praising and praying to God. No matter whether you find yourself in moments of extreme happiness or difficult challenges, let your words reflect a heart that is filled with gratitude for His goodness and faithfulness to us.
Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you. – Philippians 4:4-9
2. Praise Him with your actions
Let your daily actions represent God to others. Simple acts of kindness, words of encouragement, or just finding quality time to love and listen can be an expression and praise to God.
And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of our Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. – Colossians 3:17
3. Praise Him with your service
Serve others with a heart of humility and love, knowing that every act of service reflects Christ’s love for us. Let your service be an offering of praise.
For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. – Galatians 5:13
4. Praise Him in your stillness
Take moments of stillness and rest throughout your day to reflect on God’s goodness and faithfulness. In the quiet moments, allow God to speak to your heart and fill you with His peace and presence.
Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations; I will be exalted in the earth. – Psalm 46:10
5. Praise Him with your worship
Set aside time each day to worship God in spirit and truth. Have worship music playing in your car and have it playing in your home. Have it playing when you work out and playing when you rest. And no matter whether you can carry a tune or not…sing out loud and sing out strong. There is something special about hearing praise to God and words of truth pouring out of your mouth during times of worship.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name. – Psalm 100:4
In closing, please allow me to leave you with the lyrics to one of my favorite worship songs, “We Praise You,” by Matt Redman:
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Dr. Jason Robinson is an Associate Professor of Education at Lee University in southeast Tennessee. Jason is a local, state, and national award-winning educator who has a passion for teaching and equipping the next generation of leaders. He and his family reside in Cleveland, Tennessee.
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