Rest in the Wrestleنموونە

DAY 6: THE PRAISE

Conveniently, but maybe not accidentally, today’s topic of praise ironically follows yesterday’s topic of prayer. Praise and thanksgiving are a perfect runway for trajectory in my daily prayer life. In any and all circumstances, magnifying the Lord is the launching pad for all things prayer. Expressing gratitude for all He has done is prime preparation and cultivation of our soul’s soil. If ever there was a lifeblood of our prayer life, it is praising, glorifying, and edifying the name of Jesus. There is no better example of this than David’s writings in the book of Psalms. Yes, we would all agree he is all over the map with a wide range of emotions throughout this book, but he consistently returns to the posture of humility, submission, and praise. We are well served to begin and end our days giving thanks and remembering God’s goodness. Regardless of our struggles, we will always have areas of our lives for which to be grateful. Not only verbally and prayerfully, but outwardly in our daily actions. Our witness carries weight with others when we exhibit a joyful presence and a heart of humility.

It can be challenging to maintain a joyful, peaceful demeanor in a disgruntled world of division and discontentment. As Christians, it feels like an ongoing quest to avoid and resist temptation to fall right in line with the rest of the world. It seems apparent that we live in a vacuum within a state of constant negativity and pessimism. Naturally, today more than ever, the world gravitates toward complaining, grumbling, and cynicism. However, followers of Christ are called to be different. Philippians 2:14-15 says, “Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world” (ESV‬‬). We praise through the pain. We sing through the storm. We worship through the worry. Admittedly, I struggle with this. Quite regularly, I find myself in a tirade about traffic and stupid drivers (Lord, please forgive me—jokingly not joking). This is what I meant when I wrote "ongoing quest." Understanding that we are a work in progress and are progressively being sanctified daily (or should be), the Holy Spirit is graciously revealing glaring shortcomings in our character that detract from our witness for the Christian faith.

I’m certainly not suggesting that we all climb into the Partridge Family van, wearing rose-colored glasses as we crank up the volume on our Kumbaya anthem of "it’s raining lobsters and Lamborghinis." Life is rarely all roses and rainbows. Society craves truth and a world of Jesus followers who are direct, not delusional. We are called to speak truth in love (Ephesians 4:15), not to patronize for the sake of being "nice" (patronice - might have to trademark that one). It requires boldness and courage. The other side of that same coin would also consider it bold and courageous to speak tenderness, grace, compassion, and mercy into a dark, hopeless, and traumatic situation. When the world turns dark, God’s people shine brighter. When all hell breaks loose in the world, we are called to draw attention to God’s provision and protection. The last thing the world needs is another voice of hate and vitriol. The Bible says, “life and earth are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat of its fruit” (Proverbs 18:21).

REST AREA

• Write 3 things you love most about God and write statements of thanksgiving for each. This is how your prayers should begin.