Hebrews 13:15
Good morning, Hopewell!
Our prayer moment this morning is based on Hebrews 13:15, which says, “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise, the fruit of lips that openly profess His name.”
I really like this verse because it reminds us that we are called to praise God continually. And if we're honest, that's not always easy. It's easy to praise God when things are going well, when we have good news, when we're happy, and everything seems to be going our way. Those are the easy times to say, "Thank you, God."
But what about when things aren't going well? What about when we're disappointed, when we're worried? When we're waiting for an answer to prayer. That's when praise can become a sacrifice. A sacrifice means we're giving something even when it's not necessarily easy to give. Sometimes praising God is a choice. We may not feel like praising Him, but we can still choose to say, "God, I trust you." We can say, "God, I don't understand what's happening, but I know you're with me." I think that's what makes our praise so meaningful. God doesn't need us to pretend that everything is perfect. He already knows when we're hurting. He knows when we're worried. He knows when we're tired. But even in those moments, we can remind ourselves of who God is. God is faithful. He's good. He loves us, and He's always with us. Sometimes our praise might be as simple as taking a deep breath, and reminding ourselves, God is still with me.
I also love that this verse says, "Let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise." It's something we can do every day. So today, whatever you're going through, I want you to think about one thing that you can praise God for. Maybe it's your family or a friend. Maybe it's this beautiful fall day that we're having outside. Maybe it's the changing of the leaves. Maybe it's the cooling of temperatures after a long, hot summer. Maybe it's simply the fact that God gave you another day. And if today happens to be a hard one, that's okay too. You can still say, "God, I don't have all the answers, but I know you are with me. And I choose to praise you."
Let's pray. Dear God, thank You for who You are. Thank You that You are always with us, even when days are hard, when life is difficult. Help us to remember to praise You, not only when things are going well, but also when we're waiting, when we're hurting, or even if we're just unsure about what's next. Give us hearts that choose to praise You every day. We love You, God, and we trust You. In Jesus' name, amen.
Our prayer moment this morning is based on Hebrews 13:15, which says, “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise, the fruit of lips that openly profess His name.”
I really like this verse because it reminds us that we are called to praise God continually. And if we're honest, that's not always easy. It's easy to praise God when things are going well, when we have good news, when we're happy, and everything seems to be going our way. Those are the easy times to say, "Thank you, God."
But what about when things aren't going well? What about when we're disappointed, when we're worried? When we're waiting for an answer to prayer. That's when praise can become a sacrifice. A sacrifice means we're giving something even when it's not necessarily easy to give. Sometimes praising God is a choice. We may not feel like praising Him, but we can still choose to say, "God, I trust you." We can say, "God, I don't understand what's happening, but I know you're with me." I think that's what makes our praise so meaningful. God doesn't need us to pretend that everything is perfect. He already knows when we're hurting. He knows when we're worried. He knows when we're tired. But even in those moments, we can remind ourselves of who God is. God is faithful. He's good. He loves us, and He's always with us. Sometimes our praise might be as simple as taking a deep breath, and reminding ourselves, God is still with me.
I also love that this verse says, "Let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise." It's something we can do every day. So today, whatever you're going through, I want you to think about one thing that you can praise God for. Maybe it's your family or a friend. Maybe it's this beautiful fall day that we're having outside. Maybe it's the changing of the leaves. Maybe it's the cooling of temperatures after a long, hot summer. Maybe it's simply the fact that God gave you another day. And if today happens to be a hard one, that's okay too. You can still say, "God, I don't have all the answers, but I know you are with me. And I choose to praise you."
Let's pray. Dear God, thank You for who You are. Thank You that You are always with us, even when days are hard, when life is difficult. Help us to remember to praise You, not only when things are going well, but also when we're waiting, when we're hurting, or even if we're just unsure about what's next. Give us hearts that choose to praise You every day. We love You, God, and we trust You. In Jesus' name, amen.