James 5:16 | NKJV (16) Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
James 5:16 | AMPC (16)…The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working].
James 5:16 | TPT (16)…for tremendous power is released through the passionate, heartfelt prayer of a godly believer!
Remember, prayer is all about your two-way communication and fellowship with God.
Ephesians 6:18 | NIV (18) And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.
There are different rules that apply to different kinds of prayer – just like there are different rules that apply to different sports.
Different Types of Prayer:
- The Prayer of Faith – prayer of petition, prayer to change things.
- The Prayer of Consecration – the dedication of our lives to God’s use and His will for our lives.
- The Prayer of Commitment – casting your cares upon the Lord in prayer
- The Prayer of Agreement
- Corporate or United Prayer – when a group of believers come together collectively in unity, speaking and praying the same thing.
- Prayer of Intercession – standing in the gap in prayer between a person or persons, to plead one’s case.
- Prayer of Praise and Worship
What is Praise?
- Expressing Approval or Favorable Judgment of God
To approve of someone is to have or express a favorable opinion of him or show esteem. In essence, praise that approves is like writing a letter of recommendation for God.
- Glorifying God
To glorify someone is to bestow honor, praise, or admiration. In other words, giving glory to someone specifically identifying what is admirable in the person.
In this type of praise, God is recognized as being good, faithful, righteous, just, merciful and forgiving.
2 Samuel 22:31 | NKJV (31) As for God, His way is perfect; The word of the LORD is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him.
As we honor God for Who He is and for what He has done in our lives, we make room for Him to work for us and in us every day.
What Does Praise Look Like?
- Praise Puts God in First Place
- Praise is always turning our attention from ourselves to God.
- It is remembering and recounting who He is and what He has done, instead of wallowing in the mire of self-absorption.
- Praise turns our eyes from ourselves to God. It focuses our thoughts on His majesty and power and invites others to do the same.
- In essence, praise is bragging about God instead of us or the idols of this world.
- Praise Flows from Our Friendship with God
- You cannot brag about someone you do not know – at least your bragging cannot be truthful and sincere.
- People who praise God on a regular basis do so because they have found the Lord to be so altogether lovely that they can’t stop thinking of Him and talking of Him. They have gotten close enough to Him to see His true nature and character, and they have found in Him more than anything they have ever hoped for.
- Although praise may start with what you know about God, it must eventually progress to what you yourself have experienced of Him. This is when praise becomes more than a choice or duty.
- Praise Is a Conscious Choice
- Praise is an act of your will. When you offer God true praise, you make a conscious decision to commend, approve, and glorify Him.
- Praise is not based on your emotions or feelings. You don’t have to feel great or even good or okay to praise the Lord.
- Despite the many things in your life that may seem to be wrong, praise is your conscious choice because you know that God is the answer to your problems.
- You can focus on what is right – God and His goodness to you – no matter what else is wrong.
Psalms 42:5-6 | TPT (5) So then, my soul, why would you be depressed? Why would you sink into despair? Just keep hoping and waiting on God, your Savior. For no matter what, I will still sing with praise, for living before his face is my saving grace! (6) Here I am depressed and downcast. Yet I will still remember you as I ponder the place where your glory streams down from the mighty mountaintops, lofty and majestic—the mountains of your awesome presence.
- The word “Willing” indicates a conscious decision, an act of your will.
Psalms 7:17 | NKJV (17) I will praise the LORD according to His righteousness, And will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High.
Psalms 9:2 | NKJV (2) I will be glad and rejoice in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.
Psalms 22:22 | NKJV (22) I will declare Your name to My brethren; In the midst of the assembly I will praise You.
- Praise becomes a sacrifice when you offer your praise to God just because He deserves it and asks you to do it and for no other reason.
Psalms 54:6 | NKJV (6) I will freely sacrifice to You; I will praise Your name, O LORD, for it is good.
Hebrews 13:15 | NKJV(15) Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.
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- You may not feel like praising Him, and in truth, it may be quite difficult for you to look beyond the difficulties in your life. Yet when you choose to open your lips and speak forth your adoration, gratitude, and thanksgiving to God, you please Him.
- The sacrifice of praise will not cost you any money, but it will cost you your self-centeredness and your natural tendency to dwell on whatever is wrong in your life.
- Giving God your sacrifice of praise means that you choose to dwell on Him instead of yourself.
- Your mouth is filled with all that is good in your life instead of everything that is bad.
- This sacrifice can never be forced from you by someone else. You may sing or raise your hands because someone tells you to, but an outward show is not inward praise.
- A sacrifice of praise comes from inside you. It is your will taking control over your emotions and doing what God wants and empowers you to do.
Leviticus 22:29 | NKJV (29) And when you offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving to the LORD, offer it of your own free will.
The sacrifice that is pleasing to God is what you give from your heart despite what you are feeling or what your circumstances are.
- Praise Is an Expression of Faith
James 2:17 | Phillips (17) …faith without corresponding actions is dead…
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- Faith is the highest act of praise, and praise is the highest form of faith. Both are expressions of your agreement with God and His Word.
- When you have faith, you hold to His promise no matter what you see at the moment.
- When you praise Him, you proclaim what you know to be true in spite of evidence to the contrary.
- An attitude of faith during hard times is always at the core of sacrificial praise because it is based in the assurance that anything is possible with God.