Starting with Praise

 Let's continue our thoughts on prayer from yesterday's blog. Today, we will share some Scriptural insights about the best way to start our prayers and why it is the best way. I believe many people have no real idea about the need to begin our prayers with praise. Psalm 100 commands us to enter His courts with praise, but many people do not understand praise, so they can't do that effectively. I hope this will help all of us.

Hezekiah gave us a great example of starting off a prayer with praise. He needed the Lord's help against the Assyrian army, but he did not rush to his requests. He started with praise. (Isaiah 37:15,16) He praised God as the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, the One who dwells above the cherubim, the One who is God alone above all the nations of the earth, the One who created everything. Now, that is packed full of praise for God!  

I have heard it said that if we are looking at our problems, then God seems small, but when we are looking at God, our problems seem small. I believe that is what starting with praise does for us. It focuses us on the greatness and power of God, instead of allowing us to be focused on the size of our problems. When we see God clearly, we know who we are addressing in prayer, and we know He can do anything, except the wrong thing. Therefore, we begin by listing His perfect attributes in praise to our Mighty God.

Yes, He is the Lord of hosts. He has legions of angels at His disposal to fight for us and deliver us from any enemy. He is our God, not just God. We belong to Him. He is holy, and He alone is God over all the nations of this world. He is in control of all that goes on. He made everything, so He owns it all and directs it all in His wisdom. When we pray to God like that, we see that we can have faith that He will be able to answer our prayer perfectly.

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Tomorrow, I intend to read Isaiah 38-40.