“Praise the Lord! I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart” Psalm 111:1
What better way to look at a Monday and start a week than by praising our God?
“Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7
Probably my #1 favorite movie is Fireproof from which our song of praise comes for this Praise Monday. Prayer and praise are synonymous. In everything, we need to offer our prayer and supplication to God with thanksgiving. We need to surrender our wills and desires, drop our planning and trust God’s plan even when it is difficult. More so when it is difficult.
“Wait on the LORD: Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: Wait, I say, on the LORD” Psalm 27:14
Waiting on the Lord leads to surrender and surrender leads to a depth of peace for which the soul strives – resting in the arms of the Father.
I prayed hard to God during those first months of my daughter’s illness but I didn’t have trust or patience. It was in the most difficult days that this state of my soul and mind caused a collapse. I pressed forward in my mind with what I thought best for the situation – my daughter’s healing. And, when that didn’t occur in a timely manner – I meant right at that moment – my anxiety grew and my faith suffered. I lacked trust and patience. The fruit of this state of being was that I couldn’t surrender or trust God.
It was in that collapse of faith, when I hit rock-bottom, that I started to realize I had no control but despite this God was in total control of all and had the timing worked out perfectly. As well as His reasons for waiting.
I know now that God could easily have totally healed her in that moment, but He saw bigger gains. The number of people who have been saved and redirected to look to and speak to Him is incredible. Of these people, I am at the foremost. His patiently adhering to the plan the Cather knew was best, redirected my mind and heart to learn patience in the Lord and ultimately trust and surrender. I realized, God is God and I am not.
“Be still and know that I AM God” Psalm 46:10
I you are in a season of struggle now, patiently wait on God and trust Him. Offer everything to God by prayer and supplication. Don’t fret and struggle but with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. Trust St. Paul’s words and my experiences to know that the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Fireproof your faith for the moment of struggle in prayer, patience and trust and surrender.
“I will bless the Lord at all times;
his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul makes its boast in the Lord;
let the afflicted hear and be glad.
O magnify the Lord with me,
and let us exalt his name together!” Psalm 34:2-4
Read the full story of those days in my book “I knew His Voice” which can be found through the links below:
Click here to go to Amazon to order “I knew His Voice”
Click here to go to Barnes and Noble to order “I knew His Voice”