The SOURCE of Psalms

From the account in Chronicles when David returned the ark to the people of Israel:

1 Chr 16:7-12 - Then on that day David first assigned Asaph and his relatives to give thanks to the LORD. Oh give thanks to the LORD, call upon His name; make known His deeds among the peoples. Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; speak of all His wonders. Glory in His holy name; let the heart of those who seek the LORD be glad. Seek the LORD and His strength; seek His face continually. Remember His wonderful deeds which He has done, His marvels and the judgments from His mouth, (NAS)

From here, the book of prayers, the Psalms flowed. Praise is not so much ecstatic as it is an extreme for of thanks -- thanks that extends not just to what God has done, but to who God is. In other words, as with all things Christian -- it's about God, not us.

Left up GBC today asking not what God can do for it, but what it can do for God.

Submission

From Oswald Chambers:

Our Lord never insists on having authority over us. He never says, "You will submit to me." No, He leaves us perfectly free to choose— so free, in fact, that we can spit in His face or we can put Him to death, as others have done; and yet He will never say a word. But once His life has been created in me through His redemption, I instantly recognize His right to absolute authority over me. It is a complete and effective domination, in which I acknowledge that "You are worthy, O Lord . . ." ( Revelation 4:11 ). It is simply the unworthiness within me that refuses to bow down or to submit to one who is worthy.

When you pray, do you grant God the authority over your life, or do you ask Him to help you with your agenda? We are unworthy -- our prayers, even our prayers for GBC, are best when they we attempt to tap into God's agenda. Grant Him authority in your prayers today.

Confessing

God of Mercy, amidst the sound of crashing buildings and the silence of a city never silent, we make our confession. We confess our fears.

We confess the fear that evil has won, and that Love has been vanquished. We confess our need to punish and hurt and hate those who have hurt us so deeply. We confess the desire to escape from it all even as billows of ash in the northeastern sky reminded us of what had occurred. Forgive us God. Forgive us... and help us to forgive.

A liturgical Prayer of Confession - a part of prayer we should never forget.

Sacrifice Of Praise

Hebrews 13:15 - Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name.(NAS)

God is not a vending machine from which is dispensed our hearts desire. He demands no less than our uter devotion and total submission. The act of praise is not about us feeling good, but about us acknowledging God's proper place in the our lives and the universe -- it truly is a form of sacrifice. As you prau for GBC today, lay your sacrifices before the Lord.

Cry Out!

From a John Piper Sermon:

I close with a word from the Lord that has pricked my prayer conscience as much as any other. In Luke 18:7-8 Jesus says,

Will not God vindicate his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will vindicate them speedily.

Do you ever cry out to the Lord, "How long, 0 Lord, how long till you vindicate your cause in the earth? How long 'till you rend the heavens and come down with power on your church? How long till you bring forth victory among all the peoples of the world?"

The answer I have heard when I have called on the Lord in this way comes from Luke 18:7—when his people CRY TO HIM DAY AND NIGHT for the vindication of his cause among the nations.

GBC should be a part of that effort to vindicate -- we need to ask God constantly to make it so.

In Balance

From Oswald Chambers:

Faith in active opposition to common sense is mistaken enthusiasm and narrow-mindedness, and common sense in opposition to faith demonstrates a mistaken reliance on reason as the basis for truth. The life of faith brings the two of these into the proper relationship. Common sense and faith are as different from each other as the natural life is from the spiritual, and as impulsiveness is from inspiration.

Our prayer needs to demonstrate such balance. We need to express the needs of our heart and let the Holy Spirit guide our heart. Let's try to pray for GBC today with such balance.

"He Is Your Praise"

Deut 10:20-21
20 "You shall fear the LORD your God; you shall serve Him and cling to Him, and you shall swear by His name. 21 "He is your praise and He is your God, who has done these great and awesome things for you which your eyes have seen. (NAS)

The sufficiency of God that is illustrated in this passage is incredible. Prayer is the means by which we tap into all of that. When you pray today, and when you pray for GBC, throw yourself before God -- let Him be the all.