Pastor Stephen Dedman

Category: Encouragement

Prayer Changes Things

Encouragement, Trust

But He (Jesus) would withdraw to desolate places and pray.
‭‭Luke‬ ‭5:16‬

Difficulties and trials either push us away from God or they get us closer to God. Consider the most current suffering you’ve encountered and reflect on your response to it. Did it bring you closer to God or did you take matters in your own hands?

Prayer is one of the most important things a Christian can do.  It is how we communicate with God which means our prayer life should be taken very seriously.  Praying with God is how we spend time with Him.  It’s how we can know the heart of God.

Sometimes we forget just how powerful our prayers are.  Praying does not change God it changes us.  Our perspective of who we are and what we are facing changes when we see who God is and how powerful He is.

Prayer changes our hearts and when our hearts are pure, our lifestyle becomes righteous and holy. Praying should be done just like what we see in the Bible. Jesus spent hours in prayer. Jesus could pray all through the night.

He would constantly get away from everything to spend time with God. Jews had set times throughout the day when life came to a stop so they could pray. It’s important to spend time in prayer speaking to God about the things that are on your heart; good and bad.

How much time do you spend praying to God?

Pray

Lord, You know my heart and You know what is happening in my life. You have the power to change my circumstances and problems. I will trust in You for all wisdom and understanding.

Come Before The Lord With Praise

Encouragement

The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and great in mercy. The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works. All Your works shall praise You, O Lord , and Your saints shall bless You.
Psalms 145:8-10

The best way to approach the Lord is with praise. The Lord is full of grace and compassion for those who seek Him. Even when we don’t deserve it, the Lord pours out His grace and love upon us.

If you think about the worst thing you have ever done in your life, you probably don’t deserve God’s mercy and grace. But that is the God that we serve. He is full of grace, full of love, full of mercy, and slow to anger!

We bow down to the Lord when we pray to Him. This act of bowing down is submissiveness that renders an attitude of humility. We must stay humble in order to praise the Lord.

Sometimes we need to be humbled. No one likes to be humbled, but it’s a place of surrender. Sometimes God humbles us to make us praise Him.

Don’t wait to be humbled in order to praise and honor Him. Bow down today and bless Him for who He is. Let your praise be to God and not to yourself.

Pray

Lord, there is none like You. You are so good to me and I don’t deserve Your grace and love. Thank You for being so good to me.

Joyful Worship

Encouragement

‘Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands! Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before His presence with singing.’
Psalms 100:1-2

What does it mean to make a joyful noise unto the Lord? Is it just on Sundays?

There is something about music that encourages our soul. Listening to music makes a mundane job go by a lot faster. Listening to Christian music allows you to praise the Lord while you work or play.

Our happy God should be worshipped and praised by happy people. It should be easy for us to praise the Lord. Every time we think of something God has done for us we ought to shout to the Lord with a joyful noise.

Worship doesn’t happen just on Sundays or in a church service. Worship can happen wherever you’re at. Even right now you can worship the Lord.

Notice that the psalmist says make a joyful shout and then serve the Lord with gladness. Did you know that it is your privilege and duty to be happy in your worship to the Lord? It ought to come natural to sing and shout with praise to the Lord.

A true believer in Jesus serves God because he loves to serve Him. And when you love to serve Him, it will be done with gladness and joy.

Find a way to serve the Lord with gladness today. A simple smile can make a difference in someone’s life today.

Pray

Lord, I thank You for giving me everything I need. I will praise You and honor You for who You are and not just what You do for me. Help me to be a blessing to someone else today.