Putting Praise In Your Prayer
“In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.” Matthew 6:9
In this model prayer known as “The Lord’s Prayer”, Jesus gives us the best example of how to start out our prayer time. Before we ask for God’s forgiveness, God’s provision, or we intercede for other; we are instructed to praise God. We can very easily skip this essential aspect of prayer in our tendency to put the focus on ourselves. In fact if you hear others put praise in their prayers you might even think they are being weird or over the top. However, praise puts the focus on God and that is the best way to truly enter into the presence of the Lord.
In this verse we see…
• Who God is (Father)
• Where God is (Heaven)
• What God is (Hallowed or Holy)
You will be amazed to find the direction that your prayers take when you begin them with this Divine focus. It will put your mind and heart in a place that enables you to pray with a much deeper, richer, wiser, and more intimate prayer.
Take a moment out of your day today to privately and verbally praise the Father. He is worthy and deserves it. If you are not used to doing this it may feel strange at first. Push through the awkwardness of your flesh and give God the praise that is due to Him. You might not even know what to say at first. Just get your mouth moving in praise to Him and it will begin to flow out of you. May your prayer times be more effective and fruitful as you put some praise in your prayers.