Until Unityনমুনা

Praise First

Be honest: How much time did you spend praising Jesus this morning? 

Asking for things doesn’t count. Just reading a passage of Scripture doesn’t count. I’m asking, How much time did you spend staring at Him and telling Him how amazing He is? 

We were God’s enemy, destined to face His wrath. Let that sink in. 

Jesus was tortured on the cross to appease the wrath of God. Does that truth still move you? 

You are now reconciled with God and adopted as His child. How do we go a day without praising Him for this?

God now abides in you! Don’t just give this a head nod. Marvel at this!

Put this reading plan down and worship Him. You are breathing now because God is giving you breath. Use your next breath for its intended purpose. Bless Him.

Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! —Psalm 103:1

We can’t start our days without praise. We are commanded to rejoice in Him always. There is nothing you have to do today that is more important than worshipping Him. 

If I’m not wise enough to start my day with praise, why should anyone listen to what I have to say? If I am foolish enough to forego praise because my mind is needed to fix problems in the church, then I’m more of the problem than I realize.

Our lack of praise may actually be the biggest cause of our divisions. Once we stop worshipping, all hope for unity is lost. This is what unites us: we can’t stop talking about the treasure we have in Jesus. 

It’s hard to start an argument with someone who is on her knees shouting praises to Jesus, especially when you’re busy blessing the Lord as well. Many of our problems could be reconciled if we discussed our concerns on our knees before a Holy God. We can’t allow the Enemy or our enemies to interrupt our praise. 

Worship is our path to unity.

Even now I would encourage you to look up the following passages that explain the truths mentioned above: Romans 5:10–11; Ephesians 2:3–4; Romans 3:23–25; 1 John 3:1; 2 Corinthians 5:21; John 14:21–23. 

Fill your heart with worship, and keep it filled. You and I are part of an outrageous love story. Once we lose our fascination, we lose our effectiveness. Our words end up doing more harm than good. With a heart of thanksgiving, let’s address the issues.