Praise, Part 2

Psalm 100:3-5

"Know that the Lord, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. 4  Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. 5  For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations. (NKJ)

I sense in my heart this morning that the Spirit is leading me to encourage you again today concerning the need for each of us to offer our praise and thanksgiving to God. What type of attitude do I exhibit when I come into the presence of God either for a time of worship or a time of intercession? How do I approach the throne of God during my times of interaction and fellowship with Him? It is very easy to have an attitude of "Lord, I really need this" or God, would you do this for me?" Neither one of these statements are sinful in and of themselves but we must be careful that we do not become selfish in our approach to God. It is easy to become so wrapped up in all that we perceive as needs in our lives that we fail to recognize and remember the previous things that God has provided for us on a daily basis. 

I believe that David offers a wonderful reminder in this passage of scripture to each of us. Three (3) words jumped off the page to me this morning as I rehearsed this passage in my heart. The words are "thanksgiving, praise, thankful." I also must not forget the phrase, "bless His name." I believe these principles can form a foundation on which we can build our time of prayer and intercession. I am a firm believer that God has called the Body of Christ to serve as intercessors for each other. I believe that intercession is a mandate or call for the Body of Christ. I am also very committed to praying for others and the needs that they are facing at any given moment in their lives. But I do not want to be guilty of coming into the presence of God without giving due respect, due glory, due honor and the recognition that is due His name. After all, He is truly worth the glory and honor that we express to Him. 

Take a few moments and read this passage in Psalm 100 once more. The Word of God reminds us of our identity as well as the identity of God! Those identities can serve to put great perspective on our relationship with God!!