Praise comes first

The Lord’s Prayer — Part 6

Watching a beautiful sunset it is easy to be full of  praise, especially if you are in the Cafe del Mar in Ibiza, listening to the chill out electronica and sipping a very expensive cocktail. This should be on everyone’s bucket list. I have done that, and here is a picture I took with a simple point and shoot camera.

But with that one ticked off the list there is something I have to add. It is easy to praise the creator – that day in early October this year people applauded the sunset – and not give praise to the one who created it.

The Lord’s prayer starts with praise. When Jesus responded to his disciple’s request to teach them to pray he started by with praise to the Father. Praise is important, as we are broken people living on a fallen planet. Praising God helps restore the relationship with God that is broken. I takes our minds off our problems and helps us to focus on the nature and character of God himself. Focus on God and reflect his glory back to him, as God’s child let his love and contentment fill you; let God transform you.

We praise God because he is worthy of our praise. he is King of Kings and Lords. He is our saviour. He is Creator, defender, provider, forgiver, healer, judge and a lot, lot mere besides. The letter of James says that when we draw close to God he draws close to us.

Instead of getting our shopping list of prayers and somehow trying to push them up to Heaven from where we are it is important to spend the major amount of time praising God. Not that the needs of ourselves and others are not important, the Lord’ Prayer is about to move on to that, ut we come into God’s presence and place our wants need and cares, and those of others, before God’s throne.

As the traditional hymn says, Fill thou my life O Lord my God, in every part with praise.

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