John C. Maxwell refers to "David's 3-fold process of praise" in The Winning Attitude. Last entry, I mentioned the first "fold," if you will. 1) Praise begins with the will.
A second aspect of the 3-fold process is... 2) Praise flows to the emotion (emphasis mine).
Maxwell points to Psalm 34's first few verses to highlight David's example-pattern of praise. The second verse, 34:2, says, "My soul shall make its boast in the Lord."
Here, Maxwell points out that, after choosing to praise God, David eventually feels like praising God-- even wants to praise God. "Now David is praising the Lord not only because it is right but also because he feels like it."
Today, I had an opportunity to experience the blessing and practice of feeling like praising God. Admittedly, not every moment is one where my emotions are in sync with God's will, including my praising Him. But today, I experienced it.
I said, "Lord, I do not want to manipulate You, even if I could. But I am told that practicing praise leads to feeling like praising You. (short pause) I guess, well, here it goes..." And before I knew it I was singing for an hour with no one but God to hear me. And, eventually, it led to true, deep, prayer-- for others and for God's will.
Physical pain disappeared from my psychological radar, and a host of other blessings poured with the rain. (Ironically, that is the song I began singing to practice praising God while alone: "Let it rain, open the floodgates of heaven." And I just repeated that over and over for a few minutes--until I don't know when.)
Prayer: Lord, thank You for David's example. Thank you for daily examples. Thank you for meeting me in the quiet, as well as the noise of my life. Help my to grow in my feelings of praise, as I seek to worship You afresh. I know You are more than my worship or greatest feelings; but I would be lying if I say, "I am content." I am not.
I am with great discontent, not with You, but how I experience Your presence at times. I know this is an internal issue, not a religion issue. In short, I want to experience what that song says, "The more I seek You, the more I find You." Help me to seek you more. Amen.
Life lesson/reminder:
Don't feel like praising? The feeling....it will follow. Don't quit praising God.
A second aspect of the 3-fold process is... 2) Praise flows to the emotion (emphasis mine).
Maxwell points to Psalm 34's first few verses to highlight David's example-pattern of praise. The second verse, 34:2, says, "My soul shall make its boast in the Lord."
Here, Maxwell points out that, after choosing to praise God, David eventually feels like praising God-- even wants to praise God. "Now David is praising the Lord not only because it is right but also because he feels like it."
Today, I had an opportunity to experience the blessing and practice of feeling like praising God. Admittedly, not every moment is one where my emotions are in sync with God's will, including my praising Him. But today, I experienced it.
I said, "Lord, I do not want to manipulate You, even if I could. But I am told that practicing praise leads to feeling like praising You. (short pause) I guess, well, here it goes..." And before I knew it I was singing for an hour with no one but God to hear me. And, eventually, it led to true, deep, prayer-- for others and for God's will.
Physical pain disappeared from my psychological radar, and a host of other blessings poured with the rain. (Ironically, that is the song I began singing to practice praising God while alone: "Let it rain, open the floodgates of heaven." And I just repeated that over and over for a few minutes--until I don't know when.)
Prayer: Lord, thank You for David's example. Thank you for daily examples. Thank you for meeting me in the quiet, as well as the noise of my life. Help my to grow in my feelings of praise, as I seek to worship You afresh. I know You are more than my worship or greatest feelings; but I would be lying if I say, "I am content." I am not.
I am with great discontent, not with You, but how I experience Your presence at times. I know this is an internal issue, not a religion issue. In short, I want to experience what that song says, "The more I seek You, the more I find You." Help me to seek you more. Amen.
Life lesson/reminder:
Don't feel like praising? The feeling....it will follow. Don't quit praising God.