A Sacrifice of Praise (Lunch time for 10/7/09)

Psalm 141:1-2

O LORD, I call to you; come quickly to me. Hear my voice when I call to you. 2 May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.

Although we all may feel it, we do not generally acknowledge the fact that at many times we do not feel like praying.  I don’t.  Whether it be laziness, business, exhaustion, or a variety of reasons it is difficult to stop and slow ones mind down and listen and humble oneself before God.  But, that is okay.  What I mean is that God is aware of the difficulty to slow down and focus our eyes not on ourselves but on God.  It is for this reason that prayer is called a sacrifice of praise.  We read in Psalm 141:1-2, David petitioned God and referred to his prayer as an evening sacrifice.  Again, in Hebrews 13:15-16 we read, “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name.”  The word sacrifice means to give something up, just as Christ sacrificed His life for us.  In Romans 12 we are called to be living sacrifices, daily offering our bodies up to the Lord.  We are then told that this daily sacrifice is our true worship to God.  So don't be discouraged when you feel tired or unmotivated to pray.  Understand that feeling is normal.  But it is at that time, when you do not feel like praying, that your prayer becomes a sacrifice of praise.  And it is this sacrifice of praise that God loves and calls us each to give.  So, let us encourage one another, and offer our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God.  Today as you take time from yourself and you own needs, offer up a sacrifice of praise to the lost, for those who do not know Jesus.  This is Christ's heart and it is what He sacrificed His life for.  Keep fighting the good fight, and remember we do not fight as the world fights.  But as scripture promises us in 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 we take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ.  Let us pray.  God bless

Pastor Joe