Unlock the Power of Purposeful Praise

The praise and worship music portion of Sunday morning church has always been my favorite part of the service (shh, please don’t spill the beans to my pastor). With that idea in mind, though, I should have more praise and worship in my life all week long. I get so caught up in the daily chaos that I forget to show Jesus my gratitude. And sometimes, we go all the way to Sunday before I tell Him thank you.

How do we bring more depth into our worship? How can we transition from the Sunday ritual to unlocking the power of purposeful praise in our daily lives? I believe we must do this through intention and practice. Let’s examine five strategies that could help.

• Schedule to Spend Time with God’s Spirit in His Word
• Look with Intention for the Wonderful & Praise God
• Practice Being a Living Sacrifice
• Through Prayer, Seek God’s Will & Rejoice in It
• Hold the “Fancy” and Serve Others
• Remember Job & Even in the Bad, Praise God Out Loud

Schedule to Spend Time With God’s Spirit in His Word

As silly as it may sound, I have found much success in using my planner. I block off time each day to read my Bible. Whether working outside the home or within it, the day-to-day chaos of activities, chores, and to-do lists is endless. It is all too easy to forget to sit down and read the scriptures.

By writing down an “appointment” with God, you ensure that you use that time in the Word. It is as justified at that point as a doctor’s appointment, dental check-up, or the last-minute run to Walmart because your kid forgot they have a project due the next day and needs poster board and Mentos (they should have written it down!).

John 4:24 (NIV) reminds believers that God’s Spirit is in His Word. When we spend this time with intention, we feed our souls with that Spirit.

It is in those moments that we feel genuine joy. That joy is worth celebrating and praising the Lord for! Joy is the most organic predecessor to praise!

Look With Intention For the Wonderful and Praise God

It is easy to focus on what I find challenging or what hurts and upsets me. But, even in the messy seasons of life, we can look for the wonderful. It is there too!

Isaiah 25:1 (NIV) speaks directly to God, modeling how Christians must exalt and praise His name. It talks about God’s faithfulness and the beautiful things God does in our lives. It is noteworthy that Isaiah mentions God’s plan in this passage.

Sometimes, we must go through those messy seasons to learn and be ready to receive the wonderful things God has in store for us as part of His plan. Looking at life through this perspective offers the chance to be purposeful in our praise so that we may celebrate God’s wisdom and work in our lives.

Practice Being a Living Sacrifice

The world puts a weight on us that God doesn’t want us to bear. He wants us to live for Him in our minds, bodies, and spirits. In the quest to be a living sacrifice, we unlock our potential for purposeful praise as we celebrate God’s good and perfect will for our lives.

Romans 12:1-2 (NIV) says, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Through Prayer, Seek God’s Will and Rejoice in It

What does God want from us? He wants a conversation. That is what prayer is.

His message in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV) is to “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” Mindfully conversing through prayer, seeking God’s will, choosing to find joy, and celebrating victories leads to a more purposeful form of praise.

This is especially true when we strive to make the action routine in every minute of our day, as opposed to just a Sunday ritual. The text is clear—pray continuously. Prayer is another organic gateway to praise and worship.

Hold the “Fancy” and Serve Others

Ladies, I can’t be the only one on Sunday stressing over my looks while getting the children up, fed, dressed, and out the door. This is a Sunday ritual, to be sure. The kids know we are leaving the house because Mommy’s hair does not look like a habitat for small woodland creatures, and she is not in her yoga pants.

1 Timothy 2:9-10 (NIV) advises us, “I also want the women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, adorning themselves, not with elaborate hairstyles or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God.”

This does not mean that we should not care about looking nice and appropriate to worship the Lord, but it does take the pressure off. Remember, He knows what we look like beneath the concealer, bronzer, brightener, and hairspray, and He loves us as we are.

He wants us to come to Him as we are, worship and praise Him. Perhaps we could save that energy we use on all the makeup and accessories to praise Him through our service to others!

Remember Job and Even in the “Bad” Praise God Out Loud

It is much easier to praise and celebrate when everything goes our way. Unlocking the power of purposeful praise means we should use the opportunity to seek God while accepting when things are going wrong. There is no better example of this than Job.

In fact, Job 1:20-21 (NIV) tells us that Job chose his darkest moment to praise God: “At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship and said: ‘Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.'”

Be Intentional

David tells us in Psalm 34:1-2 (NIV) how and when we should praise our heavenly Father: “I will extol the Lord at all times; His praise will always be on my lips. I will glory in the Lord; let the afflicted hear and rejoice.”

This means that every day, with intention and regardless of what else is going on in our lives or our mood, our goal must be to praise God in every emotion we feel purposefully. Of course, this is easier said than done.

I fail at this often, and that is okay. God knows that we aren’t perfect. However, the more we practice, the more natural this form of praise will feel. And that is, ultimately, what God wants for us!