How To Have TRUE Joy & Happiness
Psalm 145:4, 8-9, 11, 13b-14, 18
Vs 4: “One generation commends Your works to another; they tell of Your mighty acts."
Vs 8-9: "The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. The Lord is good to all; He has compassion on all He has made."
Vs 11: "They tell of the glory of Your kingdom and speak of Your might,"
Vs 13b-14: "The Lord is trustworthy in all He promises and faithful in all He does. The Lord upholds all who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down."
Vs 18: "The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth."
Wow! ALL of 145 is awesome!! It struck me, right off, that WE are supposed to be sharing with our kids and grandkids OR just any generation, what God has done in our lives! But, how are we to do this? Well, by speaking up, for one. Keep a Praise Journal. Some type of tracking, that when we have gone thru something, we can pull it up and share at the right time. Verses 4 & 11 tell us to do this. Verses 8-9, 13-14, & 18 all are promises with instruction for us. The last part of 18 "to all who call on Him in truth" - this is the key to His blessings! We can love Him, read His word, even serve Him...but if any part of us is NOT in truth, well....there are consequences for that. How do we "be in truth"? By confession. Confessing to God what He already knows. That's why the ACTS method puts the C right at the start. When we A-adoration: praise God for Who He IS, it's preparing our heart and mind for truth. Then C-confession: admitting to God what He already knows, opens our heart and exposes truth for Him to mold and shape and bless. When we are open and honest with Him, it's like skimming the fat off of the top of a good stew. It takes away any cloudiness or barriers that may be blocking us from hearing His voice or being blessed by His will. Nothing is too small to confess, neither is anything too BIG! He's also the ONLY one we can share things with and He won't gossip!
Verses 13b-14 are SO meaty and true! Let's cling to this truth today, as we bow in prayer, confession and praise: Vs 13b-14: "The Lord is trustworthy in all He promises and faithful in all He does. The Lord upholds all who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down." God is waiting for our 'knee mail' and delights in the worn knees of our clothes! It is when we bow down to Him with thankfulness, that we find true peace and joy inside, no matter what is going on or our situation or circumstances. Our "joy" actually starts with our "gratitude" - pretty neat!
I am praying for you today, to stop what you are doing and follow the ACTS way of prayer, right now.
A - Praise God for who He is. (you can even do a couple of the letters of the alphabet to help get started)
C - Confess to God what He already knows, but you need to share it with Him. Not for His sake, but yours.
T - Thank God for things He has done, allowed, changed, moved on your behalf and or for you.
S - Supplication - Praying for the needs of others and yourself. Again, not for His sake, He is already working on things in these requests, but it is for us to be able to "see" His hand in things, and praise Him for them.
Vs 4: “One generation commends Your works to another; they tell of Your mighty acts."
Vs 8-9: "The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. The Lord is good to all; He has compassion on all He has made."
Vs 11: "They tell of the glory of Your kingdom and speak of Your might,"
Vs 13b-14: "The Lord is trustworthy in all He promises and faithful in all He does. The Lord upholds all who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down."
Vs 18: "The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth."
Wow! ALL of 145 is awesome!! It struck me, right off, that WE are supposed to be sharing with our kids and grandkids OR just any generation, what God has done in our lives! But, how are we to do this? Well, by speaking up, for one. Keep a Praise Journal. Some type of tracking, that when we have gone thru something, we can pull it up and share at the right time. Verses 4 & 11 tell us to do this. Verses 8-9, 13-14, & 18 all are promises with instruction for us. The last part of 18 "to all who call on Him in truth" - this is the key to His blessings! We can love Him, read His word, even serve Him...but if any part of us is NOT in truth, well....there are consequences for that. How do we "be in truth"? By confession. Confessing to God what He already knows. That's why the ACTS method puts the C right at the start. When we A-adoration: praise God for Who He IS, it's preparing our heart and mind for truth. Then C-confession: admitting to God what He already knows, opens our heart and exposes truth for Him to mold and shape and bless. When we are open and honest with Him, it's like skimming the fat off of the top of a good stew. It takes away any cloudiness or barriers that may be blocking us from hearing His voice or being blessed by His will. Nothing is too small to confess, neither is anything too BIG! He's also the ONLY one we can share things with and He won't gossip!
Verses 13b-14 are SO meaty and true! Let's cling to this truth today, as we bow in prayer, confession and praise: Vs 13b-14: "The Lord is trustworthy in all He promises and faithful in all He does. The Lord upholds all who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down." God is waiting for our 'knee mail' and delights in the worn knees of our clothes! It is when we bow down to Him with thankfulness, that we find true peace and joy inside, no matter what is going on or our situation or circumstances. Our "joy" actually starts with our "gratitude" - pretty neat!
I am praying for you today, to stop what you are doing and follow the ACTS way of prayer, right now.
A - Praise God for who He is. (you can even do a couple of the letters of the alphabet to help get started)
C - Confess to God what He already knows, but you need to share it with Him. Not for His sake, but yours.
T - Thank God for things He has done, allowed, changed, moved on your behalf and or for you.
S - Supplication - Praying for the needs of others and yourself. Again, not for His sake, He is already working on things in these requests, but it is for us to be able to "see" His hand in things, and praise Him for them.
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