In Psalm 34 David is expressing his joy in God. He is praising God, and then seamlessly his praise becomes an invitation.
“O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together.” Psalm 34:3
He invites others to join with him in exalting the name of the Lord. It wasn’t enough to only praise God by himself. It wasn’t enough that he was singing and worshiping God. No. He wanted others to join him in that praise. He wanted to join with others who were doing the same.
He didn’t point to some instruction in Scripture that mandated that others join him, or that he join others. He didn’t even give a reason for what he said in Psalm 34:3. It was spontaneous. It was entirely natural. It was automatic. He wanted to offer up his praise to God alongside others who were doing the same.
And so it is with us. Do we really need to have the reasons explained to us why we need to gather with other Christians and pray?
I’ve learned something over the last year or so concerning church-wide prayer. Praise belongs in our prayer meetings - and good hefty doses of it too!
In our Fresh Encounter meetings (the next one is this coming Sunday, March 7th) the leaders work hard to plan praise in with the intercessory praying. As we’ve done this we’ve sensed a new dynamic in our praying. It is good, and I hope you come join us this Sunday to take part in it.
Keeping ‘alert’
Perhaps the dynamic we are experiencing in our Fresh Encounter meetings is explained a bit in Colossians 4:2. The Apostle Paul writes,
“Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with thanksgiving.”
We are to be devoted to praying - and as we pray we don’t forget to give thanks. We turn our prayers upward in thanksgiving from time to time, and that keeps us “alert.” I think that this means more than merely being physically alert. I think it means that we are more attuned to the Spirit and His desires for our prayers.
And so, as we gather together and give God praise together, we maintain a more alert attitude in prayer which is then carried into our intercession for others.
May the Lord teach you and me the blessing of knowing this alertness in prayer together.
