“May the God of hope fill
you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of
the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13
There is so much to prayer beyond simply asking God
for all that we need in this life. When we trust in Jesus, and subsequently
praise and worship Him for all that He is, we are surprisingly, profoundly filled
with hope for today and eternity, sublime peace, and abiding joy. And the
reverse is true as well: Through the power of the Holy Spirit, praise helps us
trust God, Our Creator, through Jesus Our Savior. Trust in Him!
For praise unlocks an abundance of hope and deep inner
peace, as we acknowledge the greatness of Almighty God in our own lives, for
all of humanity, and the universe at large. It is vitally important to
acknowledge God in our lives through prayer BEFORE we ask for what we need.
Then, while waiting for His answer to our pleas, we are far more prepared to
wait in confidence for His answer to our petitions.
This prayer practice is essential to the realization
of inner peace and hope-filled joy, even and especially, in times of adversity.
To pledge allegiance to the Almighty before asking Him for anything is not only
prudent and wise, it sets the stage for Him to answer our prayers in a way that
we can embrace and understand. No, it is not a given that we get everything we ask
for in prayer as we want it to be. But God, according to Scripture, “Works all
things for good for those called according to His purpose” [Romans 8:28].
I don’t know about you, but I am so glad that God is
in control of my life. Yes, we all have God-given free will. But when you we
chose to hand our lives over to God, and walk with Jesus Christ, what a
difference it makes in our perspective, our attitude towards things. Clearly, a
positive attitude and openness to God’s leading makes us more whole, more alive
than ever before. It is easier to forgive ourselves and others for sins of
omission and commission, to believe in healing, and seek God’s protection and
comfort when needed. It takes the sting out of disappointment(s) when we realize
we are not alone and trust that God has His hand in what has transpired or is
transpiring.
Only our Omnipotent God has the full picture of our
lives and of those around us. Due to His loving kindness and mercy for us, we
can only assume that He is at the helm working out the best outcomes for us
all. And what tremendous hope, peace and joy that realization brings!
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Copyright
2016 Adele M. Gill | Distributed by News Consortium
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