Over the last few years, the National Faith & Life Team has provided prayer resources for individuals and churches within our MB family. In 2023, we moved to a monthly “Moments in Prayer” pattern that focused on prayers for the Holy Spirit to fill us! But the title “Moments in Prayer” seemed a little like our devotion to prayer was only for a few “moments” and wasn’t calling us to much effort.
If we have learned anything from the events of 2023 and our personal, church, community, national, and global challenges, prayer is a central part of how we can participate in God’s Kingdom work in the world. Prayer is part of how hostile powers are dethroned, how God’s name is lifted up, how hearts and minds are drawn to Jesus, and how healing and restoration is brought to our world in the name of Jesus.
So our 2024 monthly prayer focus is being renamed “Contending in Prayer.” Contending involves earnest effort even to the point of disputing or fighting for (cf. Eph 6:12). While contending in prayer may sound like we are disputing or fighting with God, we are instead praying in order to join with God who is actively contending for his Kingdom purposes against all that is working against these purposes. We are praying diligently for God’s Kingdom to come to earth as it is in heaven, for our churches to more faithfully embrace the character and mission of that Kingdom, and for us to become transformed in prayer into the image of Jesus.
I invite you to join with others across our country as we contend in prayer daily—lifting up the name of King Jesus together, and praying for more of God’s Kingdom to be manifested on earth as it is in heaven!
“Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises. For God is the King of all the earth; sing to him a psalm of praise.” (Psalm 47:6-7)
“The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation…. The LORD lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be my God, the Rock, my Savior!” (2 Samuel 22:2-3, 47)
“Give praise to the LORD, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done. Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts. Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice. Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always.” (1 Chronicles 16:8-11)
“LORD, our LORD, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory in the heavens.
Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger…. LORD, our LORD, how majestic is your name in all the earth!” (Psalm 8:1-2, 9)
Our February 2024 Contending in Prayer Guide is focused on Adoration/Praise Prayer. While some might differentiate between adoration and praise, we will keep them together. Adoration is specifically about declaring truths about God, God’s character, and God’s purposes (e.g., “You God are righteous! You are our Truth! You are the only wise God!”). Praise includes adoration but it can also lift up God’s name in response to how God has helped and delivered (e.g., “Praise you, O LORD, because you have delivered us from slavery, sin, and death!”).
Adoration/praise prayers are about declaring truth about God, God’s character, and God’s purposes. Some might ask whether God has a weak self-image and needs humans to speak these prayers out for some self-congratulatory purpose. Why does God want angelic beings for example declaring non-stop: “’Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty’ who was, and is, and is to come” (Revelation 4:8)? While this question has occupied Christian thinkers for centuries, one of the best answers is that the declaration of truth about the “Lord God Almighty” properly centers God’s created beings and focuses their eyes on the One who is Truth and Life. We become like what we worship: “And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit” (2 Corinthians 3:18; See also G.K. Beale, We Become What We Worship, IVP Academic, 2008).
So adoration/praise prayers, from a posture of worship, declare truths about God, and the daily repetition of declaring truth changes us. It takes the focus off of ourselves, off of our immediate situation and needs—and off of all the false loves that vie for our attention. As the hymn writer Helen Lemmel wrote: “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in his wonderful face, And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, In the light of his glory and grace.” Adoration/praise prayers are Kingdom prayers because they work to return God to the center and by doing this, they dethrone the self, dethrone greed and selfishness, and dethrone all other competing powers.
There is no Kingdom work without a focus on the praise and glorification of the King. Declaring the truth about God and God’s Kingdom makes us less susceptible to all the lies that are swirling around us each and every day. Let us dedicate ourselves anew to speaking out adoration/praise prayers.
Consider:
- What elements of God, God’s character, and/or God’s purposes do you find so compelling that you want to declare them in praise?
- How can adoration/praise prayers become a daily part of your prayer life in 2024?
Adoration/Praise Prayer:
Praying in the Pattern of Psalm 145
We may find it daunting to speak out adoration/praise prayers that express adequately the truth about God, God’s character, and God’s purposes. The good news is that the Old Testament book of Psalms has many adoration/praise psalms that we can read and identity with.
For February, we will be praying along with Psalm 145 which is one of the most beautiful adoration/praise prayers in Scripture. Read each section out loud as a prayer declaring truth. At the end, add a few lines of adoration/praise that have been prompted in you. You may want to read this psalm every day for a week and add new lines every day.
Psalm 145
I will exalt you, my God the King;
I will praise your name for ever and ever.
Every day I will praise you
and extol your name for ever and ever.
Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise;
his greatness no one can fathom.
One generation commends your works to another;
they tell of your mighty acts.
They speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty—
and I will meditate on your wonderful works.
They tell of the power of your awesome works—
and I will proclaim your great deeds.
They celebrate your abundant goodness
and joyfully sing of your righteousness.
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.
All your works praise you, LORD;
your faithful people extol you.
They tell of the glory of your kingdom
and speak of your might,
so that all people may know of your mighty acts
and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and your dominion endures through all generations.
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.
The eyes of all look to you,
and you give them their food at the proper time.
You open your hand
and satisfy the desires of every living thing.
The LORD is righteous in all his ways
and faithful in all he does.
The LORD is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.
He fulfills the desires of those who fear him;
he hears their cry and saves them.
The LORD watches over all who love him,
but all the wicked he will destroy.
My mouth will speak in praise of the LORD.
Let every creature praise his holy name
for ever and ever.
My mouth speaks this praise to you, O LORD______________________________________________
My mouth declares this praise to your holy name______________________________________________
We praise you, LORD, and Amen!
