I've Got A Right To Praise (part 2)

I’ve Got a Right To Praise Part 2                                                                  September 7, 2014


Just a couple of days ago, I wrote “I’ve Got a Right To Praise” (http://dutchesshorton.com/Praise.html.). In this writing I confessed that there are days when I get up to pray and read God’s word and I’m not all there. In these times prayer feels more of a chore than the privilege it really is. That confession was true and as I wrote it, it felt good to get it out there instead of keeping it as my little secret. It felt good because it was cleansing – and I’m certain I’m not the only one who has felt this way.

Well, I have another confession. When my “Coffee with Christ” alarm sounded this morning, I didn’t want to leave the comfort of my bed, but Christ is more important to me than a few more minutes of sleep.  So I rolled out of bed and came out to meet my Savior and prepared my cup of coffee.  As I was coming into my prayer closet (my living room), I was thinking today is another one of those days, Lord, where I’m not going to be all there. I didn’t get to bed on time so I’m really tired and now that I’m up there is so much to do.

Immediately there was a check in my spirit telling me, “It doesn’t have to be this way.  You should never come before Christ ‘not all there’ because you’ve got a right to praise.” I had to sit down a moment and think about that and then I had to pull out the laptop and ‘share this journey’.  

Because I have a right to praise my prayer time should NEVER be a chore. Because I have a RIGHT to praise I should never enter God’s word without a spirit of expectation. Because I have a right to praise my quiet time should never be a time of boredom or strained conversation. If I don’t say anything but, “Thank you, Lord for allowing me to see the beginning of a new day; for breath in my body; for a bed to rise up from to give you praise; for a roof over my head and a ‘prayer closet’ to enter into.” If I don’t say anything but that, it ought to stir up my spirit and get me excited about time with the Father.


So confession is good because in confessing where I was, the Holy Spirit was allowed to show me how to get out of that dry place, to deliver me from the doldrums even before I fully realized I needed to be delivered.  Now I realize that should I ever be given the gift of a new day yet feel no excitement in coming before my God to say thank you, all I need to do is look back at all He’s done and look forward to all He’s doing and remember I have a right to praise. Like David in 1 Samuel 30:6 I must encourage myself in the Lord because He deserves so much more than a half-hearted word of prayer or half an ear when He’s speaking to me. Just the fact that I have a right to praise is enough to make me praise Him. So if you will excuse me… 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Yo, That's My Wife!

Several years ago, when I was still in the early stages of married life (and before my marriage to Christ), my husband and I were at the Noncommissioned Officers’ (NCO) club for happy hour.  We were both active duty Air Force members very fluent in trash talk, but all in fun.  And though a female, I could hold my own with the best of them. So, when I was at the bar waiting for my turn to order a round of drinks, I thought nothing of it when a guy tried to bully his way in front of me. As a regular to the club, I knew he was new and maybe didn’t realize there was a line. Anyway, I said something flippant and he responded. To this day I don’t know what he said but it didn’t go well with others that heard it. As I said, I could hold my own in a verbal altercation. It came with a lot of practice. So, when my husband rushes up to the bar (I never even saw him move from our table) and gets in this guy’s face and proclaim, “Yo, that’s my wife!” I knew what he said was worse ...
Read more

Confession of Belief

I don’t know how, and I don’t know when. But this I do know. God made me a promise, and it WILL happen. The how and the when are of no concern to me, because I have full confidence in the WHO. Numbers 23 (NKJV) says plainly, “ God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good? ” Praise God! He is a promise keeper. There is no shadow of turning with Him. (James 1:17) Or real-speak, He doesn’t change! God has made me a promise and He will perform it. Like Abram, I tried to help God. I tried to go out and work and bring to pass what He clearly told me He Himself would do. I have since repented and now walk by faith. Now like, Abraham , I believe God. I recognize and acknowledge what is impossible with man is just right for God. He WILL do all He has promised. I also acknowledge that He will not do it because of my goodness or my righteousness or even because I possess great fa...
Read more

Not Condemned

Each morning I get an email from the ministry of Pastor Joseph Prince that includes a scripture to meditate on and a devotional reading. This morning’s scripture was from Romans 8:1 (NASB), “ There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” It’s a scripture I’d read many times. I’d even memorized it (though admittedly I hadn’t learned the address.) But this morning was different. This morning I didn’t just get motivation; I received revelation. The few of you who follow my blog know that my posts are sporadic at best. That’s because I had been under self-imposed condemnation. I felt like my writings weren’t good enough. There was little to no feedback so I began to think they weren’t blessing enough people. I kept wanting to do more for the Kingdom, to be more for God. I wanted to live out my calling and hear Him say, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant!” I felt as if I was failing. I knew in my head that thos...
Read more