HELLO EVERYBODY. my name is rachel, i feel super super SUPER... no no. i feel that i super need to share this with you today. HHAHA.
got this book wanna share with you all. It's called The Power of a PRAYING TEEN. by Stormie Omartian everybody say WHAH. whah it's actuallly one of the chapter i wanna share. and its called Praise You at ALL times, i ll just share some parts k? kay.
everything shown below is by the author.... summarised here and there
When i lived in California, i worked as a singer and dancer on television. I would have to sing a song over and over all day long while i was rehearsing it with the choreography. I used to go home at night and i could hardly sleep because the music and lyrics of the songs we had been working on would still be playing over and over in my mind. I could not get them out of my head.
This is what happens to us when we hear and sing praise and worship songs over and over again. They continue to play in our mind, soul and spirit, even when we are not actually worshipping God. Even when we are sleeping.
When i praise and worshipped God, it was like being hooked up to a spiritual IV. As long i had my heart and eyes lifted to Him in worship and praise, the joy of the Lord poured into my mind, soul, and spirit and crowded out the darkness and depression. It worked every time.
I started buying praise and worship songs to playing in the car as i drove., in my bedroom before i went to bed, in the bathroom when i was getting ready to go some place, in the kitchen as i was cooking something to eat, throughout the house where i was living, and if possible, in the place where i was working. Sometimes i would sing along with them, but other times i would just let the music play through my mind and spirit. It amazed me that confusion, oppression, fear, or anxiety couldn't exist in the same room where praise music was being played or sung. Eventually, i got completely free from all of those negative emotions, but i still played worship music whenever i wanted to have peace and a greater sense of God's presence.
I learnt that anytime i start feeling bad or sad or mad, if i praise God for who He is and all He has done, those feelings will GO AWAY.
Nothing we do is more powerful or more life changing. It is one of the ways God transforms us and our circumstances.
Every time we praise and worship God His presence comes to be with us and changes our attitude. It allows the Holy spirit to soften and mould our hearts into whatever way He wants it to be.
Because praise and worship is not something we naturally want to do, we have to WILL ourselves to do it. We have to decide no matter what is going on in our lives - If we are having a bad day, instead of allowing ourselves to feel miserable, we have to say,
"I will praise the Lord at all times"
and PRAISE CAN LIFT YOU HIGHER
There is a way for you to be lifted up so YOU can soar too. And that is through praise and worship.
And the most powerful time for that is together with other believers.
Bible says : In the presence of the congregation I will sing your praises
Hebrews 2:12
Don't neglect to have times of praise alongside other believers, because as you life God up in praise, the Holy spirit will also lift your spirit and you will SOAR above everything else in your life.
Make praise your first reaction to the difficult things that happen cos
GOD is always worthy of your praise no matter what is happening in your life.
------------- hahha now this is rachel speaking
After reading that chapter i was quite, OKAY fine!~ i will do it. and i was inspired by nicole lee, my friend from cornerstone church . (i can really see God working in her- that's why) She lend me the book btw.
plus, i was quite desperate.
cos i noe that if i don't hear from God everyday i ll began to slack, and if i slack, I WON'T FEEL JOY! and it's because being a christian is not a saturday and sunday thiing. it's an EVERDAY thing.
and i need spiritual food to go on.
and i do admit that im quite a failure at reading God's word and praying. do YOU?
And you noe, it really works. i started listening to praise and worship songs on Youtube, then i came to this song.It's by Mercy Me. The lyrics ministered to me alot.
Bring the Rain.
I can count a million times People asking me how I Can praise You with all that I've gone through The question just amazes me Can circumstances possibly Change who I forever am in You Maybe since my life was changed Long before these rainy days It's never really ever crossed my mind To turn my back on you, oh Lord My only shelter from the storm But instead I draw closer through these times So I pray
Bring me joy, bring me peace Bring the chance to be free Bring me anything that brings You glory And I know there'll be days When this life brings me pain But if that's what it takes to praise You Jesus, bring the rain
This song encourages me. like really really, to praise God in the rain! it puts you ONFIRE with Jesus!! even though you
are suffering really bad, and when you praise God, people will come to ask you "eh rachel how come you don't seem very affected by what happened??!" then you can say "Cause i have JESUS! He shelters me from the rain, there's nothing to be afraid/sad/mad about"
and through these you would be SHINING FORTH HIS GLORY!!
WHAH! LIKE STARS!!
so exciting!
i really love this song. i will learn and remember it, so i will not feel so bad in cca camp.
and i hope this encourages you, ministered to you, helped you, And it's just, just amazing how God's word can be so encouraging. here's a verse from the video :
And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us. -Romans 5:2-5
because God has poured out His love in our hearts, by the Holy spirt
so WE MUST perservere.
continue to PRAISE GOD and rejoice!
there are really alot of reasons to praise God. and i know, i just know after listening to the song you felt very happy rite? then you will learn to sing it. THAT'S BECAUSE THE JOY OF THE LORD poured into your mind, soul and spirit, and crowded out the darkness and depression
AND MADE YOU WANNA PRAISE HIM EVEN MORE.
yeahh mannnnnn
it's an everyday thing. so i ll continue and praise God. and i hope you to
all of us do face sin in our lives rite. even if it's disliking someone. impatience, unkindness, pettiness, sloth, blah blah BLAH.
but Praising God will help us change our attitude! it allows the Holy spirit to soften and mould our hearts into what ever He wants it to be.
and even in our sufferings when we praise God we are rejoicing. It moulds our character, and character hope. and hope DOES NOT DISAPPOINT US!
i hope this ministers to YOU. and helps you.
JESUS!
Bring us anything that brings You glory,
LOVES LOVES LOVES
rachel
Jesus, thank you for the fact that we can freely praise. thank that through praise, the Holy spirit can change us to be more patient, and through praise it can develop our character and then for your Holy spirt to pour hope into us. We know you ll always be there, through the good and the bad and let our love for You always bring us to PRAISE You. cos we know that you are the God who never sleeps, and never slumbers. Help us to glorify your name through praise and shine like stars. please put people in our lives to always bring us up when we are down and to praise you when we feel angry or sad or when we are drifting apart. Remind us that praise is the first thing we should do and it will help us mould our heart into whatever way He wants us to be. thank you Lord, for this long post because it is not me, but the Holy spirit speaking through me.
