Challenge from a Friend

Last night (Sunday) we had our young adult Bible study.  A friend of mine, Harold, gave a challenge that he had heard about while he was in his intense schooling.  An authority figure challenged him to take one day of the week and pray nothing but praises to God.  Don't request anything or say anything in prayer unless it is glorifying to God in praise.  So...today I took that challenge. 

I started my day off just like I normally do, thanking God for smiling on me through the sun as I drove to Cedar Falls, and began to pray "Lord I ask..."  and stopped.  Right away in the morning I began out of habit to ask for things.  "Lord, give me strength, give me compassion, grant me serenity."  Now, these aren't terrible things to pray for, because God does supply these things and He asks us to do this regularly.  However, if I wanted to be uplifting all day, this wasn't going to do. 

"Lord, thank you for the strength you provide for me to do my job." 
"Father, I am so thankful for the love I can provide because of your work in me."

This weekend, we had an amazing time at a friend's house, celebrating a successful year of miming.  I was very active...maybe too active...my entire right leg was throbbing in pain all day.  My knee was swelling, my calf really tight, and my hip had to have popped about 25 times (more or less). 

"Father, thank you for this pain, because I can be reminded of the reasons behind this pain...the friends, food, fellowship, conversations, games, and how fun it was to be part of all that." 

Instead of praying for strength and mercy on individuals, I was praising God for their lives at the nursing home. 

I was thankful for the individuals that came into Duos tonight.  I was praying and thanking God for their business and our ministry in their lives by handing them a dish of ice cream. 

Of course I slipped a couple times and asked for something selfish, especially when it came to the things that really give me struggles and weigh heavily on my heart.  But Harold was right...if you prayed like this all day, your attitude does change.  Your outlook on everything is so much more uplifting, and your appearance to others is more radiant of God's character.  It was honestly the best way I could have thought about my week, and it made my Monday so enjoyable! 

So, I pass this challenge on to you, my readers.  Take one day of the week to pray nothing but praises to God.  Thank him for everything.  Take that day to really reflect on everything God deserves praises for.  The list is honestly never-ending!  I write in a journal little letters to God (because I have so many different ways that I can express myself without talking) and I wrote a list of thanks and praises...I kept writing and writing and eventually had to stop myself.  My list could have kept going. 

Take the challenge.  Feel the change, and praise God for it!