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(Presented by Lisa Bishop)
Where does your hope come from? What do we do when we feel hopeless? Have a posture of praise.
When things in life are not going the way we want, it can be easy to be discouraged and fall into despair. We can forget God’s faithfulness. Sometimes the last thing we feel like doing is praising God. But praising him is not something we do when we feel like it. Blessing God and worshiping him is a daily practice as a follower of Jesus. Not conditional, only when life is going the way we planned, but a daily discipline because God is faithful and worthy of all of our praise.
When we intentionally position ourselves in a posture of praise to God, we are reminded of the hope we have in Jesus.
My friend Becky, author of “The 30-Day Praise Challenge,” says “Praise is your intentional offering of worship, strengthening your faith and unlocking the key to joy no matter what your life circumstance.”
In Psalm 103 King David, who experienced all kinds of trials, tribulations, betrayals, disappointments and despair in his life instructs his heart to praise. He says “Bless the Lord, O my soul and all that is within me, bless his holy name!” (ESV)
To bless means to kneel, to praise. It gives us a visual of David’s posture of praise. David is not giving God a holy high five. He is not giving God a half-hearted blessing. He is saying, with my whole heart, with my whole life, and with my innermost being, I bow in wonder and love before you, the holy God! David speaks directly to his heart.
It reminds me of Psalm 150:6: “Let everything that has breath praise The Lord.”
Did you know that God in his magnificence actually wired us for worship? God designed us so that worship literally impacts our brains, our minds. Studies have shown that worship induces happiness and joy, it boosts our immune system. We often wait to worship until we feel like it but we are actually wired to worship.
God knows when we worship him our lives are transformed, even if our circumstances don’t change. Worship changes us.
So if you want to experience more hope in your life, praise the source of your hope, Jesus. Ask him to bring to mind all of the ways he has been faithful. Ask him to draw your heart close to him. Get on your knees and pray, bowing down in adoration and wonder to the Lord. Turn on some praise music. Put yourself in a posture of praise and let hope arise.
You are wired for worship.