Prayers

A while back, I heard someone mention that 1 Chronicles 16:8-12 is a perfect example of how to praise God. Here it is:


"Oh, give thanks to the Lord!
Call upon His name;
Make known His deeds among the peoples!
⁹ Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him;
Talk of all His wondrous works!
¹⁰ Glory in His holy name;
Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord!
¹¹ Seek the Lord and His strength;
Seek His face evermore!
¹² Remember His marvelous works which He has done,
His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth."


Compared to the Lord's Prayer (Matthew 6:10-13), which Jesus told His disciples to pray to His Father in heaven like, the two are very similar.


"Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
¹⁰ Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
¹¹ Give us this day our daily bread.
¹² And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
¹³ And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen."


The prayer in Chronicles is a psalm by David, made specifically to thank the Lord. The prayer in Matthew however, is like a template for prayer. I just tend to think of the two together. Whenever I pray I thank God first, because He knows what I'm worried about. He is also a king, so I don't want to complain right away-- I need to be grateful!


Chronicles really epitomizes how we are to worship God: to sing to Him, talk of all the wonderful things He has done, seek Him, all the time!! 


That's what I will try to do today.