Summerfest - 5 Day Reading PlanSample

DAY 2 - THE POWER OF PRAISE
by Sym Yeow (Young Adults Leader - Hills Campus)

Although there are 4 different cardio machines in my HIIT class at the gym, most people will go for either the treadmill or the bike. Hardly anyone goes for the skiing machine as they aren't sure how to use it and so in turn, I always end up on the skiing machine for the 8 rounds of the class.

The other day after the 4th round, the trainer came over and turned my resistance down from 10 to 5 as I was clearly struggling. 

He said it is always better to master the movement with the correct form — using less weight or resistance.

The same can be said when it comes to praise. Learning to praise God in our daily life now, will lay the foundations for the things ahead. It's always easier to be thankful when things are going well, but as we continue to praise Him, we will find that praise becomes a natural response in the more challenging seasons of life.

There is significance in doing the small things right and mastering that before we graduate onto bigger things.

I love that song that says, "I will praise you on the mountain & I will praise you when the mountain is in my way". It's a reminder that whilst there are many things in our life that we do not have control over, we can make a decision to praise Him in every season.

Philippians 4:6-9 in the Message, encourages us not to worry but to praise and to fill our minds with that which is true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling & gracious - the best, not the worst. It can be something as small as focusing on positive thoughts, and being thankful for what we do have, that transform our lives in a big way.

Waking up and asking ourselves what we're thankful for may seem like a small and silly exercise, but that mindset can lay the foundation for us to be able to identify the good in every situation.

If we start now and begin to incorporate small elements of praise into our daily lives, we will begin to develop an attitude of praise. As we continue to praise Him in the midst of our struggles, and learn to be thankful for what we do have, He will be able to bless us with even greater things.

Questions:

1. How can I start to incorporate praise in my everyday life?
2. What are 3 things I can praise God for today?

Prayer:

Dear Jesus. Thank you for what you have done of the Cross & in my life. I choose to praise you today for all the incredible things you have done, are doing, and will continue to do. In Jesus Name. Amen.