Praise Him In Advance

'And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, "Father, I thank you that you have heard me." John 11:41

I found another interesting lesson in the gospel of John.  It was concerning the resurrection of Lazarus.  The interesting lesson was that Jesus began His thanksgiving before the miracle of the resurrection took place.  Jesus did not wait until the miracle was performed instead He thanked God simply because His prayer had been heard.  He had enough faith in the One to whom He was praying to know that something wonderful was about to happen. 

It made me think about me as a mother and how when my children come to me with a need they start to play as if they don't have a care in the world.  They know that they have told their mother and she will take care of it.  Now sometimes they ask for some outlandish things like my nine year old daughter who is about to turn ten next month.  She asked me for highlights for her birthday.  This is something that she is not going to get and I told her immediately.  But when she actually comes to me for needs such as food, supplies for school, a bigger pair of shoes, etc, she knows that her parents are going to meed that need.  Often times they say thank you even before they see the result. 

That is how it should be with you and God.  You pray for something, asking in faith, believing that you will receive.  After you pray, what should take place is thanksgiving.  Why?  Because you know the power of the One you are praying to you can thank Him in advance.  It should be second nature to thank Him for what you are about to receive.  Like the song says ' Don't wait til the battle is over, shout now!'  You may be going out to battle daily to a job where there are those who are out to get you.  You may be headed home to a battle in your house with your spouse or your teenage child.  Maybe you are faced with a life or death situation.  You have prayed about it.  And today I've come to encourage you to start praising Him, right now.  I read something the other day that said, 'Praise is really the most vital preparatory ministry to the working of miracles...Dr. Jowett.  If this is indeed true then you may have have been hindering  a resurrection in your life for lack of prayer.  And not just lack of prayer but lack of praise from lack of faith.  Is your marriage dead and in need of a resurrection?  Your finances dead and in need of a revival?  If so, praise your way through to your deliverance.  Start to exercise your extraordinary faith.  I know that part of my reason for not praising Him was because I didn't always believe that it would happen. I was sitting around waiting for results.  But Jesus had the utmost faith in His Father.  He knew that whatever He asked in according to the will of the Father, it would be done.  It's time for you to start having that kind of faith.  Just take a moment and look back over your life, where God has brought you from.  How he has performed miracle after miracle in your life and when you do, I hope that you will realize that you don't have to wait for the miracle to praise God, you can praise Him right now.

Most Gracious Heavenly Father,

I come to you in the humblest way that I know how, first giving praise, honor and glory to Your name.  I thank You for Your grace and Your mercy.  I thank You for forgiving all my sins.  I thank You yet again for the privilege of prayer.  I thank You just for taking the time to hear my earnest plea.  Lord, I ask that You help me to wait patiently and peacefully for the answer to my prayer.  Let me not become anxious but continue to put all my trust in You, knowing that whatever the outcome it will be what You have designed for my life.  In Jesus' Wonderful Name I pray Amen.