Prayer and Praise

By Sandra Higley

Note: This Bible study is formatted for small group open discussion. If you use this study by yourself, we suggest you journal your answers to the discussion questions. Also, please use suggested translations where indicated. Biblegateway.com is an excellent source for translations you may not have on hand.

We were sitting on the steps of Prambanan, a ninth-century Hindu temple to the destroyer god (Shiva), located on the island of Java, Indonesia. My prayer partner and I had received specific instructions from the Lord that on this prayer journey we were to magnify the Lord and spiritually desecrate pagan altars by taking communion at each designated spot.

Hearts pounding wildly in our chests, we sat there with wine and bread, ignoring the piercing gaze of the Hindu worshipers around us. The oppression was tangible. Suddenly, it came to us that we should praise Jesus in song—aloud. This was different from God’s leading at similar sites—those had been quiet, covert assignments.

Singing softly at first, we were surprised at how the music carried through the entire compound. A tangible peace settled over us as we exalted the name of Jesus in that place. Then, something amazing happened. A quiet young man—a national—appeared next to us. He whispered to us in broken English that he was a believer. We soon discovered that he was also part of our denomination and personally knew my brother who was a missionary many miles away!

Marveling at God’s plan, we took communion in one accord with this precious brother who was risking exposure and endangering himself by doing so. Praise had broken through the oppressive darkness around us and unleashed God’s plan to accomplish His purpose!

Discussion Questions

Dr. Joseph Winger speaks of praise as it touches heaven and affects earth. “Praise happens in heaven. When we come into alignment with this key activity of heaven, here’s what happens on earth: It is as if His Kingdom comes and His will is set in motion on earth as in heaven. Forces of darkness become confused and flee because of the the simple, sincere praises of God’s people. . . . Praise alter[s] the course of [our] challenging circumstances.” Read Revelation 5 aloud as a group. Now look up the following and note how the concept of Revelation 5 is played out in each of these passages:Psalm 8:2: __________________________1 Samuel 16:23, NASB:_________________2 Chronicles 20:22, ESV: ______________________________Acts 16:25-26, NASB: __________________

Dr. Winger encourages us to develop a life of praise. What observations can you discover about praise in the following passages? (Ps. 22:3, 63:3, 71:14, NKJV; 145:12; Isa. 61:3; Heb. 13:15, NKJV) ____________________________________

Sometimes we think of “enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise” (Ps. 100:4) as a precursor or warm up for the more important prayer to come. Read Psalm 100 and then honestly assess your thoughts about praise. How do you (or do you?) incorporate praise into prayer? Do you use it as a way to get God’s attention before asking something of Him? Does it serve as something that seems more polite than rushing at Him with important items of business? Does praise seem difficult for you? ____________________________________

Jason Hershey admonishes, “At first, [praise] seemed counterintuitive to how I felt.” He adds, “My heart was heavy and I wanted to lie on the ground and moan . . . but I knew it was time to rise up and praise the Lord!” He says, “Looking at God—and meditating on who He is and His wonderful Kingdom—yields a natural reaction to praise the Lord.” How can focusing on who God is rather than focusing on the problem you are bringing to Him alter the way you pray? __________________________________

Lack of a praise vocabulary is a basic problem when it comes to voicing worship, according to Dave Butts. We typically think of worship in the context of what we do on Sunday morning. “I was so used to praise being something that was sung using a book or a screen in the presence of others that I didn’t even know what to say,” Dave recalls about his struggle to praise on his own. Scripture offers a wealth of triggers for launching praise. Have each member of your group take one of the following passages and use it as a template. Turn it into a personalized praise on paper. In every instance where God did things for Israel or the authors of the passages, replace it with something He has done for you personally. Come back together as a large group and take turns reading your praise results. (Ex.15:1–18; 1 Chron. 29:10–20; Nehemiah 9; Ps. 34, 103, 145, 150; Isa. 51:15–16; Col. 1:15–20; Rev. 19:1–16)______________________________________________________

Justin Hoeppner observes that each of us communicates with God in a specific way—we adapt a culture of communication that reflects our knowledge and experience with Him. He believes these patterns can become more about us connecting with ourselves than establishing a deeper connection with God. Take a few minutes to consider any patterns you see in your own prayer/praise communion. Have you seen any shifts or changes based on your “God experience”? If you answered “yes,” are these changes positive or negative changes? Do they suggest more faith, more awe, more gratitude, more understanding? Or do the changes indicate discouragement or hopelessness?  ____________________________________

If you answered “no,” what does that tell you?  ____________________________________

Action Steps

“The power of praise is the realigning of priority. Prayer is all about Him and for His glory,” Hershey teaches. “My life’s goal changed the day I came to the revelation that God has opened Himself up to be emotionally affected by me. He’s grieved when I sin. He is blessed when I praise Him. Though His love for me is unconditional, His degree of pleasure or grief over me is directly related to my heart toward Him.” Spend some time in individual prayer, asking God to reveal the truth of this statement to your heart. How does the thought of God making Himself vulnerable in this way influence you? ____________________________________

Journal your response to Hershey’s question: “Don’t you just want to make the heart of the Lord swell with delight?”____________________________________

(C) 2014 Prayer Connect magazine