This morning I sat in the “secret place” before the Father, filled with praise and thanksgiving. The song flowed out loud over and over, “Praise the name of Jesus, Praise the name of Jesus. He’s my rock; He’s my deliverer, He’s my fortress, in Him do I trust. Praise the name of Jesus.” It’s a simple, old song, but so, so good.
The day I received my cancer diagnosis, I journaled these words as I spoke them aloud: “I will praise You, Lord, even if the sun doesn’t shine.” For me, that was a big declaration. I wanted to promise the Lord that in the worst possible scenario of life, I would continue to offer praise. And I think I needed to hear myself say it. Declarations are important because we make promises that focus our thinking. As I watched God paint the sky this morning, I delighted in the hope that is always waiting on the horizon of life. Dark clouds looming in the distance tried to quiet my praise with the reminder of challenges ahead, and I sighed, “Can I do this Lord? Can I keep praising you knowing there will be more battles? I can, of course, when I rehearse what you have already done.”
I love the Lord because he hears my voice and my prayer for mercy. Because he bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath! Psalm 116:1-2 NLT
What moves me on this verse is that the Lord God, creator of the universe, is listening to my prayer. This prayer of the Psalmist is for the mercy that everyone needs as we make mistakes or wrong choices in life. As long as we admit sin and confess to the Father, the mercy will continue to flow. We become wiser, stronger, and more focused on what matters in life. And most of all, we experience genuine love from our Creator and are able to give our love in return.
So, I am adding a new thought – Rehearse what He has already said. Throughout the Word of God, there are thousands of promises, thousands of stories of hope, beautiful demonstrations of the power of the Almighty One, and declarations of His personal love for us.
The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning.I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!” The Lord is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him. So it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the Lord. Lamentations 3:22-26 NLT
I urge you to search the Scriptures today and write down promises to rehearse. Need a starting spot? Go to the Psalms where in the first chapter you are given the promise that those who meditate (rehearse) in His word “will be like a tree firmly planted [and fed] by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season; Its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers [and comes to maturity].” Psalm 1:3 NLT
May I point out that He has offered clean, flowing streams, plural, not just one! Because when it looks like the hope you prayed for has dried up, there will always be another stream provided to you. His love is everlasting!
And of course, Keep Expecting Amazing!
Diane Strack
P.S. She Loves Out Loud Global will be a historic day as we gather the women of the world to pray! Don’t miss it! Simple, powerful Livestream on Demand. Register today!
