“Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.” Revelation 5:9
Praise is adoration, and adoration is a vital sign of prayer. Prayer without praise diminishes the sacrifice that makes prayer possible. Adoration avoids rushing into The Presence of God without counting the cost paid by Jesus, The Lamb who purchased your salvation.
Praiseless prayer often focuses more on the disaster than The Master. Adoring Jesus doesn’t add an ounce to His weight on God’s scale of value, but praise raises His esteem in your eyes. His name is a priceless treasure. When you pray, don’t drop it. Invest your praise in it. Soon you will find the words of the old song to be true, “Jesus is the sweetest name I know.”
Though not all music is praise, and not all songs voice adoration to The Son, the Book of Revelation reminds us that at the heart of every praise song is a deep and abiding prayer of adoration for the one who is always worthy of praise.
“Adoration is a form of prayer and Revelation abounds in adorations.”
Herbert Lockyer
Adoration of Jesus inspires a deep appreciation for His sacrifice. Make no mistake about it. It also opens the arms of believers to embrace a worldwide family of diverse languages and nations.
It remains a stain on the integrity and the authenticity of The Gospel when a church can meet and be made up of posers who claim to be “purchased for God”, but refuse to value those who do not share their language or their ethnicity. These prayerless churches need a blood transfusion only The Spirit of God can provide one heart at a time. Pray for it.
"It is appalling that the most segregated hour of Christian America is eleven o'clock on Sunday morning."
Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
This past Sunday, our pastor, Clayton Reed orchestrated a worship service that included a Spanish Church meeting in the facilities we share. It was an awkward and priceless experience. Learning how to communicate cross culturally is never easy. Expressing praise in words that are not our own is a learning curve that takes a lifetime of effort to achieve. We took baby steps, but we are no longer crawling. We are growing, and moving towards one another. Thanks, Pastor.
NOTE TO SELF: Prayers of praise to Jesus are essential first steps you need to take in building relationships with a worldwide family that may be closer than you think. Across the street or around the world, the mission is still the same. With His blood, Jesus purchased for God, “men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.” Prayers of praise give you a personal blood transfusion of God’s love, and strengthen The Body of Christ, one heart at a time. Adoring The Lamb of God softens your heart, and opens your arms to those who are not like you, but who are loved by Jesus. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!