Reveling in Prayer and Praise

I mentioned in my blog at the first of the year that our prayer list is long right now. We've got a niece to pray for, we've got other friends going through pregnancies (one with twins!), and we have little newborns that we love to keep in our prayers. We have multiple friends of the families battling cancer, and we are praying for miracles to be done in their bodies. We are praying for cancer cells to die. We have ailing grandparents that are constantly in our prayers. We have friends struggling with their faith and friends making amazing strides in their faith.. We're praying for both. I tease Duck Dude for having long prayers, but we have a lot to pray for.

In college, I truly learned what it meant to be a situational prayer. Someone who only comes to God when they "need" something. In college, I learned to have my own conversations with God. While I'm driving, while I'm watching a baseball game, while I'm in the shower, while I'm cooking, while I'm walking to athletics, anywhere. There's always time for a reminder to be in constant communication with God.

I mentioned in my "best of: Easter" post that music gets me. I love to worship through music and there are certain lyrics that I sing louder than the rest.

How Deep the Father's Love For Us The title of the song is obvious.. but it's the second verse that makes me choke up every time. "Ashamed I hear my mocking voice, call out among the scoffers. It was my sin that held him there, until it was accomplished." There's something about picturing my own voice calling out in the crowd, Crucify him!.... and yet this is a song about how much He loves me. Then there's the final verse: "Why should I gain from his reward? I cannot give an answer. But this I know with all my heart, His wounds have paid my ransom." Even though it's my own voice that put him where he was, he still died for me. 

You Know My Name A song I found from Pandora's station "Hymns 4 Worship." This just happened to be one of those songs that came on at the right time. The words were just what I needed to hear. It's the chorus of this song and so you hear it more or less 5 times during the song. "You know my name, you know my story, still you've taken on the world just for me." A simple reminder that God doesn't just know my story.. he is a part of my story. 

Oh, How He Loves Us This song has always been a favorite of mine. This one doesn't make me emotional as much as it makes me happy. But there is one lyric that I love to think about the perspective of. "If His grace is an ocean, we're all sinking." Have you ever flown over the ocean and all you can see is water? Have you ever been on a cruise and all you can see is water around you? Have you ever been on a sailing excursion and there's no one around you for miles? (ok, I've only seen that one in movies) But the ocean is vast. The ocean is deep. And if you truly think about little, old you in the middle of the ocean with God's grace surrounding you... it's pretty spectacular. 

Today, I am reveling in praise. I am thankful for a support system who prays for me, and I believe in a mighty God. And today, on this Monday.. I'm reminded of song we sang at church camp... And it was the best song ever because you got to yell the lyrics. But today, the lyrics are resounding in my soul.

I believe in the power of prayer, cause I've seen it first hand and I know it's there.  I believe in a God that cares and I know I believe in the power of prayer.  Amen, (amen) amen, (amen)  Go to the father again and again!  Amen, (amen) amen, (amen)  He's my God and he's my friend, Amen!!!!
Prayer is a powerful thing y'all. And I love to celebrate all the praises in my life!