Do you long for a more intimate connection with God? Do you feel like God is just a distant invisible figure and when you pray it’s like you’re leaving a voicemail? If that’s the case, then he may need an injection of pure, unadulterated praise into his prayer life. I used to think I was praising God in my prayer life until one day I was reading the Psalms and noticed a different prayer pattern that David was using. Using this pattern I discovered an intimacy with God that I had not known before. I realized that thanks and praise are not necessarily the same thing and that I need regular discipline to worship God. So are you ready to learn the pattern?
Begin with “I love you, oh Lord, my strength.” Stop and think about it. When was the last time you said the words “I love you” to God? How often do you say that to God? There really is no substitute for these words. When you say “I love you” to someone, something changes in the relationship. Specifically, it marks and increases intimacy in a relationship. You don’t say I love you to people casually. You can say the words “thank you” to a total stranger, but you would never tell them that you love them. That made me realize that I was slowing down and reflecting on the fact that while all my gratitude to God is a good thing, it is not necessarily an expression of my love for God. The moment this all broke for me was when I was reading Psalm 18 one day. David opens the Psalm simply with the words, “I love you Lord.” He tried to follow his lead by beginning his sentences with “I love you.”
Then, acknowledge God for who God is. I realized that David was very good at exalting the virtues of God. Essentially, it is as if David is complementing God for who God is. David did this by describing God as his rock, his refuge, his shield, and the horn of his salvation in Psalm 18. In Psalm 145, David uses phrases like: “Great is the Lord, and highly praiseworthy, and his greatness is inscrutable” and “The Lord is gracious and merciful; slow to anger and great in mercy.”
Stop and consider how you feel and how your relationship with someone changes when they praise you for your character. For example, how do you feel and what does it do to your relationship when someone says things like, “You’re kind. You’re amazing. You’re so creative. You’re the most loving person I know.” Now translate that to God. Imagine what it would do to your relationship if you infused your prayers with words that honor the character and nature of God, like, “You are amazing, powerful, and faithful. You are a love beyond my wildest imagination. You are powerful.” . you are eternal You are elegant. You are great.” Take a moment now or when you are done with this article and list the attributes that make God uniquely God. Use those words in your prayers regularly.
Finally, praise God for what God has done. David does this in Psalm 18 when he repeatedly expresses how God heard his cries and delivered him from the dangers that surrounded him. What have you seen God do? Honor the mighty works of God in your prayer life. Make a list of things you have noticed God doing lately.
That is all. I know it sounds deceptively simplistic, but it’s not. Get started right now and take 5 minutes to do nothing but praise God. It starts with I love you. Then move on to expressing God’s character of justice, goodness, and holiness. Then acknowledge the things you have seen or know God does. This simple threefold prayer process is an incredibly powerful prayer tool. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. These 3 prayer pieces appear regularly in David’s Psalms and God called David, “A man after my own heart.” Wouldn’t it be great if God saw you as a person who seeks his heart too?