Push in Prayer and Praise (Part 2)

My second newborn.

P.U.S.H

 King David is well known as a ‘model’ worshipper in the Bible. In Psalms 42, David poured out his broken heart before God. His tears had been his food day and night, yet he still encouraged himself in verse 5, 11 and 43:5 (NIV) saying, ‘Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Saviour and my God’. David understood that in his trying times he needed to push in praise.

An acronym that has become widely familiar in Christian churches is P.U.S.H – Pray Until Something Happens. That has value, but there is also the P.U.S.H #2! Which is Praise Until Something Happens. As children of God you need to PUSH, PUSH, ouch! PUSH!

Door opening praise

Prayer and praise combined are one of the most powerful and effective tools that we have in our Christian walk. It can literally open prison doors! We read in Acts 16:25-26 how Paul and Silas pushed in prayer and praise to tear open their prison doors. Verse 25 mentions the other prisoners listening in. I can imagine the perplexed faces, the ‘shut ups!’ the smiles.

Sometimes people don’t understand your praise, ‘why is he/she carrying on like that? So extra…’

At times, others admire your praise and empathise in your public, yet intimate encounters with God.

Whatever the reception, PRAISE GOD!

Paul and Silas were powerful ambassadors for God, but I can probably deduce that they may have not known that something that miraculous was about to take place.

What surprises are in store for you in your push?

PUSH in faith

Pushing hurts, pushing is a struggle. But without the pushing comes no baby. Jesus gave us a clue to getting our father’s attention in the parable of the persistent widow in Luke 18:1-8(NIV). In verse 7-8 it states ‘and will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8 I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?’

Pushing takes faith. In verse 8 we see Jesus ask the question will the Son of Man find faith on earth? Additionally, Hebrews 11:6 states that without faith it is impossible to please God. So impress and please God with your faith! As you pray in faith and as you praise in faith, your kingdom sounds will reach up to heaven and ‘knock!’ on heaven’s door. As the door is opened through the intercession of Jesus, your prayers and praise will be brought before God alongside heavenly incense (Rev 8:4 NIV). How many times do you want your voice to be heard in heaven? How many times do you want it to be your ‘knock’ at heaven’s door? Remember God will bring justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night!

The final PUSH

Remember there is a final push that will bring the cry of your ‘kingdom’ baby. Your breakthrough will come, your healing will come, your special anointing will come, a new ministerial direction will come and your deliverance will come. Then, in due course you will become pregnant again…

Push in Prayer and Praise. (Part 1)

Introduction: 

During times of trials and tests, heaven can seem silent. In these moments of ‘silence’ God has given us a key to open heaven’s door. He wants us to push in prayer and praise.

Pain with a Purpose:

Those of us who have been blessed with the privilege of having children can relate to the experience of either experiencing or supporting a spouse during the birthing experience.

Labour starts off with a twinge, tingle, show, water breaking or a dull ache, then progresses to an intense build-up and tailing off of pain called contractions that lasts between 10-40 seconds. During that labouring process there are times when a woman may feel like she wants to give up! I remember when I was labouring with Isaac my second son, at one point I strongly considered jumping out of the window of my labour room! However, although I would have been removed from the ‘labour room’ it wouldn’t have removed me from the labour pain.

Have you ever encountered brothers and sisters in Christ who thought that if they only had another friend, husband, job, church or different circumstances life would be a bed of roses? Are you such a person?  It’s important to know that the birth pains are within us and are not wholly based on external factors (although they can sometimes soften or magnify the pain experienced by the individual). The pain of childbirth is a productive pain, and in our Christian walk each pain that we experience holds a distinct and unique purpose. God hand picks your pain to mold and shape you in the way that seems best to Him (Jeremiah 18: 3-4 (NIV).  

How much longer?

All labours are different, some women labour for days, some for hours, some for minutes! With each labour comes a different experience and a different special and unique baby.

Likewise our trials are unique in length, intensity and purpose of molding us. Sometimes, God is smoothing over our cracks and creases and at other times he is giving us a totally new shape. Our Heavenly Father knows us better than we know ourselves, we are not even aware of how many hairs are on our head, but our Heavenly Father is! (Luke 12:7a NIV).

Therefore, we can rest assured in the fact that each trial experienced in our Christian walk is of no coincidence. It was ordained by God to mould you. Our pain is not only personalised for us, but God promises to be the perfect birthing partner whilst we endure our pain. Isaiah 43: 2 (NIV) states that ‘When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.’

God wants us to endure through our labour. We must persevere even when things get tough and focus on the end goal in sight. Hebrews 12:1b (NIV) reminds us to

‘run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Furthermore, James 1:2 reminds us to consider it joy when we go through trials!

A necessary pain

When the first signs of labour appeared for my second son Isaac, I remember first telling my husband and the excitement he felt, I remember him dropping the car keys when we walked out of the house, because he felt so excited and happy.  Little did he know the pain he was about to see his wife experience! It was a shock to his system when he saw the agony that I was going through. But the necessary birth pains that produce a baby, or in spiritual terms a ‘kingdom baby’ are inevitable as a child of God, Just look at the cross of Calvary if you need a reminder, as Christians, persecution and trials is an inevitable part of our journey!

So then, our first reaction to trials should be joy! Joy in the expectancy in the hope of meeting our ‘kingdom babies’.  Babies, of strength in the Lord, maximised faith, a new figure and shape in the Lord, supernatural increases and blessings as well as life changing testimonies that impact the lives of others!

Blessings,

Maz x