“After you pray through, you need to praise through.”- Mark Batterson
Mark Batterson concludes Chapter 14 of The Circle Maker with the bold statement that we should praise God for disappointment because it drives us to our knees in prayer. Responding to disappointment in a God-pleasing way can restore our prayer rhythm and resurrect our desires.
Such faith can seem like a denial or reality. Pastor Batterson states the reason is the reality we are holding onto by praying through is more real than the reality we perceive with our senses. However, Mark writes, when you have prayed through the next step is to praise through:
“True faith doesn’t just celebrate ex post facto, after the miracle has already happened; true faith celebrates before the miracle happens, as if the miracle has already happened, because you know that God is going to deliver on His promise.”
Mark explains that prayer is asking God to do something, future tense, while praise is believing God already has performed the miracle, past tense. It is important to emphasize that this isn’t a “name it, claim it” scheme. The sole purpose God does miracles is to spell His glory.
Although it is most difficult to praise God when He doesn’t answer the way we want, that’s when our praise is most pure and pleasing to God.
Today’s question: Describe a time when you made a deliberate choice to praise through a situation. Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “Dream big”
