“One of the best ways to keep our sense of perspective is by prophesying our praise. It’s not just praising God for what He has already done, past tense. It’s praising God by faith for what He will do, future tense. Instead of focusing on your circumstances, it’s declaring the character of God, the promises of God.”- Mark Batterson
“For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.”- 2 Timothy 4:3 (NIV)
As Mark Batterson moves on in Chapter 6 of Double Blessing, he covers the second and third hard-earned lessons he’s learned along the way.
2. Keep a sense of perspective. Certainly, one way to do his involves counting our blessings. However, another way consists of reminding ourselves how things could be worse. Psychologists refer to this as a downward counterfactual.
Ultimately, it all boils down to two choices. Since prophecy declares what will happen in the future, you choose to:
- prophesy fear, doubt, and pain
- praise – recalibrate your spirit
Because, Mark observes, prophesying praise means “refusing to let what’s wrong with us keep us from worshipping what’s right with God.”
3. Say what needs to be said. People appreciate good old-fashioned authenticity, especially when it’s coupled with humility. So, God never uses blessing as a bluff to scratch itching ears that need a talking to. Rather, God fills His blessing with grace and truth. Thus, God loves us no matter what and relates honestly to us no matter what.
In conclusion, Pastor Batterson counsels:
“Don’t internalize; verbalize. But make sure you speak the truth in love! That means we don’t say thing to simply get them off our chests. Rather, we’re caring enough to confront.”
Today’s question: How do you keep your sense of perspective by prophesying your praise? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “Take offense – start playing defense”
