“When you praise God for partial miracles, you are prophesying your praise! Gratitude is praising God after He does the miracle. Faith is praising God before He does. It’s like a downpayment on a miracle. Thank God before it happens, then see what happens! That thanks might just have a domino effect.”- Mark Batterson
“Let everything that has breath praise the LORD! Praise the LORD! – Psalm 150:6 (ESV)
In Chapter 11 (“Take a Breath”) of Please Sorry Thanks, Mark Batterson observes that few things are more mundane than breathing. Yet, few things are more miraculous. For example, the surface area of your lungs, including all the nooks and crannies. equates to the size of a tennis court.
Most significantly, Pastor Batterson reports, a deep breath calms your nerves and focuses your attention. Furthermore, a deep breath relieves stress, alleviates pain, resets your mental state, and recalibrates your emotional state. Thus, a deep breath signals the rest of your body that you are safe.
Therefore, the parasympathetic nervous system induces rest and relaxation. In addition, one finds most of the nerves wired to this system in the lower half of the lungs. Consequently, you must breathe deeply to activate rest and relaxation. Hence, Mark views Psalm 150:6 as encouragement that it’s never too late to fulfill your potential. He also sees this verse as an open-ended invitation to worship. Because you only need breath to praise God.
In conclusion, Pastor Batterson exhorts:
“Praise God for partial miracles. This is where many of us doubt God instead of praising Him for a partial miracle. This is where we often give up because we didn’t get the whole miracle. . . . Some miracles happen in stages. These are the moments when we need to double down with prayer and fasting. All too often we withhold our praise for partial miracles and then wonder why the whole miracle never happens. Why not praise God every step of the way, even if it’s two steps forward and one step back?”
Today’s question: What Bible verses help you praise God for partial miracles? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “The theology of thanks”
