My Father's Day Message

Yesterday driving to work I prayed about my blog just posted, "Why Ask?". I thought about the prayers of some friends. They pray for revival. Like me, they pray for the awakening of the saints. They keep writing these prayers on Facebook. I like the prayers. I agree with them. But the frequency started to bother me. The lack of an answer bothered me. The focus on tears and brokenness bothered me. I wondered if all these prayers are really what God wants or have they become subtlely of the flesh. I pictured my friend and myself crying out all these years for these good things. Why God? Why so long? When will You arise? Are we asking amiss, that we may consume even good things like revival and an awakening upon our own lusts?

It is possible I suppose. We do grow weary of this world. We do want things set right. We do want Christians to act like Christians. But is that what God wants? Maybe. Maybe not.

So I asked God, "What do you want?" I was not prepared for His answer.

"I want all the glory, all the praise," He said.

That changed my prayer and my actions. But not instantly. God was after something deeper in my heart. I asked Him to search me and reveal this hidden thing. A day later I cannot recall the picture He used. But He was after my praise, something I have been begging Him to help me with.

There are certain things God will not help us with. He never says He will help us with the things that He plainly says are our responsibility. Praise is one of them. The only thing that comes right to mind that God will help us with is prayer. The disciples asked Jesus, "Teach us to pray." He did indeed.

Ten minutes later I was in the parking lot singing and shouting and crying and praising God. I am revived. I am awake. These are mere byproducts of glorifying God and praising Him.