Celebrate!

Encouraging prayer, God offers open imitation for his people to talk with him anytime about anything encouraging prayer Dr. James Banks, author of the best-selling and many other books on prayer provides weekly biblical insight help you learn to love and now we are now in our well James, this is unbelievable is gone by so quick.

I know grade of five years or something to celebrate and actually celebration that regulate your topic today I they were to talk about celebrating but not this broadcast but someone change to our listeners more encouraging prayer is about celebrating our Savior and and here's the think this is something we can do every day as we go through life he wants us to grow closer to him to grow in love with you more and more, and he will help us do that is as we look to him so think of all that we have because of Jesus.

All we have to be thankful for sins forgiven a relationship with our heavenly father is present promised to us in everyday life is Spirit dwelling within a new identity with, new beginning every day. We really can't wait to go on and we need to do this I mean I think about the early church. Now God use them to change the world and one of the things it's clear that they were so focused on him and that's right where God wants us to live. You know that that's where this whole concept celebration comes in Proverbs 1515 tells us that the cheerful heart has a continual feast and celebrating God goes there. If you will. And when we start dwelling on how much we have to be thankful for because of him. It's great. It pushes out anger and complaining work where you know the feeling that were somehow victims of a lot of that going around and it replaces it not not only with an understanding of all that we have to be thankful for, but also this this growing closeness and friendship with God's word tells us draw near to him and and he will draw near to you. I think about celebrating God.

The first thing that comes to mind is praise yet we tend to think of praise as as a verbal thing a lot of verses come to mind that especially from the Psalms, but Psalm 103 begins. Bless the Lord, O my soul and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Notice that all that is within me and you and I were just talking before the broadcast that word blesses is broader than just praise alone… Talking about more than just words. Think of David dancing for the Lord or Samuel setting up a monument as a marker or different days, God set apart for his people to celebrate him and thinks he done work or serving someone knowing that what were really doing is for him so much broader when you think about his heart as he watches our lives exactly as humanly speaking, the Super Bowl's coming up and just think about all the crazy things people do to celebrate it, you know. And if we can do that over a football game. So here's the cool thing celebration. I mean you can be any number of things you can be a social thing which is great but it can also be in. This is what I thought about today really this personal thing between you and God.

So ask him to help you do that you know and feel free just get creative with it. You know like today I'm celebrating the fact that one day every trouble I face is going to be behind me make a heaven dated celebrate that you know or or just pick something like eating your lunch. For example, and while you're taking a bite. Praise God for it for flavors and colors and textures and being so good they make something so vital to the preservation of life so pleasurable.

You know, or to just do little things for him, celebrating him in the moment what you do them no matter what you doing I like this reminds me that verse. It says in everything give thanks, for this is God's will for you right right God's will for us in Christ Jesus you know so so go ahead and pick something, anything you might do to celebrate him and and again, feel free to make it something simple, something childlike, something silly, you know what ever it might be just for him.

How about you what what something that you do, recently I been taking communion every morning is just part of the way that I've been celebrating Jesus for a while but recently had the idea that since you know at the Last Supper, Jesus didn't hand just a little bit a piece of bread and a little bit of of grape juice you know that so I went with bigger portions and and and as interesting as you are saying that earlier that you know how this taste so good. And this is such life-giving and like you are the bread of life in a new really really eating this bread and thinking you know, because it's more of an experience and the same thing as your drinking the juice that like all my goodness this is what is protecting me from the demons and those kind of things that I write some more of you involved in that.

You're like you're all in right exactly. I call it communion. Jesus died very cool were talking about live if you think about it you know that we could do any number of things throughout the day and when. What matters is it were simply celebrating our Savior, father, son, Holy Spirit who God is what he's done for us. You know James what this comes down to is just simple worship from the heart.

And you're right. I mean, when we do this it helps us turn from self focus and makes us want to please him more so we can live closer to it will really feel because sin and darkness can't stay in the heart is filled with his love and truth and light, and we ask him to help us do this.

He really will such a wrap things up with a prayer that will be able to do something special today just to celebrate him more often. Let's do it all the father we praise you Lord. We love you. We want to bless you today. Help us to just do something for you to celebrate you, oh Lord, we celebrate you right now you are amazing God, there is none like you are Savior, our strength, fill us with your spirit.

Help us, help us to live in love for you to share with others. In Jesus, hear more from Pastor James by visiting the website James Banks.org or by visiting these church in Durham, North Carolina. May God bless you and encourage you as you pray