Yesterday at church, our pastor said- want to be filled with the Holy Spirit? Learn to praise the Lord.

This is something I have to admit I have grown lazy in over the last few years. I used to spend a lot more time in prayer. It was something I felt called to.  

I grew up in a baptist denomination that didn’t believe in the gifts of the Spirit. We were taught that those that did were at best deluded, and possibly demonic. So when I came to Calvary Chapel, I had heard they believed in the gifts of the Spirit, but it wasn’t something I ever saw directly in the services. At least I couldn’t identify them as such. I had also gone to work with a guy who was Pentecostal, so I had begun to accept that there were people I could respect who held these beliefs.  

When our pastor taught on the gifts of the Spirit back in the summer of ‘98, I was ready. When he asked who wanted to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit, I sprinted out of my seat to be the first in line. The pastors laid hands on me and….. I didn’t feel anything.

But about two weeks later, I was praying and I clearly felt the Lord telling me to pray. Not just pray like everyone else does, everyone has that calling…. but my calling was prayer.

So I read books on prayer, I studied prayer, I practiced prayer. I was working freelance at the time so I had the ability to restructure my day as needed. I began to spend 30 minutes of just thanking the Lord and praising Him for my whatever I could think of. I would pace back and forth in my space, and pray out loud. Everything around me became a source of praise- pictures on the wall reminded me of the blessings I had been given. The roof over my head, the running hot and cold water in the kitchen, abundant food in the fridge…. my work… all these things became opportunities for me to be thankful.

After I had spent 30 minutes in praise and thanksgiving, then I’d begin to petition.  

That had waned over the years, but especially over the last few years, I have been much more petition oriented. A new job and not enough time in the morning also meant I wasn’t spending much time at all. Maybe 15 minutes after reading, maybe only a few.  

I have always found the Lord faithful to speak to me, IF I put in the time with him. If I really let the Word sink in, and ruminate over it, the Lord will reveal things to me. If I don’t, He doesn’t.

I was convicted yesterday to try and spend more time in praise.

Last night I went to the prayer and worship night and made a concentrated effort to focus on worship time. Not just sing the songs, but to really let that time be about singing them to Him. I can’t say that I had any particular breakthrough, but I did have some opportunities to pray with different people.  

So I’m trying to respond to the message and let the Lord have more of my time. I’ve failed him too many times to make promises, so I’ll just say it’s something I’m hoping to accomplish.

But the Lord is faithful- of this I’m absolutely sure.