So my beautiful, wonderful, blessed in all ways (I know you’re going to read this) Squad Mom gave us a book to read. The Hallelujah Factor, which I affeectionately call The H Factor. Mostly because that’s much easier to say and in no ways is meant to eliminate the word Hallelujah.
Aside from Hallelujah being a bit of a mouthful, this book can be a bit hard to read and really get into. My job (TEAM READER!) Is to sink my teeth in, digest, and regurgitate something for the rest of the team.
Hopefully you’re still with me after THAT mouthful of a word because there really is some gold in this book. I like the concepts and while I don’t always agree with the author, he does make some good discussion points.
One of my favorite chapters (AKA the most useful and one I took so ething practical from) is 6; The Pathway To Praise. This should probably be an earlier chapter. While others give you perspective, previews, processes, (sensing a theme? Yep they all start with P.) Chapter 6 helps you to actually get into the mindset and helps youallpy prise daily.
So instead of reading about how right after Johna Praised God the whale spat him out, and learning blessings follow Praise (Preview or Praise chapter 2). And learning that Praise while just going throught the motions (most of us when singing worship music in church) is cheap and only praising with our body, not our heart (Piracy of Praise chapter 4). Chapter 6 talks about how to keep a prayerful mindset. How to realy add it into your everyday life. Something that can be very dificult to do. (Especialy with busy everchanging schedules).
So here are some tips I learned. Follow these 3 steps and you will enter into Praise. It’s not like flicking a switch but becomes part of your mindset. (So its harder than flicking a switch, but in the long run has a better result. Flicking switches implies you can turn off Praise like turning off the Christian mindset. Then you’re a Holiday Christian and…I’m very off topic).
The 3 things are:
1) Choose to be joyful!
Even when its hard. Even when you have to walk uphill to schol both ways in the snow, even when you get fired, even when people die. Joy, like all emotions, is a choice!
“You have turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth (clothes of mourning) and clothed me with joy” Ps 30:11
Joy isn’t just fulffy feelings. It’s a spiritual choice. Choosing joy, choosing to rejoyce the Lord no matter your situation is the only way the truly enter into genuine Praise.
2) Have a Prayerful Spirit
You can’t pray all the time. But spending time with him and developing a Godly perspective helps you to have a Prayerful Spirit. This in no way excludes you from praying frequently. In fact it’s the opposite. Communication with God requires prayer. It requires talking to him, asking questions, telling him you worries. Tell him WHY you are having a hard time rejoicing!
3) In Everything Give Thanks
Yes everything. He’s not saying Feel Grateful. He’s not talking about feelings at all. He is saying “Give Thanks.” Some days its easire than others, especialy when you aren’t feling particuraly joyful (or for that matter, greatful). But you can stil say “Thank you for this day, that I am still alive and the creator of all loves me. You can work with any situation, I can do nothing that you cannot use for your glory.
“And this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.” 2Corin 4:15
” And we know that in ALL THINGS God works for the good of those who love him.” Rom 8:28
I wanted to share this with you because they’ve really helped me. Even while walking up the mountains of Lesotho into the wind after moving rocks for hours I can be joyfulmay can choose to thank God for a body that can walk up hills and for lungs that still work fine. And in Thanking Him, I prayed all the way up the mountain.
