Psalm 100:4, “Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise.”
When we come to God in prayer, it’s so natural to lead with our needs over thanksgiving. The burdens feel urgent in the moment. The situations feel heavy. But I’ve learned that one of the most powerful ways to begin is not with my request, but with praise and thankfulness. That initial praise shifts everything in my spirit.
Scripture tells us that God inhabits the praises of His people. When we praise Him, we’re not just saying kind words, we are inviting His presence into our situation. Then when His presence fills the space, our perspective changes. Our focus moves from ourselves and onto Him. Which is where it belongs.
To me, one of the most beautiful parts of summer is learning how to take in the scenery. During busy seasons, loud schedules and constant distractions, it can become difficult to recognize His gentle voice. But, God still speaks, and in the stillness of the summer season, I learn how to slow down enough to hear God clearer. Often it’s through quiet whispers in th early morning sipping coffee on the porch, or peaceful moments with my feet in the sand and the sea mist fogging my sunglasses.
Reading His Word, journaling my prayers, worship music loud in my ear, watching nature all around and the stillness of the calendar to allow me this precious time with Him. Let this summer become a season where you grow more sensitive to God’s leading, His peace and His whispers.
There’s this saying…
Don’t tell God how big your mountain is; tell your mountain how big your God is!
No situation, no diagnosis, no uncertainty is bigger than My God. Not one.
He is more than enough for every single need I carry.
One simple tool you could use in your prayer life is the “A to Z” praise list.
This is a list of attributes from A to Z.
“A” for Almighty
“B” for Bread of Life
“C” for Comforter
….. and over time your list will continue to grow and there will be multiple names listed under each letter.
I challenge you to start your own A to Z praise list.
When we remember who He is, we are strengthened to trust Him with whatever we are facing.
He’s not only been my Comforter, but He’s also Corrected and shown Compassion.
He’s not only been my Friend, but He’s always Faithful.
He’s not only Jealous, but He’s full of Joy.
He has been my great Physician, and His Power has Purpose.
He’s always given the Victory in Jesus over my life.
And always will I Exalt His Name!
It’s not that hard to think of the A to Z list attributes, I promise, when you are walking daily with Him.
If your heart is longing for deeper connection, deeper knowledge, true intimacy with Him — I would love for you to give this simple way a try.
Just like getting to know someone in real life goes beyond recognizing their face, it take time. It take time spent in conversation building a relationship over shared experiences, and building connection to truly understand a person’s character. That could take months.
Our relationship with God is no different.
If we want to trust God deeply, we must know who He is. His character is only revealed through Scripture and time spent with Him. When we understand His nature, the difficult seasons do not necessarily disappear, but they become easier to walk through because we know who is walking with us.
One of the clearest reminders of this is found in Joshua 1:9, where God says, “Do not be afraid, do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” God’s presence isn’t occasional. He’s not a weekend God that we only get to see on Sunday’s. He is constant, steady and deeply personal. As you grow in your understanding of Him, you see that
> God is Ever-present
> God is Compassionate
> God Carries us
> God is Just
> God is Forgiving
> God is our Protector
Told you the A to Z list isn’t really that hard.
I encourage you, as you read Scripture, mark and make note every time a verse reveals something about God’s attributes or His character. Over time, you will have built a personal record of who He is and that knowledge will anchor your trust in Him no mater what you face that day.