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PraisePrayer

What Stirs up the Spirit of God? Part 2

By July 21, 2022No Comments

Praise Stirs up the Spirit of God

Last week I wrote on the power of praise to stir up the Spirit of God. In Isaiah 42:10-13, the prophet writes of one of the things that arouses God’s Spirit. Isaiah writes, “Sing to the Lord a new song, and His praise from the ends of the earth” (verse 10). He continues this theme, “Let the wilderness and its cities lift up their voices…Let them shout from the top of the mountains. Let them give glory to the Lord, and declare His praise in the coastlands” (verses 11~12).

In verses 10-12, Isaiah moves into the result of our praise. “The Lord shall go forth like a mighty man; He shall stir up His zeal like a man of war, He shall cry out, yes, shout aloud; He shall prevail against His enemies” (verse 13). Praise stirs up God’s Spirit!

What else stirs God’s Spirit into zealous action?

Crying out to God in Prayer

Jeremiah wrote what God said to him, “Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know” (Jeremiah 33:3). When we pray to God, God’s Spirit is stirred up to show us great and mighty things that we could never naturally comprehend! Prayer moves God’s Spirit to action.

Prayer is about asking and receiving from God. God hears our cries and longs to answer our prayers (Psalm 61:1-2). Jesus said it this way, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened” (Matthew 7:7-8). In other words, when we ask, God is stirred to answer; when we seek, God is stirred to reveal; and when we knock, God is stirred to open the closed door.

Isn’t that one of the most exciting aspects of the Christian life? We have access to the throne room of God through our prayers. In Revelation 5:8, John says that in heaven, there are “golden bowls of full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.” This means that our prayers are like incense to God, a sweet aroma to His nostrils. Prayer is the soothing aroma of incense to God. No wonder He is moved to act when we pray.

God is stirred up by your praise. Today, praise Him, thank Him, and bless Him through your praise. God is also stirred up by your prayers. Today, take all your burdens to Him in prayer. Cry out for what you need. God will be stirred up. The Spirit of God will arise.

Stirring up God’s heart in prayer,

Pastor Steve