We live in a world that teaches the value of hard work, which yields a reward. So you might be surprised to learn that that is not how grace works. What separates Christianity from all other religions is that we operate in God’s kingdom under His grace. It’s not about what we can do for God, but what He has already done for us.
Of course, if you’re to experience that grace, you’ll have to accept that grace. A gift unreceived is no gift at all. This course unpacks how to embrace the full grace of God, which not only provides security for your eternal destiny, but also enriches your life on earth.
Q: Learning to praise God in prayer is not just praying mechanical, formulaic pronouncements like “God is good all the time. All the time God is good.” It is learning to trust God in all circumstances and thank Him for all circumstances. One way this has historically been done is to go to the book of Psalms as a “school of prayer.” How can we learn to be better “prayers” and “praisers” by looking at the psalms, and how do the psalms teach us to pray?
A: The beautiful thing about the psalms is that they give you the panoramic view of prayer and praise. It covers everything! It covers when nothing is wrong. It covers when everything is wrong. It covers when you are struggling how to pray and how to praise. It covers when you are not struggling. It covers when you think you’re going to be struggling. It’s so broad, in all the subjects and areas of life that it covers. It covers you emotionally, physically, circumstantially, relationally, financially—it covers everything that you will possibly face. Therefore, work your way through the psalms. You can do it progressively and chronologically, or you can do it by subject matter, identifying the psalms to where you are now.
If you are losing hope right now, Psalm 42 is where you want to go. If you just want to pray, Psalm 100 is where you want to go. If you have to be reminded how God can meet your needs, Psalm 23 is where you want to go. I mean, there is a psalm for your circumstance. So, either work through one after another, or pick the subject, and deal with the psalms that address that, because the psalms will cover anything you need to pray and praise about.
Why We Do What We Do
"Dear Dr. Tony Evans,
I want to thank God for your heart and willingness to serve him. Today, I listened to your message, God Meets Your Emotional Needs, about being in the valley. Earlier in the morning, I prayed to have God speak to me through His Word, and when I heard your message today, it was exactly what I needed to hear. Sir, I look forward to hearing your message tomorrow."
—Richard
