Quick Praise (1 Sam. 2:1)

Then Hannah prayed and said, "My heart exults in the Lord; my horn is exalted in the Lord, my mouth speaks boldly against my enemies, because I rejoice in Thy salvation." (1 Samuel 2:1)(NASB)

Our enemies are no match for our God--the Lord of our salvation.

Quick Praise (Zeph. 2:11)

The LORD will be awesome to them, for He will reduce to nothing all the gods of the earth; People shall worship Him, each one from his place, indeed all the shores of the nations. (Zephaniah 2:11)(NKJV)

Our God is an AWESOME GOD!

Ask, Seek, Knock

"And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you" (Luke 11:9)(ASV)


We have a men's prayer group here at the Ridge which meets every Tuesday at 5:00 p.m. If you're a Christian guy, member of RABC or not, and you would like to come join us for this time of Bible reading and prayer, please come. We would love to have a few more men join with us! 


For some time now, the same four or five guys have been faithful to come and lift up the prayer needs and concerns for our church. And we've been praying for some things, and especially for some lost loved ones and friends for a long time now. But we keep on lifting them up in prayer because God has called us to be persistent. Sometimes He chooses to answer our prayers right away, but sometimes we have to wait. He has everything under control, but He wants us to continue in prayer until the time-frame lines up with His perfect timing.


The Lord calls us to ask, seek and knock, and sometimes that may mean to: ask and keep on asking, seek and keep on seeking, knock and keep on knocking. Take a look at this short devotional from Dr. J. Howard Goddard which touches on Luke 11:9 where Jesus tells his disciples: "So I say to you, keep asking and it will be given to you. Keep searching, and you will find. Keep knocking, and the door will be opened to you. (HCSB)


Ask, seek, knock today, tomorrow, every time you have need---you cannot come too often....The three imperatives are synonymous, yet the second seems to be more intense than the first, the third more intense than the other two, and the three together express the deepest and the most earnest desire in prayer.


Yet the idea can hardly be that, if we are not heard when we ask, we are then to seek, and if neither avails, we are then to knock....Our asking should at once be a seeking, and both at once a knocking and also the reverse: when you ask, seek; and when you seek,  go and knock...


Note that all three promises are categorical, without an "if" or a "but." God always hears believing prayer. Yet we must say that every true disciple prays for nothing that is contrary to his Father's will. The promises seem to be stated in reverse order: "shall be given" seems strongest, "shall find" less, and "shall be opened" still less. But the gift is made when we find, and we find what we need when the door is opened to us. When we enter we find, and the gift is ours. (Lenski)


Ask---He bids you simply ask Him,
Bring your burdens great and small:
Ask for grace and strength to bear them,
He will answer if you call.


Seek His face in early morning.
Seek Him at the close of day:
He will make you more than conqueror,
As you seek those gone astray.


Come believing to your Father,
Knock insistently and long:
He will hear---His ear's not heavy.
And your sigh will change to song.


Asking, seeking, knocking, finding,
What have I to fear?
He who bids me to His Presence,
Fills my heart with hope and cheer.
-------Author Unknown

Quick Praise (Ex. 15:11)

Who is like You, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like You, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders? (Exodus 15:11)(NKJV)


Glorious...Wonderful...Holy....There is no one like the Lord!

Friend of God

Every now and then at the Ridge we sing a praise song called "Friend of God", an energetic and worshipful song recorded by Phillips, Craig and Dean, among others. You'll probably recall some of the lyrics:

Who am I that You are mindful of me,

that You hear me when I call?

Is it true that You are thinking of me?

How You love me...it's amazing!

I am a friend of God,

I am a friend of God,

I am a friend of God, He calls me friend.

It's amazing to realize that we can be friends with the creator of the universe. Now, I know that the phrase "I am a friend of God" may sound a little presumptuous. You might even feel that it's irreverent. But it's not. Jesus himself said that we would be His friends if we kept His commandments. He, although He is our Savior, is the best friend we can ever hope to have.

I would like to share a devotional thought by Dr. J. Howard Goddard, that sheds some light on this idea of being a friend of God.

And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? (Luke 6:46)(ASV)

There was no question in Peter's mind regarding the source of the revelation he received on the roof of Simon the tanner's house in Joppa. Nor was there a question concerning whose voice it was which gave him the clear, easy-to-understand command, "Rise, Peter; kill and eat" (Acts 10:9-13). He knew it was the Lord who was speaking to him and he knew precisely what the Lord was telling him to do. His reply was, "Not so, Lord" (v.14). The fact that he offered an explanation for his dissent does not alter the fact that he was doing exactly what Christ decried in our verse for today (Lk. 6:46). He was calling Christ Lord but refusing to do what He said.

In glad contrast, "Abraham, when he was called...obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went" (Heb. 11:8). "Get thee out." Out of Ur. That much was clear. But where to? Abraham didn't know because the Lord simply hadn't said, and Abraham didn't think it important enough to ask Him about it since his not knowing all of the details wouldn't keep him from putting into effect what he did know. So, "he went out, not knowing whither he went" in the confidence that God would surely show him which direction to travel and where ultimately to stop.

No wonder Abraham has a nick-name all his own! Three times he is called the friend of God (2 Chron. 20:7, Isa. 41:8, James 2:23).

But while Abraham is the only one who actually is called God's friend in the Scriptures, it does not follow that he has a monopoly on this title. What our Lord said to his disciples in the upper room is as relevant to us today as it was to those eleven men the night before the morning of His crucifixion. "Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you" (Jn. 15:14).

Singing His Praises,
Joey Culpepper

Quick Praise (Ps. 69:30)

I will praise God's name with song and exalt Him with thanksgiving. (Psalm 69:30)(HCSB)

Thankful hearts lift up the Lord.

Quick Praise (Job 1:21)

And he (Job) said, "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord." (Job 1:21)(ESV)

God is worthy of our worship regardless of how much money we have in the bank or the circumstances we find ourselves in today. He's worthy simply for Who He is.

Hannah

My heart rejoices in the Lord! Oh, how the Lord has blessed me! Now I have an answer for my enemies, as I delight in your deliverance. (1 Samuel 2:1)(NLT)


The following worship profile is from the Praise and Worship Study Bible published by Tyndale House Publishers. It is a great study Bible, and I would highly recommend it to anyone who wants to learn more about praise and worship.


Hannah


Hannah was a childless woman in a culture that valued child-bearing above all other womanly roles. Her shame and frustration were further compounded by the taunting of Peninah, the other wife of her husband, Elkanah (1 Sam. 1:6). Hannah could have become bitter over her failure to bear a son for her husband. Instead, she looked to God, earnestly petitioning Him to help her in her misery and give her a son (1 Sam. 1:10-11).


Hannah the Worshiper


Hannah was passionate in prayer and sincere in worship, binding herself with a vow before God (1 Sam. 1:10-11).


Hannah's spirit was lifted by Eli's blessing (1 Sam. 1:17-18). She believed that God had heard her prayer and would grant her request.


Learning from Hannah


Hannah poured out her heart before God in prayer, asking Him for a son. Like Hannah, we can be honest before God in prayer and trust Him to meet our needs (see Ps. 37:5-6).


God often speaks to us through other believers. Eli the priest assured Hannah that God had heard her prayer, and Hannah was encouraged (1 Sam. 1:17).


Hannah demonstrated faithfulness in worship by attending the pilgrimage festival annually and by following through on her vow. In her worship Hannah also exhibited great humility, the proper attitude for entering God's presence (1 Sam. 1:11; 2:7-8; see also Ps. 51:17).


Following the Example


In the New Testament, Jesus encouraged his disciples not to worry. Instead, he wanted them to take all their concerns to the Father in prayer (Matt. 6:25-34). Hannah chose to do this as well, releasing her concerns before God in prayer. Today we, too, should leave our problems with God and experience joy as Hannah did. We can learn to do this by remembering how God has worked in our life in the past. This will give us confidence in God's willingness to help us now. Make a list of your prayer requests, and then be sure to record when and how they were answered. When you become discouraged or worried, read over your list and thank God for his faithfulness in the past.


Singing His Praises,
Joey Culpepper