Have you ever tried to praise God when you’re hunched over or miserable? Of all the types of prayer, praise is one of the most embodied. When we are filled with the Spirit of God, excited about what God is doing or has done in, through, or for us, we naturally straighten our spines, even extend our arms, open our hands. Our bodies participate with our minds and our spirits in the act of praise.
Praise is the first thing the crippled woman in our story did, as the effect of Jesus’ declaring healing on her took hold:
Immediately she stood up straight and began praising God.
Maybe she was exalting at being able to stand up straight for the first time in eighteen years; she was also participating in the prayer, inviting the Spirit to bless her into wholeness. Praise is one of the best conductors for healing power there is. When we’re praising God, it’s hard to focus on how sick, scared or miserable we are. Those things may still be there, but they’re not where we’re putting our energy.
Maybe praise releases endorphins – spiritual, if not chemical. Really exuberant praise, as at rock and roll shows or ball games, probably releases the chemical kind. When we release ourselves in praise, it also spreads good feelings to the people around us. There’s no downside to praising the One who made us, who heals us, who loves us.
Praise is a choice, an act of will. We choose to praise God for everything we know and believe about God, no matter what else is going on in our lives. It’s an act of will that opens us up to the power that makes us whole. Most of us need to practice praise; it doesn't come naturally. It can be hard to do with words, because we run out of them quickly. And it can feel funny to just repeat phrases like “God, I praise you. I honor you. I exalt you….” We don’t talk to people in our lives that way – we don’t have to be so stiff with God either. We can let our spirit take the lead.
Try praising God without words. Maybe sing a hymn or song you love, or bring up an image of beauty or love in your mind and thank God for that. And if something anxious or negative intrudes, gently say, “Not now. It’s praise time…”
We might invite our bodies to take the lead, opening ourselves into a posture of praise: sit or stand up straight; fill your lungs with deep, long, cleansing breaths; ask your arms how they would like to praise their maker. We might dance, or walk. If movement is difficult, we move what we can, and make that a prayer for restored mobility.
What if our posture was the first thing we address when we’re feeling stressed or sad or anxious? Remember that woman, bent over for so long, suddenly able to stand straight. She can be our model for the posture of praise.
Maybe she was exalting at being able to stand up straight for the first time in eighteen years; she was also participating in the prayer, inviting the Spirit to bless her into wholeness. Praise is one of the best conductors for healing power there is. When we’re praising God, it’s hard to focus on how sick, scared or miserable we are. Those things may still be there, but they’re not where we’re putting our energy.
Maybe praise releases endorphins – spiritual, if not chemical. Really exuberant praise, as at rock and roll shows or ball games, probably releases the chemical kind. When we release ourselves in praise, it also spreads good feelings to the people around us. There’s no downside to praising the One who made us, who heals us, who loves us.
Praise is a choice, an act of will. We choose to praise God for everything we know and believe about God, no matter what else is going on in our lives. It’s an act of will that opens us up to the power that makes us whole. Most of us need to practice praise; it doesn't come naturally. It can be hard to do with words, because we run out of them quickly. And it can feel funny to just repeat phrases like “God, I praise you. I honor you. I exalt you….” We don’t talk to people in our lives that way – we don’t have to be so stiff with God either. We can let our spirit take the lead.
Try praising God without words. Maybe sing a hymn or song you love, or bring up an image of beauty or love in your mind and thank God for that. And if something anxious or negative intrudes, gently say, “Not now. It’s praise time…”
We might invite our bodies to take the lead, opening ourselves into a posture of praise: sit or stand up straight; fill your lungs with deep, long, cleansing breaths; ask your arms how they would like to praise their maker. We might dance, or walk. If movement is difficult, we move what we can, and make that a prayer for restored mobility.
What if our posture was the first thing we address when we’re feeling stressed or sad or anxious? Remember that woman, bent over for so long, suddenly able to stand straight. She can be our model for the posture of praise.
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