The Ultimate Combo

The Ultimate Combo?

You’ve heard of peaches and cream, Lucy and Ricky, Martin and Lewis, Peanut Butter and Jelly and those were and are some pretty great combinations.

How about some of these classics, the Baconator, the Ruben, the Big Mac, oh and we cant forget this one, the western whopper,

Yes indeed, those were some very successful sandwich combinations, and ad campaigns.

One of my most favorite parts of performing the wedding ceremony is the ending, when I say…

What God hath joined together let not man put asunder and who could or would want to argue with that.

Because if God is involved, there’s no telling what two, united individuals will be able to accomplish in their lifetimes.

Amen?

Faith and patience both require effort, but neither are burdensome when you cast your cares and leave them at the feet of Jesus.

Hope and Love are married at the hip and

Goodness and mercy, I think it would be safe to say, you cant enjoy one without the other, their inseparable.

But this morning, I want to talk to you about the ultimate combo, the mountain moving, earth shaking, tag team of Prayer and Praise.

1Thes. 5:16-18 Msg.

16-18. Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live.

Be happy, pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens, that’s Gods idea of living,

But what about, stop... But they, stop and realize, that those are no matter what moments!

The accuser will try to throw a lot of, no matter what moments at you, if you let him.

Phil 4:6-9 Msg.

6-7. Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.

8-9. Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.

Put your hands up, this is a stickup

While no one would ever want to be caught in that scenario, the put your hands up part, is actually some good advice,

Its what you should do, when your praising God, singing or otherwise.

You’ve heard of the saying, “reach out and touch someone” if ever there was a time you wanted to do that, that would be the appropriate time! Amen?

Ex. 17:11-13

10. So Joshua did as Moses said to him, and fought with Amalek. And Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill.

11. And so it was, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed.

12. But Moses’ hands became heavy; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.

13. So Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.

Moses told Joshua to pick some men, to fight the battle in the natural.

Joshua fought the battle on a natural plain, but the victory was won through the supernatural power of prayer and praise.

Moses arms got tired, sometimes the praising part is hard to do.

Lord Help us keep our hands lifted high, when doubt and unbelief want to rear their ugly head in our situation!

Help us also to hold up the hands of our brothers and sisters, as they are going through their situations!

For that’s when the battle will be won, when the prayer and the praise doesn’t stop!

Real prayer and real praise, is real work and takes commitment, it is not for the faint hearted.

That's why everybody always wants a true prayer warrior praying for them

because they know that they will pray and touch the throne room of God and they won't stop until victory is won

Will you always feel like praising? No,

Its in those moments, when you don’t feel like praising, its called a sacrifice of praise.

Its when you praise Him anyway, not for what you can feel or see, but for what you know and believe!