Can praise change Gods mind?

I heard this statement while watching a Texas sized pastor with a Texas sized congregation. I thought I miss-heard the comment then he repeated it again citing an O.T. text (BTW-ANYTHING can be proven with an O.T. text). He then followed up with our lives missing the blessing and prosperity of God.
"Praise can change God's mind, it gets His attention. When we start praising God...He starts blessing."

Now...as a minister, I can honestly say that God has blessed many of my messages and sermons even when my theology was weak and out of context. I appreciate the ministry of Lakewood and know they love Jesus so why did this statement bother me so much?

All night I began to search out the etiology of why this statement is so disturbing. After all, what ever gets people into the position of praise and worship of our heavenly father is a good thing... Right?  Well...not entirely. That's true about salvation. God may use a variety of strange things to bring the unsaved to knowledge of their sin and lostness. But growing and maturity in Christ is about truth.


Praise doesn't change God...it changes you.  God is blessing you! An attitude of praise and thanksgiving opens your eyes to see what He's up too.  The more we praise and thank Him...the more of Him we see...and the more we pursue.

God the Father inhabits praise (Ps.22), that is, He dwells in it. Meaning simply...what father doesn't appreciate when his children show gratitude for all he is and has done. When my children show deep respect for me and when they notice my watch care over them, it doesn't lead me do more for them. It makes me pleased for their growth but I actually do more for the ignorant one. Caring for them, guiding them, until they see my goodness...and mature. It's the ninety-and-nine principle.

My concern is that for every christian that believes praise changes Gods mind...opening up God blessings...there are a half dozen other Christians who eventually will conclude that their troubles are the result of them not doing something. It actually promotes a failure mentality.  It becomes a works theology that undermines the goodness and GRACE of God.

The fact is...Praise changes you. Its a deeper level of maturity for the Christian.
The praising and thankful believer has finally seen and learned that in life we are MORE than conquerors through Him.

Praise & Thanksgiving is an act of faith toward the goodness of God that you know has always been there for you. ALWAYS.  Even when you were too blind, too burdened, or too defeated, to see.

God loves you and he doesn't play games with you. He is blessing you...! Praise Him today...! Thank Him now...! Look at how He has been your strength and comfort.
Ephesians 1:18  MSG   I ask—ask the God of our Master, Jesus Christ, the God of glory—to make you intelligent and discerning in knowing him personally, your eyes focused and clear, so that you can see exactly what it is he is calling you to do, grasp the immensity of this glorious way of life he has for his followers, oh, the utter extravagance of his work in us who trust him—endless energy, boundless strength!

Colossians 1:9b-10 ...We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, 10 so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God...

Comments

  1. AnonymousDecember 7, 2011 at 1:23 AM

    Hi John & Angelia,
    I saw that same episode and I (in faith) believe that the message of that day was spoken directly for me. Even just finding this blog about that particular sermon amongst the 1000's of Google blogs on a night I'm researching this exact topic I do NOT believe an accident. Ours is not a God of coincidence. Since Joels sermon I praise and thank my Father and the son near continuously. More since that sermon (<3 wks!) than the other 41 yrs of my life combined! And I am changing. And getting stronger in my love and faith in God. What I took from that sermon was this: That God hears the prayers and praise of his children. And that his 'mind' and plans can be altered by them.
    Why do I say that? Because I'm the single man that Joel cited as looking for his someone 'special' in that sermon. I am absolutely that one person. Daily I ask my Father to send me my bride. Further, I know and absolutely love a very special woman. But she doesn't feel that way about me. And worse, prior to that sermon, I was praying to my Father about her. He responded to me with actual words in my head. He said "SHE IS FOR ANOTHER". Gods voice isn't loud at all. A whisper really. But there is perfect clarity of thought. No ambiguity as to message intent at all. I was crushed, angry, hurt, despairing, yet fully aware of the honor I'd recieved that the LORD of creation actually spoke to me. For months I was trying to accept his (seeming) very final and not what i wanted to hear AT ALL words. Until that sermon. For me it changed everything. Hope reborn. I took two things from it that I'd like your opinion on.
    A) Joel gives the example of the priest dude who is told by God he's going to die that day. But because of praise the Lord instead (rewards/relents/blesses ???) gives him 15 years more life. Based on the fact that God specifically wanted me to see and hear that message am I wrong to conclude that my Father may in fact 'alter/change' his decree of "SHE IS FOR ANOTHER" through and because of praise?
    B) Can not faith, prayer, and praise 'change' me enough so that in effect the 'another' God spoke of is actually me before I did these things? I'm only an infant Christian at best but already so vastly diffrent from the person I was. I especially like the elegance of B. From my human perspective God's pronouncement was FINAL. God does not lie, ever. Yet if through him I, in esscence, become another person then his words are still true and I can still attain my hearts desire. Demonstrating how an impossible situation to a human is very possible to Him seems very much Gods 'style' to me....
    I'm fully convinced I'm the reason God placed it on you and your wife to write this blog so please respond with care and consideration (and anyone else). Also, any prayers you can spare are truly appreciated. God Bless, Tom.

    ReplyDelete
  2. John M. ThomasDecember 7, 2011 at 8:44 PM

    Dear Tom,
    Thank you for your comment. I am thrilled about your new life in the Lord Jesus. Continue in your growth and knowledge of Him. Please email me your email address for us to corespond.
    Sincerely,
    Bro. John

    ReplyDelete
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