One of the frustrating parts of a world-wide ministry is having to accommodate for the time changes around the world. Our monthly virtual prayer meeting begins at 7:30 am for some, while it doesn’t begin until 10:00 at night for others! Needless to say, it makes impromptu video calls difficult. I often receive calls in the middle of the morning, when I’m in a meeting or otherwise can’t take the call, from people who are getting ready to go to bed. By the time I’m able to take the call, the ones trying to reach me have long been asleep! Meanwhile, when they wake up in their morning, I’m headed off to sleep!
As I was once again apologizing one Sunday morning for not being able to take someone’s call the previous day, something occurred to me. While I was getting ready for church, they were getting home from church. I would soon be singing praises to my God; meanwhile, they had just finished. And then my mind took this a step farther: Due to the time changes across the glove, there were always Christians somewhere in the world who were praising God! Every Sunday there is — continual praise!
The Bible talks about continual praise: “Everywhere—from east to west— praise the name of the LORD.” (Psalms 113:3 NLT); and “Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to his name.” (Hebrews 13:15 NLT)
Could it be that this is made this possible when the body of Christ sets out to praise the name of the Lord in our individual time zones? If Christians across the world all praise God in their morning, then quite literally, everywhere from the east to the west, God’s name is being continually praised!
What a beautiful picture this must be, what a beautiful song to God’s ears. It is like listening to a vast choir, and hearing the singers off to the far left begin to sing, and then the music swells as the singers across the choir all begin to join in their voices. Wow! Now that is a song to top the charts!!!
But before you begin to feel “let off the hook” so to speak because the continually praise isn’t your sole responsibility, we need to mention a few other Bible texts, verses that are a bit more specific about “who” is doing the praising… The theme is the same across these verse: Each one of us, individually, is being called to continually praise the Lord: “I will praise the LORD at all times. I will constantly speak his praises.” (Psalms 34:1 NLT)!
Okay, so suddenly my little image of using the time changes across the world to get the “continual” part of the praise to happen falls apart. This is very clear: It is each one of us who will praise the Lord at ALL times! I will CONSTANTLY speak His praises!
This doesn’t necessarily mean, however, that all God wants to be coming out of your mouth is, “Praise God”, over and over again until you are hoarse, your throat is tired, and you can’t even register anymore what you are saying. Rather, whenever we open our mouths to speak, we must do so in such a way that will bring honour to God.
Maybe we are speaking forth His encouragement to someone. Perhaps we are acknowledging God’s hand in the circumstances playing out around us. Perchance this doesn’t even require opening our mouths. It could look like you feeding the poor or helping your neighbour mow his lawn!
There is a reason, however, why God has specified two parts to this concept of “continual praise”. We’ve all heard a single bird sing out his praises in the early morning. It is a beautiful sound, but perhaps the people down the street can’t hear it because it is simply one voice. But when other birds join in, that song swells and becomes powerful and far reaching. However, this powerful song will never happen without the individual voices. God is calling us to continually praise Him in every action, every word, every intention; but He knows our human bodies need sleep. And during this time, there are others, in different time zones, who can pick up the continuous song through their words, actions and intentions, until that rich, full, beautiful chorus of praise can be heard continually across the world!
But it starts with you. Will you be the one voice today that continually praises God in your words, actions and intentions?
Oh, and to our American readership, Happy 4th of July! As you partake in the festivities of the day, remember to let your praises shine through as well!
In His love,
Lyn
Lynona Gordon Chaffart
Author, Moderator, Acting Director, Answers2Prayer Ministries
