It's Just Manners.....

Please and Thank you!

Psalm 100:4 "Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name." (NIV)

Manners seem today to be a lost art. But good manners are timeless. Not only do they allow us to succeed as a society, they are commands from the bible and help us to understand the difference between Praise and Worship. I often think we worship too much and praise not enough! Remember the proper form for a prayer? ACTS? Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving and Supplication? We should start out every day in prayer; and then maintain the connection throughout the day, closing it out as our last thought of the day as we lay our heads upon the pillow.

The great majority of Jewish prayers all start out the same way. "Blessed art thou oh Lord Our God, King of the Universe..." Before a Request, before giving Thanks, before a confession, give Praise. So we say Please! Acknowledge his omnipotence, for he IS truly worthy. As a child, if you wanted something from your mother, didn't you walk up to your mother and say "Gee Mom, you look pretty today"? And what was her response? "Thank you dear, now, what do you want?" God is omnipotent, but you need to gain his attention, not only so he hears you, but so that he knows you. So you start out "Lord of Lords, King of the Sabbath, who has numbered the hairs on my head" and immediately his head turns and he says "Thank you my child, now, what can I do for you today?"

Now talk to him as you would a close parent, for he IS the father. He listens, and he speaks and that is how a relationship is nourished. And when the conversation is over for the day, say Thank you! Say "Thank You Lord, for the blessings that you have bestowed upon me and my family. Thank you for listening to my prayers, for answering my prayers, Thank you Lord, for loving me so much that you sacrificed your only son for ME"!

References: Luke 12:7, Psalm 100:4, 2 Chronicles 5:13, Galatians 5:14