Paul will stand unchallenged as the new testament David. David wrote the book of Psalms, a book whose major content is that of prayer and praise! And the composition of this book is a clear reflection of the writer's life. In Psalm 119:164 the Psalmist said, "Seven times a day do I praise thee because of thy righteous judgments". And then in Psalm 55:16 he said, "Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice". From here we see the 7:3 spiritual ratio of praise to prayer! David was both a man of prayer and praise, he lived it and then penned it for us to emulate.
Today, people talk about the spirit of David as the spirit of praise, no! it was much more than that: it was the spirit of praise and prayer! Truth is while growing up my mother whose to read some 'dangerous prayers' from the book of Psalms. Psalms like Psalm 35, I hope you understand what I am saying in this respect? David's fervency in prayer was doubly matched by his fervency in praise! But first, he had a prayer life!
Today's modern believers only want to praise like David but do not want to pray like David! But you can't praise like David if you can't pray like David because the praise report of David was produced by the prayer life of David! Each time he prays and there is a result he comes back to give God praise two times over! That was David for you, a man of passionate prayer and praise! Read the Psalms again you are going to see as many prayers as you see praise!
And that was what I saw in the Epistles of Paul too. All the prayers of Paul carry the spirit of David in prayer and in praise. Paul must have eaten the Psalms for if you read his epistles he quoted more extensively from the book of Psalms and the book of Isaiah more than from any other books of the bible. Let's not go into details of that now, but when you read the prayers of Paul you see a man who has at the back of his mind Davids admonition that says, "It is a good thing to give thanks to the Lord'. Paul did give thanks
Now look at the Pauline prayers outlined below and see the common thread of thanksgiving.
Ephesians 1:15-16 "Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, *Cease not to give thanks* for you making mention of you in my prayers"
Colossians 1:3, "We *give thanks* to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you"
1 Thessalonians 1:2, "We *give thanks* to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers"
Other scriptures (Philippians 1:3-4, 1 Corinthians 1:4-9)
Paul was a genuine ‘thanksgiver’, an addicted ‘thanksgiver’ and a ceaseless ‘thanksgiver’, we see all of these in the scriptures above. And the reason why this is important for Paul, for you and me is that without gratitude we have no audience with the father! Only through the spiritual password, thanksgiving, do we gain access to God's presence!
Read full article here for full insights and illumination PAUL: THE ADDICTED THANKS GIVER
Today, people talk about the spirit of David as the spirit of praise, no! it was much more than that: it was the spirit of praise and prayer! Truth is while growing up my mother whose to read some 'dangerous prayers' from the book of Psalms. Psalms like Psalm 35, I hope you understand what I am saying in this respect? David's fervency in prayer was doubly matched by his fervency in praise! But first, he had a prayer life!
Today's modern believers only want to praise like David but do not want to pray like David! But you can't praise like David if you can't pray like David because the praise report of David was produced by the prayer life of David! Each time he prays and there is a result he comes back to give God praise two times over! That was David for you, a man of passionate prayer and praise! Read the Psalms again you are going to see as many prayers as you see praise!
And that was what I saw in the Epistles of Paul too. All the prayers of Paul carry the spirit of David in prayer and in praise. Paul must have eaten the Psalms for if you read his epistles he quoted more extensively from the book of Psalms and the book of Isaiah more than from any other books of the bible. Let's not go into details of that now, but when you read the prayers of Paul you see a man who has at the back of his mind Davids admonition that says, "It is a good thing to give thanks to the Lord'. Paul did give thanks
Now look at the Pauline prayers outlined below and see the common thread of thanksgiving.
Ephesians 1:15-16 "Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, *Cease not to give thanks* for you making mention of you in my prayers"
Colossians 1:3, "We *give thanks* to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you"
1 Thessalonians 1:2, "We *give thanks* to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers"
Other scriptures (Philippians 1:3-4, 1 Corinthians 1:4-9)
Paul was a genuine ‘thanksgiver’, an addicted ‘thanksgiver’ and a ceaseless ‘thanksgiver’, we see all of these in the scriptures above. And the reason why this is important for Paul, for you and me is that without gratitude we have no audience with the father! Only through the spiritual password, thanksgiving, do we gain access to God's presence!
Read full article here for full insights and illumination PAUL: THE ADDICTED THANKS GIVER
