Let me introduce you to Sarah. Sarah Francis Martin is a wife, mother, mentor, and author of Just RISE UP!: A Call To Make Jesus Famous. She has a passion to ignite this generation to get up off the couch of complacency and do life differently for God’s kingdom. When she is not typing away at her laptop, you can often find Sarah on date nights with her husband, rough housing with her young son, or getting her hands messy with craft paint.
This fall, I’ve invited a few friends to share what God is teaching them. I hope their words are an encouragement to you as you continue to awaken to the joy and delight that comes with being a child of God.
A whole lifestyle of praise. Sounds like a lofty idea, right? I thought so, too.
But after recognizing some captivating benefits of said lifestyle, I’ve come to crave it. I’ve come to depend on it.
Making Jesus famous with every square inch of our lives brings us to a place of benefit. (And some benefits are self serving, because isn’t our God so kind?) The ultimate benefits of a life of praise lie in a renewed sense of the ultimate reality:
Jesus is ever worthy of our praise, even when we don’t feel like praising His name. He is worthy.
1. A Never Ending Adventure
Do you ever spend time in the depths of your mind, mulling over and obsessing over something you said or did? Have you ever replayed a scenario ad nauseam with different outcomes?
I have. It’s not fun to live in my brain some days.
These obsessive sessions in my mind are times that I have to scream back to myself, “Get over yourself, Sarah!” During these moments, when I think I’m the center of the universe, I have to remind myself that there is good news: I am NOT.
Oh, but even better news, He IS.
Making much of ourselves is exhausting and grows boring. But making much of Jesus is a never ending adventure of exploring all the ways to praise Him with our lives. One sure-fire way to “get over ourselves” is to serve others as an act of worship to our King. This serves to refocus our perspectives as we reevaluate our level of gratitude toward Jesus.
2. A Divine Detox
I’ve noticed a bit of a detox happening in my heart and mind as I go deeper in my lifestyle of praise. I’ve begun to live consumed by more and more and more of Him and less of myself.
Thus the detox! In the depletion of this self-focus, a painful realization happens every day as I see how much muck is still left in my heart. This process is good for the soul. For every declaration, every exclamation directed at Jesus, there is less and less room for my pride.
3. A Position of Nearness
Of course Jesus is always near, always around, always present. But, our choice to circle our entire existence around making Jesus famous will result in a renewed perspective and position of nearness. Many of us know Jeremiah 29:11 by heart, but most of us stop short in memorizing the next few amazing verses:
“Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord…” (Jeremiah 29:12-14)
What if those plans we seek after, those dreams we chase, that prosperity we crave were wrapped in the very gift and nearness of the King of the Universe? What if those things we have always wanted in life were pale in comparison to the fact that we have fellowship with the One and Only? What if His nearness was all that we needed to feel blessed, with purpose, and prosperous?
Though the benefits of a lifestyle of praise are endless, there is a bottom line above and beyond the benefits:
HE IS WORTHY. Period. Enough said.
May He increase, as I decrease.
This week we’re giving away 3 copies of Just Rise Up by Sarah Francis Martin.
Sarah remembers the exact moment when the relationship between her faith and her entire life came into clear focus. Sitting in her favorite red chair with a comfy blanket and a cup of hot tea, she snuggled in with her Bible and a new book. The book was huge, several hundred pages long, and yet it didn’t intimidate her. Written by the beloved Chuck Colson, How Now Shall We Live? focused the lens of Sarah’s life and spelled out a segregation that she had unknowingly been living with—a segregation between her faith and the rest of her life.
She has since come to understand that The Lord designed each and every one of us uniquely and put a dream in our heart that is attached to His agenda for this world. Many of us have felt the stirring in our heart to make a difference with our life, yet we don’t always know how. The key, she found, was to surrender to God’s leading, seek him first, and allow him to do the big things He has planned with our life. In the end, God’s agenda and our dreams and passions will intersect around one very important phrase – a battle cry, if you will – “Make Jesus Famous!”
Based on Psalm 145, this invigorating study motivates women to do life differently by making Jesus famous in all aspects of life. Just RISE UP! is a call to get off the couch of complacency, live a life of praise with a humble posture and Kingdom perspective, and step into a life of true purpose.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
The 3 winners will be selected and announced on Friday.
Speaking of worship, what is your favorite worship song lately? Will you share a link as a comment so we can take time to lift up the name of our great God?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOwTaHT8qkA
I Mean Everything To You
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XS9z-uzM3Ho
Ps. 9: 1, 2
I will praise You, O LORD, with my whole heart; I will tell of all Your marvelous works.
I will be glad and rejoice in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.
The word “Lord” is Yehowah, which is David’s recognition of God’s position in his life; but the words “Oh most high” is Elohym, which is David’s recognition of God’s power in his life.
These verses teach us that it is through our praise that we go from simply recognizing God as God to “[Having] power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. (Eph 4: 18, 19)”
COMPLETELY by Among the Thirsty
I have too many favorites to list!
My favorite worship is from ORU in Tulsa!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zP-9QKSqL9s
I would love to read the book about living a life of praise!!
Greater by MercyMe
Thank you! Thank you! This is exactly what I needed to hear today!!
I love these Scriptures. Don’t you just adore the Psalms? I’m going to read these right now. Thank you for sharing.
My most uplifting and favorite worship song is “Every Praise is to our God” Hezekiah Walker I love to watch the video version where they dance and sing at the fountain in the middle of the crowd! With or without the video, always fills my heart with Praise! Perfect to go along with “Just Rise Up” I can’t wait to read it!
One of my current favorites is “Forever” by Bethel Music (Tides)
Forever He is glorified – Forever He is lifted high – Forever He is Risen
HE IS ALIVE!
Love it! Gives me goosebumps.
My very favorite song is from Rend Collective “Build Your Kingdom Here.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbdJXKqVgtg&list=RDsbdJXKqVgtg&index=1
I’m going to try posting my favorite song again. Hopefully this time it will play cus it really is a great song. I’m in the midst of the desert right now but listening to a song like this gives me a little reprieve. Do you think this book would help?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbdJXKqVgtg
Thank you, Sarah! This was wonderful to read! God has truly instilled you with amazing insight and wisdom.
Would love to be encouraged by this book & share it :))
My favorite worship song ” I Can Only Imagine ” by Mercy Me
At this time in my life, Satisfy, by Aaron Shust.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fl5lhKR9DvE
I was drawn to read more of this post when I saw the title “What Happens when you live a Posture of Praise.” I feel that all my life has been arranged by my Lord. Knowing of His love and mercy, I MUST praise Him throughout my days, hours and minutes of life. I also felt the “Divine Detox” as a necessity in my life as He has pruned me and made me aware of His authority in all my choices. This process of transformation can be termed a “Divine Detox” that He might increase in my life and my self must decrease. Thanks for such an illuminating message.
“Every Praise is to our God” Hezekiah Walker! Especially love the video by the fountain in the middle of the city!
Heart of Worship
So enjoyed this! My favorite song is “Just As I Am” but don’t have a clue as to how to post it.
One Spirit, One Church.
I just recently discovered Sarah through the live webcast last week. What an inspiration to get up and DO something! I still play “Oh How I Need You” by All Sons & Daughters. Often. And loud!
My favorite worship song right now is “Christ Be All Around Me.” That is my prayer that he will always surround me and that people will see him surrounding me.
I heard “Open up the Heavens” by Meredith Andrews this past summer and it has become one of my favorites!!! It really gets my spirit up and I frequently listen to it on my way to I would love to win a copy of Rise Up!!!
Thanks,
Susan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=wg5dqbNaan8
My favorite worship song might have to be Chris Tomlin’s My Chains Are Gone… reminds me of what He’s done, that I could never do for myself… great post!
789alo: alo789hk – alo789in
77 canadian pharmacy: legitimate canadian pharmacies online – canadian online drugstore
mexican pharmacy online store mexican drug stores online Mexican Pharm International
order medicines online india: IndiaMedFast.com – online medicine shopping in india
mexican drug stores online: MexicanPharmInter – MexicanPharmInter
IndiaMedFast.com IndiaMedFast.com cheapest online pharmacy india
canadian drug: InterPharmOnline.com – vipps approved canadian online pharmacy
mexican pharmacy online order Mexican Pharm International MexicanPharmInter
reliable mexican pharmacies: mexican pharmacy online – mexican pharmacy online store
reliable mexican pharmacies: mexican pharmacy online – mexican pharmacy online order
Mexican Pharm Inter Mexican Pharm International Mexican Pharm Inter
https://interpharmonline.shop/# real canadian pharmacy
online canadian pharmacy reviews: InterPharmOnline.com – online canadian drugstore
india pharmacy without prescription cheapest online pharmacy india cheapest online pharmacy india
https://indiamedfast.shop/# online pharmacy india
TadalafilEasyBuy.com: cialis for sale – TadalafilEasyBuy.com
Cheapest Sildenafil online Generic 100mg Easy buy generic 100mg viagra online
kamagra 100mg kopen: kamagra kopen nederland – Officiele Kamagra van Nederland
kamagra kopen nederland kamagra 100mg kopen kamagra gel kopen
buy generic 100mg viagra online: Generic100mgEasy – buy generic 100mg viagra online
https://tadalafileasybuy.shop/# cialis without a doctor prescription
Kamagra Kopen: Kamagra – kamagra pillen kopen
TadalafilEasyBuy.com TadalafilEasyBuy.com Buy Tadalafil 10mg
buy generic 100mg viagra online: buy generic 100mg viagra online – Generic 100mg Easy
viagra canada best price for viagra 100mg order viagra
KamagraKopen.pro: kamagra kopen nederland – kamagra gel kopen
kamagra pillen kopen: kamagra 100mg kopen – Kamagra Kopen Online
п»їcialis generic cialis without a doctor prescription cialis without a doctor prescription