Power In Praise

By: Lisha Servito-Beguhl

In February, Janice handed me a piece of paper. She said she wanted to give it to pastoral council members who were absent at the meeting where she had shared this prayer. I was intrigued because it was about four pages long. The title of the prayer was called, "Praise You, Jesus". I could hardly wait to start praising God with this prayer that Janice had given me.

At the next meeting I thanked Janice for sharing this prayer with me, and told her of my experience. She encouraged me to share my story because what I thought was ordinary she thought was extraordinary since I had never attended a charismatic prayer meeting or mass. It has been over a month since Janice asked me to write about my experience because I wasn't sure I had really anything worthy to say. Although I had put it in prayer, I felt immobolized and uninspired. No words would come to me. Then our computer broke down, and we had to get a new one. Janice kept on encouraging me. I kept on praying and asking God to give me the words He wanted me to use. Finally, the thoughts in my mind began to form as I heard God tell me to take my new laptop up to my "prayer space".

The first time that I began to recite the litany of praise I found it increasingly difficult to continue to look at the paper and read out loud the praises because I became entranced while praising the Lord. I lost my self in the praising of God. My mind was truly focused on the Lord. I was one in the spirit praising the Lord.

A few days later I awoke not "feeling right". I had no reason to feel sad. Everything was going great in my life. I couldn't understand why I felt as I did. I thought of all the things I was grateful for, but I still felt this emptiness. The thought to recite the litany of praise came to mind. I was driving in my car and did not have the paper with me, but I began to praise God, calling out to Him all the names I could remember, "Praise You, Jesus,You are my Redeemer, Praise you Jesus, You are my Salvation, Praise You, Jesus, You are my Rock, and my Shield". I continued praising God until I could feel my mood lifting. Afterwards, I praised God for what He had done and what He had shown me through praising Him.

It has become a daily practice to recite a litany of praise to God. One day I found myself lifting up my hands to the Lord, and shouting out the praises. Although no-one was home, I wanted my praises to be heard. In that moment, I felt as if I was letting the devil clearly know whom I was praising. Although I know God can hear me even when I am silent or quietly saying a prayer, in my heart, praising God just felt good to shout it out!