blog series

this post is part two in the “pausing to pray” series. you can find part 1 here.

Day 1 – Praise
Written by: Kristen Torres

A Psalm of Praise

The book of Psalms has always been an irreplaceable devotional guide, prayer book, and hymnal of the people of God. The Hebrew title is “the book of praises,” but Psalm 145 is the only psalm actually called “A Psalm of Praise.” Spend time praising God for who He is. Begin by reading Psalm 145. (Pause to read this passage) David mentioned several attributes of God. Who could not praise a God with these wonderful characteristics? Take a moment to meditate on them—maybe even choose a posture of reverence to read the passage again. David not only tells why we should praise the Lord, but when we should praise Him:

• Praise God from Day to Day (v. 1-2)

• Praise God from Generation to Generation (v. 3-7)

• Praise God from Nation to Nation (v. 8-13a)

• Praise God from Need to Need (v. 13b-16)

• Praise God from Prayer to Prayer (v. 17-21)

Dawson Investor and volunteer, (fill-in-this-blank with your name), thank you for being found faithful as a servant of Jesus Christ by teaching the next generation the truth about God. Whether we admit it or not, every local church is one generation short of extinction. My prayer for you for this coming year is Psalm 34:11, “Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD.”

Psalm 145 A psalm of praise. Of David.

1 I will exalt you, my God the King;

I will praise your name for ever and ever.

2 Every day I will praise you

and extol your name for ever and ever.

3 Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;

his greatness no one can fathom.

4 One generation commends your works to another;

they tell of your mighty acts.

5 They speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty—

and I will meditate on your wonderful works.

6 They tell of the power of your awesome works—

and I will proclaim your great deeds.

7 They celebrate your abundant goodness

and joyfully sing of your righteousness.

8 The Lord is gracious and compassionate,

slow to anger and rich in love.

9 The Lord is good to all;

he has compassion on all he has made.

10 All your works praise you, Lord;

your faithful people extol you.

11 They tell of the glory of your kingdom

and speak of your might,

12 so that all people may know of your mighty acts

and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.

13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,

and your dominion endures through all generations.

The Lord is trustworthy in all he promises

and faithful in all he does.

14 The Lord upholds all who fall

and lifts up all who are bowed down.

15 The eyes of all look to you,

and you give them their food at the proper time.

16 You open your hand

and satisfy the desires of every living thing.

17 The Lord is righteous in all his ways

and faithful in all he does.

18 The Lord is near to all who call on him,

to all who call on him in truth.

19 He fulfills the desires of those who fear him;

he hears their cry and saves them.

20 The Lord watches over all who love him,

but all the wicked he will destroy.

21 My mouth will speak in praise of the Lord.

Let every creature praise his holy name

for ever and ever.

Kristen Torres has been a member of the Dawson Family of Faith her entire life. She began serving on staff full time as the Associate Children and Preteen Minister in 2007. Kristen has experienced many spiritual milestones with her Dawson family including: baptism, youth mission, teaching as a young adult, marriage and the dedication of her son. She holds an undergraduate degree in Early Childhood and Elementary Education from Berry College in Rome, Georgia and a Master’s in Education Administration from Samford University. Prior to becoming a minister, Kristen taught in the Homewood School System for 10 years. As a disciple and follower of Jesus Christ, Kristen’s prayer is that the Spiritual Development Ministry reflects that life in Christ is truly life to the fullest. (John 10:10).

when it came to training my investors for the new church year i felt led to do one thing – make prayer more of a priority than policies. so this year i challenged each of my investors to fast and pray in the week leading up to the start of their new classes. i also asked some dear friends and co-workers to write devotionals for a “pausing to pray” booklet to serve as a prayer guide for the week. this blog series is a peek inside that devotional booklet and it begins with my note to the leaders. may it encourage you as you serve and pour into others that faithfully serve in kidmin. (a big thanks to the authors for allowing me to post their devotionals.)

a note from danielle

i am a doer. i like to live life in play, fast forward, and occasionally in rewind. something about the constant movement makes me feel as if i have more control or at the very least am helping a situation.

pausing seems like a foreign concept at times. how can being still help? won’t i loose some control? there is just too much to be done to pause.

after a recent time in committed prayer and fasting i saw that those thoughts are sadly a peek into my prayer life. i would often rather try to “do” for God instead of sit and converse with the Creator of the universe. i all too often like to lay out my plans before releasing control to Him. ouch!

so that is why before the start of a new church year, i feel led to challenge us all to just hit pause. before we make “plans” for a class, continue with what we have always done, and fast forward through another year, let’s sit at His feet. let’s spend some sweet time in praise of the One who deserves more than we could lavish upon Him. let’s hunker down in confession and get rid of the things holding us back. let’s begin a new year with the attitude of thankfulness and let our gratitude be our filter for the days ahead. then, let us commit to making prayer a priority by lifting the names of those we teach and lead and allowing God room to work and mightily move in all our lives.

it is when i pause, i am hit afresh with who i am and reminded of the greatness of the One i serve. the following prayer always brings me face to face with that truth. may it be a blessing, a challenge, and an encouragement in your pray days ahead. why don’t we begin each day of prayer with these words and allow God to do a sweet work in our sinful hearts? glory!

“Merciful Savior,

I am so slow to learn,

So prone to forget

So weak to climb;

I am in the foothills when I should be on the heights;

I am pained by my graceless heart,

My prayerless days,

My poverty of love,

My sloth in the heavenly race,

My sullied conscience,

My wasted hours,

My unspent opportunities,

I am blind while light shines around me:

Take the scales from my eyes,

Grind to dust the evil heart of unbelief.

For the glory of Your name.

Amen.”

Puritan Prayers “Valley of Vision”

pausing to pray – PRAISE – part 2

this post is part two in the “pausing to pray” series. you can find part 1 here.

Day 1 – Praise
Written by: Kristen Torres

pausing to pray – part 1

blog series

this post is part two in the “pausing to pray” series. you can find part 1 here.

Day 1 – Praise Written by: Kristen Torres

Day 1 – Praise
Written by: Kristen Torres