The Twelve Stones by Christina Darnell

I am really selfish. God began to gently lead me to this truth (like it was some big surprise) last year. I knew that my prayer life wasn’t supposed to be all about me, but I also wanted to cry out to God with my issues as opposed to turning elsewhere. What was missing was both praise to God and interceding for others. For the sake of this moment, I’m going to focus on my lessons in praising God. I often wondered why I was still full of anxiety and fear regarding my future when I spent so much time praying about it. Philippians 4:6 says, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Um, so where was my peace? Did it get lost in some epic battle on its way down from heaven? Doubtful.

But my prayers were more focused on my problems than they were on God’s power. I was looking at the size of my problem instead of the greatness of God. Even though I said “thank you” to God often, I wasn’t focused on His goodness. That “with thanksgiving” section of the passage was more crucial than I knew. I needed to focus on praising God, but there was a disconnect for me. I still thought of praise as fancy church words that hold little meaning for me or thought of it as lots and lots of singing. There was so much more to it, I knew, but I wasn’t sure what it was. So I turned to the Psalms. If anyone was known for praising God well, it was David, and he wrote the majority of the book.

I noticed Psalms to have a number of common threads. It’s amazing that after growing up in a Christian home, and walking with God for years, there is still so much to learn. Psalms has taught me that praise is so much different from my mindset about it. First, David praises God by proclaiming his desperate need for Him. No matter how comfortable we are in life, we cannot do nothing nor have anything of everlasting value without Christ. Secondly, David recognized God as sovereign. While most of us would look to other people, circumstances, or even ourselves, David saw God as in control. His victories against the enemies were up to God. Also, he found his fulfillment in God. Psalm 16:5 says, “O Lord, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup; You maintain my lot.” David expected great things from God. By doing so, he showed his faith that God was able to do all that He had promised. How often do I go to God sheepishly, afraid to ask too much? God desires to do great things for us as we place Him first. Lastly, I noticed that the writers praise God for specific works He has performed. They actually boast in and dwell on God’s greatness in creation, Scriptures, and personal and national victories.

Chapters 3 and 4 in Joshua highlight this truth. Joshua leads the people of Israel across the Jordan River to fight for the Promised Land after God instructs them. God stopped the sea (can you imagine?) so they could all cross over on dry ground. While they crossed, 12 of the men, representing the 12 tribes of Israel, each took a stone from the bed of the dry sea. They were to serve as reminders; mementos of God’s incredible faithfulness. Children from generations following would see those stones and ask about them, encouraging the story to be told over and over again.

What an incredible principle. The more I focus on God’s faithfulness and power, the less I focus on myself and my worries…and the more my needs are met. Praising God increases our faith because we focus on His ability instead of our inability, His sovereignty instead of our lack of control, and His life instead of our sin. God has done so many wonders in my own life. I can remember, after years of facing doubt about my salvation, sitting on my bed crying before God. I could feel the Holy Spirit speaking to me, revealing the source of my doubts, and freeing me from that bondage. It was amazing, and I can remember it vividly. I was compelled to share it with others, and it was wonderful to praise God about it with them. There are so many of those turning points in my life that are as monumental as those stones were to the people of Israelite. It’s my turn to set up reminders of God’s miracles. They will be both reminders of the works of God and reminders to focus on Him instead of myself.