Hebrews 13:15

Hebrews 13:15

Thoughts from Kimber Gilbert

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“Through Him then, let’s continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips praising His name.”

Hebrews 13:15

QOP- Behind the Scenes
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What a great week it’s been as we’ve taken a closer look at what it means to be constantly in prayer, constantly in communion with our Savior! I love that God is never worn out, He never tires of our conversation, He never wants some peace and quiet away from us. In fact, today’s verse reminds us that our praises are a sacrifice of praise to God. But what exactly does that mean? Let’s take a closer look at this passage. There are a few key points I want us to notice here that I think will spur us on and help us to walk in the practical application of this passage.

Slide

“a sacrifice of praise”- what does this phrase actually mean? Well, it is a nod back to the Old Testament times when the children of God would bring a sacrifice to God to atone for their sins, give Him worship, or bring thanksgiving to God. They would choose animals from their flock and sacrificially give them to the Lord. God also called them to bring their first fruits of any crop to Him as a sacrifice of praise and adoration.

Slide

The same can be said of our words. When we bring God our words and our prayers, with lips that praise His name, we offer a sacrifice of praise. It’s not always easy to choose to praise God with our lips. Bringing our prayers to Him continually, walking in constant community with Him, and choosing to live lives entwined with our Lord is hard work. It takes dying to self every day. It means letting go of other false gods or idols in our lives. And it means putting in the effort to honor God continually.

Slide

“The fruit”- The fruit of anything in the Bible is a metaphor for “that which originates or comes from something.” Grapes are the fruit of the vine. Children are the fruit of our loins. The fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22-23) is the result of a life lived in the Spirit. And so on. Fruit is what is produced when something specific happens. In today’s verse we learn that the fruit of lips that praise His name is a sacrifice of praise. That means that as you have His praises on your lips, as you pray and praise Him in your life and through your declaration of His Lordship, you offer up a pleasing sacrifice to the Lord.

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“Through Him”- And finally, the key to all of this is the power of Christ in our lives. See, we cannot do any of this apart from Him. Continually walking in praise to our God is not possible in my strength alone. We need not only the strength of Christ but also the sanctification, justification, and regeneration of Christ for us to be able to do this. We need to be made new, cleansed, and set right before a perfect God. It is only through His truth and His redemption that we even have the right to lift our voices to God. And even more, it is through the salvation of Christ that God can hear and be pleased.

QOP- Make it Real
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As we draw this week to a close, I want to take some time today to encourage you to make constant prayer a regular part of your life. I hope you have begun to see this week why this is so important and why it is truly a lifeline for those of us in Christ. The more we lean into the gift of connection with our Creator, the more we will be filled to overflowing. In His outpouring we will find peace that surpasses understanding and joy that overflows!

Slide

Praying without ceasing is not something that is burdensome. Just the opposite. It is like breathing, inhaling and exhaling all day long, breathing in the presence of God over and over. It is a choice we make to live in connection with our King. It means continually offering up a sacrifice of praise with our thoughts, our actions, our needs, our wants, and our victories. It means choosing to have His praises on our lips and lifting up His name in our lives.

Slide

Take some time today to consider what that kind of communion with God would look like in your life. What are some practical steps you can take today to invite God into more of your life? Are there certain words that need to cease being on your lips so that you can continually have His praises on your lips instead? Is there something in your life that you need to give up as a sacrifice of praise to God?

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We love you, ACF! Keep seeking Him. He is near and He loves to hear from you.

QOP- End in Prayer
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God,

Sanctify my lips so that I can offer a sacrifice of praise to You every day of my life. Sanctify my heart so that from it will flow your praises. Sanctify my mind so that it will turn to You for life continually. God I want to live in this perfect union with you, praying unceasingly, and living life at Your side. I want You to be the first thing I think about in the morning, the One who occupies my day, and the last thing I think about at night. Be my all in all and teach me what it looks like to live fully surrendered to You.

In the name of Jesus Christ,

Amen

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“Through Him then, let’s continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips praising His name.” 

Hebrews 13:15

Behind the Scenes

What a great week it’s been as we’ve taken a closer look at what it means to be constantly in prayer, constantly in communion with our Savior! I love that God is never worn out, He never tires of our conversation, He never wants some peace and quiet away from us. In fact, today’s verse reminds us that our praises are a sacrifice of praise to God. But what exactly does that mean? Let’s take a closer look at this passage. There are a few key points I want us to notice here that I think will spur us on and help us to walk in the practical application of this passage.  

“a sacrifice of praise”- what does this phrase actually mean? Well, it is a nod back to the Old Testament times when the children of God would bring a sacrifice to God to atone for their sins, give Him worship, or bring thanksgiving to God. They would choose animals from their flock and sacrificially give them to the Lord. God also called them to bring their first fruits of any crop to Him as a sacrifice of praise and adoration.  

The same can be said of our words. When we bring God our words and our prayers, with lips that praise His name, we offer a sacrifice of praise. It’s not always easy to choose to praise God with our lips. Bringing our prayers to Him continually, walking in constant community with Him, and choosing to live lives entwined with our Lord is hard work. It takes dying to self every day. It means letting go of other false gods or idols in our lives. And it means putting in the effort to honor God continually.  

“The fruit”- The fruit of anything in the Bible is a metaphor for “that which originates or comes from something.” Grapes are the fruit of the vine. Children are the fruit of our loins. The fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22-23) is the result of a life lived in the Spirit. And so on. Fruit is what is produced when something specific happens. In today’s verse we learn that the fruit of lips that praise His name is a sacrifice of praise. That means that as you have His praises on your lips, as you pray and praise Him in your life and through your declaration of His Lordship, you offer up a pleasing sacrifice to the Lord.  

“Through Him”- And finally, the key to all of this is the power of Christ in our lives. See, we cannot do any of this apart from Him. Continually walking in praise to our God is not possible in my strength alone. We need not only the strength of Christ but also the sanctification, justification, and regeneration of Christ for us to be able to do this. We need to be made new, cleansed, and set right before a perfect God. It is only through His truth and His redemption that we even have the right to lift our voices to God. And even more, it is through the salvation of Christ that God can hear and be pleased.

Make It Real

As we draw this week to a close, I want to take some time today to encourage you to make constant prayer a regular part of your life. I hope you have begun to see this week why this is so important and why it is truly a lifeline for those of us in Christ. The more we lean into the gift of connection with our Creator, the more we will be filled to overflowing. In His outpouring we will find peace that surpasses understanding and joy that overflows! 

Praying without ceasing is not something that is burdensome. Just the opposite. It is like breathing, inhaling and exhaling all day long, breathing in the presence of God over and over. It is a choice we make to live in connection with our King. It means continually offering up a sacrifice of praise with our thoughts, our actions, our needs, our wants, and our victories. It means choosing to have His praises on our lips and lifting up His name in our lives.  

Take some time today to consider what that kind of communion with God would look like in your life. What are some practical steps you can take today to invite God into more of your life? Are there certain words that need to cease being on your lips so that you can continually have His praises on your lips instead? Is there something in your life that you need to give up as a sacrifice of praise to God?  

We love you, ACF! Keep seeking Him. He is near and He loves to hear from you.  

Crystal Garnett

Crystal Garnett

ACF Digital Discipleship Director and Church Planter

End in Prayer

God,  

Sanctify my lips so that I can offer a sacrifice of praise to You every day of my life. Sanctify my heart so that from it will flow your praises. Sanctify my mind so that it will turn to You for life continually. God I want to live in this perfect union with you, praying unceasingly, and living life at Your side. I want You to be the first thing I think about in the morning, the One who occupies my day, and the last thing I think about at night. Be my all in all and teach me what it looks like to live fully surrendered to You. 

In the name of Jesus Christ, 

Amen

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