Reason to Rejoice

About five years ago, I received a book from a mentor who has now gone on to live eternally with Christ Jesus our Lord. I recently started reading the book, 31 Days of Praise (Ruth Meyers with Warren Meyers).
This book has been helping me to consistently realize that no matter what, I have reason to rejoice. It has also helped me to try revamping the way I pray. I know God as my provider for everything. Since I know God and He lives in me, then essentially, He has met my needs. He's conquered death and has won the victory. Why pray as if He hasn't? I KNOW He has, but I pray is if my heart doesn't believe it all the time.

By praising God, He transforms our thinking to be like His--higher than man's. By praising God, we gain His perspective on our lives and can live more like Christ in result of it. I think this is why at the beginning of the Lord's Prayer--our example of how to pray--it begins with praise. (Matthew 6:5-15)

5"And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 6 "But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. 7 "And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 "Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. 
9 "In this manner, therefore, pray:   Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name. 10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors.
13 And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.   14 "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 "But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Starting with praise to God helps us get our priorities straight and where they need to be, by recognizing we have only ONE priority--God. (Matthew 22:37-38)

37 Jesus said to him, " 'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' 38 "This is the first and great commandment.

So, when I pray, I will not pray as if I am lacking, because Christ lives in me. Due to that, I have all I need. I will pray expectantly and thankfully, for He will provide.(Matthew 6:25-34)

25 "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 "Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 "Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?

28 "So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; 29 "and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

30 "Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 "Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32 "For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.