Keep the Celebration Going

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again; rejoice! - Philippians 4:4

A few weeks ago, I sat on my couch and prepared to write out the new entries in my monthly prayer journal, ready to list all the needs of my community, friends, family, and self. However, before I got started I took a second to flip back through not only my previous prayer requests, but also my personal journals filled with entries about loss, struggles, and possibilities. It was like being hit with a brick. There were so many instances of God’s goodness written all over those pages. Examples of healing, open doors, improved outcomes, and relationship growth jumped out one by one. I realized that the second God had answered my prayer or come through in a big way, I quickly moved on to the next thing. 

In the book of Exodus, after God delivered the Israelites from the Egyptians and while He was leading them to the promised land, He gave them a command to set time aside each year to celebrate the Passover. This wasn’t by chance. God knew the forgetful and sinful nature of the human race and understood that in order for them to remember His goodness and delight in His character, the Israelites had to purposefully create a designated time to reflect and celebrate. 

Now let’s look at our lives. How often do we pray for miracles or deliverance, and then when we receive it, do a quick happy dance and move on? 

Are you with me on this? It’s time to extend the celebration of God’s goodness! Don’t dance quickly and go back to normal as if it never happened. Let’s make a point to keep the party going when God answers our long awaited prayers and petitions, giving Him the glory. 

Challenge: Start documenting all the instances where you saw God’s hand or witnessed Him moving in a big way. Then, mark a date on your calendar toward the end of this month to reflect on all of them to keep the celebrations going!