No one can praise God for you! You, your self, must be the one who praises Him because only you know the price of your ointment in your alabaster box; as our pastor so graciously pointed out. You alone know the cost that was paid for you, for your sin debt. None other can do that for you. You wanna be set free, then you only you must kneel before the altar and call out to the Savior. You wanna be healed of physical pain, by faith only you can call for the elders of the church to come pray over you, anoint you, lay hands upon you and be delivered. You wanna be set free from whatever type of addiction that plagues you, only you can turn that over to Him. You alone must make that decision. No one else can do it for you and you cannot do it for anyone else. You wanna save your family, it must begin with you. You first obtaining salvation for yourself then your fervent prayers for them, your witness (your walk walks, and your talk talks) in front of them, your testimony for the righteous God as you strive daily to live truly for Him as you seek to be hidden behind the cross. Not out in front of the cross like you’re the reason. You wanna have a strong, faithful marriage, you must pray for it, you must work at it, you must seek from the Bridegroom (Jesus) in what way you can be a true groom or bride to your soulmate. You wanna have respectful, honest children, only you can insure that by raising them in the way they should go so when they are older they’ll not depart. I know you’re going to say now a marriage takes two and I would say you’re right. It takes God first the husband and wife, who are 1 flesh, second. So yes it takes 2. You will say, it takes three to raise children and again I would say, no it takes 2! God first and the father and mother, who are one flesh through the God’s anointed wedlock of marriage, second. So yes it takes 2 to raise children.

When it comes to our souls, we are individually responsible. No one else can save us; no one else can go to the altar for us to pray our sins away. Only you must go to the altar, kneel before the Father and cry out for forgiveness because you are the one who knows what exactly you need forgiveness for. Only you know what the blood of Jesus Christ is covering, removing, washing clean and casting off. Only you your own self knows the depths of your personal pain, your personal feeling of defeat, your personal suffering and shame, your personal fears – you know those deeply rooted fears, your personal short comings – you know what I mean when you can’t see your own beauty because of the wretchedness of your heart. You alone know and understand your own personal feelings, pain, heartache, shame and guilt. This is why you alone are the only one who can honestly praise Him for what He has forgiven you of. No one else can praise Him for you, and no one else can redeem you back to the Father but Jesus Christ. No one else should be praising the Lord for what He has done personally for you and in your life. No one else walks in your shoes and no one but the Lord knows you better than you know yourself. Yes, your soulmate in this life knows you beyond any other person for you are one flesh with them. You equally should know your spouse in the same wonderful manner. Even beyond the amazing connection you have with your spouse, your flesh; only Jesus can forgive and save you and only you can praise Him for all of the glory in your life.

Lord Jesus, please forgive me for when I’ve held back my praise for You, or I have asked Matt to praise You “for” me. Please loving Father forgive me for my personal selfishness of stealing another person’s blessing as I refrained from praising You and the words not spoken could have been exactly what someone else needed to hear. I love you Lord and I praise You for every single blessing in my life!