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mercytruth
Guest
Or, do we need to enter into thanksgiving and praise of God?
Please share your thoughts, and perhaps experiences.
Please share your thoughts, and perhaps experiences.
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AlanFromWichita
Guest
This is a great question! 
God doesn’t need us to do anything in particular, for Himself.
But God does need our open minds and open hearts in order to work miracles in and through us, and giving thanksgiving and praise are to great ways to attain them. He takes great delight when our hearts are bared to Him in this way, and He will not refuse to fill our cups with blessings.
Alan
God doesn’t need us to do anything in particular, for Himself.
But God does need our open minds and open hearts in order to work miracles in and through us, and giving thanksgiving and praise are to great ways to attain them. He takes great delight when our hearts are bared to Him in this way, and He will not refuse to fill our cups with blessings.
Alan
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louisak
Guest
God doesn’t need anything in Himself and for Himself.
However because of His perfect love, He wants us to have happiness and fulfillment. And He knows that we can only have these things if we know Him, love Him, praise & adore Him, and obey His will and His commandments.
However because of His perfect love, He wants us to have happiness and fulfillment. And He knows that we can only have these things if we know Him, love Him, praise & adore Him, and obey His will and His commandments.
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classica87
Guest
May I encourage you to pick up a Catechism an peruse the sections regarding the creation of mankind?
God is the great “I Am,” and in Him are all things. He is Love and Truth above all. It’s because of that infinite love–a love we can’t possibly grasp ourselves–that he made us and all living things.
God doesn’t need our praise, because he doesn’t need His power to be validated like a human does. He actually is the supreme ruler of everything, and He knows it. Our praise won’t change that one bit.
But out of love God formed us to share in Himself. We are made in His image and likeness, made because God loved so deeply he desired other beings to share in His glory. We were made for love, made to love and be loved by a God who never tires of pouring Himself out for us.
We praise God to enter into that love, to receive what God has so willingly given and to give it back. We have our proof of that infinite love–the Son of God, the Word made flesh. In the Eucharist God’s love is present even to human eyes, and under the forms of bread and wine we begin to grasp His indescribable, limitless, amazing love.
We praise God not because he requires it of us, but because we are beings of love, because our hearts are made to love God and earnestly desire to be filled by His presence. If we are made to love, what is there to do but to love, and be loved in return?
God is the great “I Am,” and in Him are all things. He is Love and Truth above all. It’s because of that infinite love–a love we can’t possibly grasp ourselves–that he made us and all living things.
God doesn’t need our praise, because he doesn’t need His power to be validated like a human does. He actually is the supreme ruler of everything, and He knows it. Our praise won’t change that one bit.
But out of love God formed us to share in Himself. We are made in His image and likeness, made because God loved so deeply he desired other beings to share in His glory. We were made for love, made to love and be loved by a God who never tires of pouring Himself out for us.
We praise God to enter into that love, to receive what God has so willingly given and to give it back. We have our proof of that infinite love–the Son of God, the Word made flesh. In the Eucharist God’s love is present even to human eyes, and under the forms of bread and wine we begin to grasp His indescribable, limitless, amazing love.
We praise God not because he requires it of us, but because we are beings of love, because our hearts are made to love God and earnestly desire to be filled by His presence. If we are made to love, what is there to do but to love, and be loved in return?
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mercytruth
Guest
Thanks Alan. As someone who has been involved in leading worship at Mass, I have a question that is not meant to be sarcastic, but rather rhetorical. Do demons give thanksgiving and praise to God?This is a great question!
God doesn’t need us to do anything in particular, for Himself.
But God does need our open minds and open hearts in order to work miracles in and through us, and giving thanksgiving and praise are to great ways to attain them. He takes great delight when our hearts are bared to Him in this way, and He will not refuse to fill our cups with blessings.
Alan
in God’s peace
micah
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mercytruth
Guest
Thank you for associating the love that we receive from God with the ouflowing expression of love that we desire to express. Are we joined with the angels and saints of heaven when we give thanksgiving and praise to God?
God’s peace be with you
micah
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WoundedIcon
Guest
Well, there is a story about the demon in a possessed man kneeling before a statue of Mary and praising her to high heavens.
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classica87
Guest
Absolutely. It’s one of the reasons we call the Eucharist Holy Communion. You know, “communion of the saints” and all. The Church Militant is intimately connected with the Church Triumphant, and together we offer our praise to God in the Mass.
At least, I think this is right. It is the Catechism somewhere, but I can’t find it. Help, anybody? I need those Catechism tabs…
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mercytruth
Guest
That’s interesting. So do think there are any demons worshipping and thanking God in heaven, or on earth for that matter?
God’s peace be with you
micah
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mercytruth
Guest
It seems that you are in a very good RCIA program. Have you ever ‘felt’ (which is very subjective) that you were in communion with the saints and angels of heaven while in worship, praise and thanksgiving to God?
God’s peace be with you
micah
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AlanFromWichita
Guest
Interesting question. To me, I’ve used thought models for “daemons” in my brain’s software, and they can be good, evil, or too philosophical to label.
I look at them more as behavior motivators. For example, I might get a demon tickling me right in the middle of the offertory hymn. Then something in myself – I don’t know whether it was the one tickling or some other demon jumped up when it heard the “giggling” IOW the reaction to the first one. They seem like some of them work alone; others are like birds and when one starts flapping around they all go nuts and can be quite an active mental experience indeed, all while playing the offertory hymn. Truth be told I can hardly tell one from the other; sometimes I don’t even think they are good or evil but spark baggage in me to either embrace or purge.
My reaction is to focus, gently shake my head and smile because I really don’t care what’s going on in my mind; I trust He holds me safely in His arms, especially at Mass, and I just keep playing and release some of the energy by adding just a teeny bit of expression to the music. Enough to be felt but not analyzed. In this way, I actually exhaust the demons through the music, into the hearts of everyone else at Mass. But I’m a professional at this, in my mind anyway – years ago I essentially offered to be a scapegoat for anyone’s sins who wants me to carry them… well turned out that amounted to volunteering as a worker for God’s septic system. I find that I can “flush” these demons out and by the time they make it into the crowd, they inspire them to sing a little better – or really, to be a little more of what they were beforehand. So if they get the tickle, if they are disposed to praise they will exclaim praise!
So yeah, indirectly, any demon can tickle me, trigger me to add expression to the music – even just a minute pause or a subtle crescendo that only musical experts would even notice – and it results in the people praising God. And it makes me happy and just to think about it, so I’ll share my piano version of Praise to the Lord.
So there. I finally got from demons, to praise. Actually since they don’t have brains, arms, or legs I think they depend on us to express for them. The funny thing is if you get your Beatitudes right, then the demons convert into pure energy and go out neutral or better and where they land, touching the hearts of people. To what end? I don’t know. I just play the game and the Lord shows me my next move just when I need to see it.
This is all just a bunch of stuff in my mind and may or may not represent what was actually going on. I just know Lord is Good, and I will ever give Him thanks and praise.
I was discussing evil thoughts during Mass with my pastor. He says he’s gotten them during consecration. He just gently whispers “come Holy Spirit” and continues what he’s doing. Wonder if he’s exhausting demons through the Eucharist, cleansed for us all and reprocessed as Solid Spiritual Food?
Alan
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JRKH
Guest
Without diminishing any of the previous responses…I am going to say yes God needs our Thanksgiving and praise…Not because he requires it for himself, but because it opens us us to His Grace.
He has so much that He wants to give to us, if we will only be receptive. Prayer of any kind, but most especially prayer of thanksgiving, opens us up to the flow of that grace.
So really the answer to both of your questions is “Yes” for it is not really an “or” (one of the other) sort of situation.
Peace
James
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mercytruth
Guest
This is very, very interesting. Sometimes when my heart is bursting, overflowing with thanksgiving and praise to God, I ask myself, where is this coming from? Is it the Spirit of God, is it Jesus, is it the communion of the angels and saints within me?
God’s peace
micah
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Spritus1
Guest
God does NOT need our praise and thanks. He likes and appreciates them but he does not need them. He needs nothing from us or any other factor external to himself for that matter. God is wholly and entirely self sufficient.
God does desire that we praise, thank and love him FOR OUR GOOD, not for his. This is because he made us and knows absolutely what is best for us.
The feeling of elation and overflowing of love towards God occurs because the Holy Spirit who dwells within us is in a sense “activated” when we, in a state of grace, utilise the sacraments, particularly Holy Communion and Confession as well as practising Adoration.
This feeling is what St Teresa of Avila discusses at legth in her book, “The Interior Castle” amongst others and is the prayer of union where the Spouse (Christ) meets his bride (us) in a mystical fashion.
God does desire that we praise, thank and love him FOR OUR GOOD, not for his. This is because he made us and knows absolutely what is best for us.
The feeling of elation and overflowing of love towards God occurs because the Holy Spirit who dwells within us is in a sense “activated” when we, in a state of grace, utilise the sacraments, particularly Holy Communion and Confession as well as practising Adoration.
This feeling is what St Teresa of Avila discusses at legth in her book, “The Interior Castle” amongst others and is the prayer of union where the Spouse (Christ) meets his bride (us) in a mystical fashion.
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classica87
Guest
I do believe wholeheartedly that the saints and angels are there with me, experiencing God’s love. I feel too close to Heaven for them not to be. Sometimes I feel like my soul is just going to burst out me and float away, I almost can’t contain the overwhelming sense of love and wholeness. I’m very blessed to be an emotional person and to have felt God’s presence so deeply. These are my little glimpses of Heaven. These are the times when I know I experience the joy of the angels and the saints. I can’t see them, but I know they’re present with us as we worship. The reverential atmosphere is undeniable.
Even if I didn’t feel anything, I don’t go to Mass for emotions. I go because I know Jesus is there; He isn’t made any less present by lack of fervor or participation. My heart doesn’t need to do backflips to attain our Lord’s grace, but I’m thankful that it often does! It’s always great to feel Jesus’ amazing love!
James and Spiritus are right. Worship is super important, because it opens us up to God’s grace. Worship isn’t necessary because God needs it, but it is necessary because we need it! If you want God to do amazing things in your life, you have to let him in!
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AlanFromWichita
Guest
Doesn’t that just make you want to scream? :extrahappy:
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mercytruth
Guest
Sometimes I think we confuse worship of God with emotionalism, which can be difficult to separate at times. Eventhough there does seem to be a place for emotional healing in some context. Does true spiritual worship advance the kingdom of God here on earth?
God’s peace
micah
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JRKH
Guest
Yes. True Spiritual worship brings with it True Spiritual action and True Spiritual action (That is, Love) builds up the kingdom of God on earth.
Peace
James
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mangy_dog
Guest
Only when they are made to or obligated to do so. Example: during an exorcism or prayer of liberation.
To acknowledge or give praise is a torment for them.
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mercytruth
Guest
Yes, but there is this skeptical side within me, that wonders if it does not originate with a deep unseen need for me to emotionaly release. Which leads me to this question for you as a worship leader. The only way I can ask it, is by quoting these scriptures. How is it possible to lead worship if one perceives that some part of the community of believers are not in a good place spiritually? As it seems as though there are preconditions to offer up spiritual sacrifices:
So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.
As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 2:1-5)
Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. (Hebrews 13:15)
Are we really missing the mark spiritually, if we are not continually offering up a sacrifice of praise to God?
God’s peace
micah
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