As I left the building, I was met at the door by one of the leaders of the church so we started to have a cordial conversation. When our conversation ended, the leader threw a challenge at me that, I've come to believe, has changed my view on worship. He told me that on the first day of each month in their church, every member sets an hour apart in the morning praising God; an hour of praise - A time dedicated to singing, dancing, lifting God’s name up for an hour behind closed doors!!!!!!!

I was very interested in the hour of praise challenge and more importantly was very excited about the heart behind this concept. Imagine a whole congregation of God’s people lifting his name up in their respective homes behind closed doors for an hour! What an amazing call of duty.

Well I woke up early the first day of the month at about 5:30 am to begin my hour of praise. I was very tired and lazy but I was excited to grab my ‘tools of praise’ to start singing.

I started to sing to God at about 5:45.As time went by, I immediately started to realize how long an hour could be as I made an effort to praise God. I started off very distracted. I was so focused on myself, my needs and wants that I could hardly focus on God. My mind wandered from the things I expected from God all the way down to my own to-do list for the day.
As the hour went along, God began to reveal my own heart to me. I began to realize how hardened my heart had become. I began to see how discouraged I had been and how much confidence in God I had lost. God revealed a wall, a lack of discipline, a heart that had stopped reaching out to him as it did before.
I was cut deep within by these revelations and I made a decision right there and then to renew my efforts to focus my mind on praising God. I got off my bed and began to dance around 6:00am as I sang praises to him. I reflected on scriptures and song lyrics as I lifted up the name of God high above the earth. I made it through my first Hour of Praise challenged humbled yet inspired.
When last have you truly praised God? Let’s really think about it. When we pray to God, we tend to say a few words of admiration here and there (that's IF we feel like it) and quickly dive right into our list of personal requests. In fact we tend to check out and lose focus when we praise God during our prayers.
In Psalm 34, David said “magnify the Lord with me and exult his name together” (NIV) How can we magnify a God that is already all-mighty, all-powerful, all-knowing at the same time? How can we exalt a God that is awesome, splendid and majestic? How can sinners like you and I lift up a God that is glorious in holiness? How can we lift up a God that is already lifted up above all things? How can the created exalt the name of the creator? Think about it, he is the God that said “…to whom will you compare me or count me equal? (Isaiah 46:5) What an incomprehensible mystery!
Was it possible that I had been caught up doing so much of God’s work that I had completely forgotten about the God of the work I was doing? Was it possible that I was serving God’s people and doing his will (OR my interpretation of his will) and have completely forgotten about the will designer himself? (Lord, circumcise my heart)
David prayed a prayer that I believe we all need to pray every now and then. He said God see if there is any offensive way in me & lead me to your everlasting way . (Psalm 139:24) I’ve come to believe that God led me to that church at that time to be challenged to push everything aside and focus on him alone.
I want to challenge you to spend an hour of your day once a month praising God. Lock your doors, turn your phone off, eliminate every distraction and just praise him.
The Hour of Praise is a challenge that I will take on over and over again. If Isaiah and David can speak boldly in their prayers to God saying “no one can praise you like we do,” then I would love to be part of that elite group of ‘God Praisers.” (Isa 38:18-19, Psalm 6:5)
I would love to stand before God and say “God if I die, no one else will be able to praise you like I do.”
I’ve come to believe that the hour of praise has become yet another step of coming closer to that level of intimate communion with God.

God bless you!

- Ayo Owodunni