Relationship in Praise

I got to watch an online service last night, that was going on in Orlando. It was a great service! One of the biggest things that hit me was during the praise service. I was talking on Sunday with my friend Mary about music and how some of our praise songs are not truly praise songs. Traditionally our praise time is meant to be a time when we lift up Gods name and praise him, for how great he is. It seemed that some of our songs have gotten off base from that concept. Not that they are bad by any means, because they are all christian songs. It is just that they had seemed to of gotten away from praising God, and one song in particular seemed to be focused on how much God loves us, which is opposite of what is considered a traditional praise service. So, last night in the service they sang a song that was praising God very directly and very obviously. then they went into the next song that says "How he loves us, oh how he loves us" at first I was a little thrown off because I recognized the shift in focus moving from God to us. I mean, I love the song, it is one of my favorites actually, but it didn't fit into the box I put around what I thought praise should be. All of the sudden it hit me like a ton of bricks. That song wasn't about us praising God it was a prophetic response to our praise! God has always been about relationship. and relationship must be bi-directional. God ripped my box up, and took me to a new level. I LOVE THAT! I love new revelation! interactive relationship in praise opens up a whole new realm of experience. We sang to him "Bless the Lord oh my Soul, Bless the Lord!" and he returned our blessing by blessing us by reminding us "he loves us! oh how he loves us!" I am thankful for a God that desires a relationship with me! We serve an amazing God!