Psalm 98:1 –
Sing a new song to the Lord, for he has done wonderful deeds. His right hand has won a mighty victory; his holy arm has shown his saving power!
I first read this and thought I was repeating a Psalm, but Psalms 33, 96, 144 and 149 also reference singing a new song. So I reflected on what that means and immediately looked at our relationship with God. How many times do we talk with God and find our prayer repeating? How many times do we sing the same songs over and over? I know I land in these ruts more than once or twice a week! It’s easy to do with a God that cannot be seen or heard.
I know many churches I have attended over the years have a ritual of worship, which hasn’t changed for decades. I know God does not ignore those prayers, but I wonder if he likes fresh from time to time. At the same time I question if God hasn’t already heard or seen it all. I don’t think mixing it up is so much for God, but for us! When we think of new songs, pray new prayers, worship in a different way or just enjoy a sunset we sharpen our focus on God.
Look at the rest of this verse and you will see all the wonderful things God offers us. That alone should get us out of our ruts and embracing all that God has to offer us. We should earnestly search for something new each day to praise God about, not to make God feel good but to remind us what God is all about. It’s easy to do, just hard to start and keep doing!! Just have to work on it each day,
Now if someone needs a bunch of prayer, this does not mean move on to a new need. No we need to remain in that rut for as long as necessary. But instead of asking God to fix this persons problem, ask Him to show you a way so you can help! Don’t lose focus on others and keep the prayers fresh. I believe that is what God is asking of us in these verses.