Daughter, the resident charismatic, went through a phase when she often added "PRAISE THE GOD!" or "HALLELUJAH!" to random conversation. The funny part is that she always used it appropriately. Unlike her fascination with the term "Awwwk--ward!", one can use "Praise [the] God" appropriately with just about anything:
"No school tomorrow! Praise the God!"
"No homework! Praise the God!"
"Pizza for dinner! Praise the God!"
There was a time when I used the phrase "It's a God thing" to explain how I got through the initial years of parenting. In my mind, it sounded less conversationally jarring than a long narrative about giving God credit, but I still recall the silence that ensued when I brought it up once during the workday. (Awwwk--ward!)
While a conversation could definitely be had about the right-ness or wrong-ness of throwing out verbal acknowledgment of God in random conversation, I'm going to dodge that for the moment and ask instead, even if I don't audibly acknowledge God to others, can I even honestly say I am acknowledging God silently?
In Hosea 2:14-23, God lists off all these wonderful ways he pursues me: he responds to me faithfully, lovingly, compassionately, with righteousness and justice. He takes time to allure me to him, and responds to my needs. Not once does the passage say "And you will pursue me to the extent I pursue you."
All He says is: You will acknowledge the Lord. You will say, "You are my God."
When good things happen, is my heart saying, "Praise God!" or "Thanks God!" or even simply, "God was in that." I would be scared to know how little I acknowledge God (silently or otherwise) and how much I take credit because I worked hard/performed well/achieved that. I suspect acknowledging God is a mighty form of Pride-cancer chemo.
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