To acknowledge means to admit the existence or truth of, to express recognition of, or to make notice of. It is also an expression of gratitude or appreciation for or to.
Yes, worship and praise are an important part of acknowledging God, but based on the definition given above, try to look at what it means to acknowledge God in terms of being in a relationship with Him.
Sometimes our view of God is limited and we seem to think that He is untouchable and unreachable. When you know that you have a relationship with God, you understand who He is and your focus is on Him. Human friendships and relationships are not perfect but this same concept can be applied.
When we are going through tough times in our relationships, it is easy to focus on one hurtful thing rather than seeing the relationship as a whole. The hurt tends to blind us and it blots out everything that the relationship is built upon. But then again, you have to ask yourself, what is the relationship truly standing on? Is God the foundation of your union?
When we acknowledge a person that we love, the relationship we have with them is not only beneficial but it is also nurturing and full of nourishment. Our actions should say, "I love you and I want you to know it, not only through my words but in all that I do."
One time I heard a man say to a woman, “I believe you are the one for me and we belong together,” but there was no evidence of this declaration in his life or, more importantly, in his relationship with Christ. You cannot say you believe in something when your actions do not match your words.
What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? (James 2:14, ESV).
A person expressing the belief that you all belong together cannot save you or pray for you when you are truly in need. Their lives must represent this through Christ. If this is not the case, they might as well be saying, “I will pray for you,” because it sounds good, but they do not really do it.
If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works is dead. (James 2:15-17, ESV)
I once attended a conference in Chicago and a Christian man shared how a prideful experience changed his life forever. He said that a homeless man came up to him and asked if he could spare some change to get a cheeseburger but instead he told the man, “No, but I can tell you about Jesus.” He insisted on telling the homeless man about Jesus but would not help him get a cheeseburger. The homeless man told him, "I know you love the Lord but I am hungry." His situation is an example of the scripture above (James 2:15-17). He wanted to tell the homeless man about the love of the Lord but did not want to help him meet a need that was important to him in that moment. The man sharing the story said that maybe if he would have helped take care of the homeless man's need, then the guy might have been willing to listen to him talk about Jesus. Instead, he let his pride get in the way.
How can we say that we love God, and believe in him if we are not willing to share with others what he has so graciously blessed us with? Remember the time when you were in need and someone was willing to help you? I am sure that it strengthened your faith because someone’s actions reflected Christ’s love. We have to be willing to do this for others.
Many people struggle with believing in God because they have not experienced Him in one of the most important ways—through relationships. God created us to be relational creatures, and when people come to know Christ intimately, it is because they have encountered or experienced Him through someone else’s life.
Your relationship with God is instrumental in the development of another’s life in Christ. Never forget it.
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