Time to get back to "real" life. Vacations are fun. And it was nice to be with loved ones, relax, see different sights. No cleaning, no work, no schedules! I love it. But I also love coming home to my own space, my much missed animals, eating healthy (one cannot live on desserts I guess!), and just being home in general. This week I will finish up Mom's entry on praise. I have so much to praise the Lord for this week. Seeing the beauty of His creation always leads to praise for me. Sometimes it's hard to notice in an area that is so developed as mine is, so much seems man made that I take for granted the beauty around me. Being out where God's creation shines so brightly brings me to awe of His creativeness, knowledge and amazing power.
Lord, teach me to praise.
Psalm 71:14 But I will keep on hoping for Your help; I will praise You more and more.
"more and more." Find fresh and new ways to praise God. The old ways don't need to be abandoned, but become creative in our praises to God as God is creative in meeting our needs. Thus we will not fall prey to careless praise, which becomes dull and boring and ends in merely mouthing praises.
Psalm 100:1-5 Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth! Worship the Lord with gladness. Come before Him, singing with joy. Acknowledge that the Lord is God! He made us and we are His. We are His people, the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving; go into His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him and praise His name. For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and His faithfulness continues to each generation.
1 Peter 2:9 But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God's very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for He called you out of the darkness into His wonderful light.
We exist to praise God. He wants us to come to Him with a worshipful heart. Praising God shifts our focus to God. Psalm 100:1 tells us to praise God with joy.
Psalm 113:3 From the rising of the sun to its going down, the Lord’s name is to be praised. All day long, we say praise, and how we act says praise.
Psalm 108:3 I will thank You, Lord, among all the people. I will sing Your praises among the nations. Praise in the presence of others.
Through praise we can profit more from our own trials. Praise and give thanks in the midst of trials.
Why? Romans 8:28 and we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them. Philippians 4:13 For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.
Be obedient to God's command. James 1:2-4 Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a change to grown. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.
Praise God more. Psalm 71:14 But I will keep on hoping for Your help; I will praise You more and more.
Look for those fresh and new ways to praise God more and more.
Psalm 118:24 This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.
From me.
Praise needs to be a lifestyle. Our words, our actions, when we are alone, when we are with others, when we come into the presence of the Lord in our prayer time, our need time....always, all day, everyday, in all things. Praise. I think the Scripture that jumped out at me today, that convicted me today was James 1:2-4. I spend more time complaining about trials than growing from them through praise. There is nothing that we go through, nothing that comes our way, nothing that happens that praising God is not an appropriate response. Because if we truly believe Romans 8:28, then even though the circumstance and heartbreak may be unfathomable, unbearable, we know that God is with us, and will bring us through with purpose and with love. Difficulties do not mean we abandon our praise walk. That is a habit I'd like to pick up!
Lord, help us to praise more, praise always. You are worthy. I forget that so often when I don't get my way, when things don't go smoothly or as I like. In big troubles, in little troubles, in good and in bad, let our habit be to enter Your gates with thanksgiving; go into Your courts with praise. Forgive me, I fail in this so often. But I know You see our frailties and love us anyway. Just another reason You are always worthy of our praise. Teach us to praise You more and more. In Jesus' most worthy Name, Amen
Take these Scriptures to heart....pray over them, think on them, make them part of you.
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