Praise the Lord! Praise
God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heaven! Praise him for his
mighty works; praise his unequaled greatness! Praise him with a blast of the
ram’s horn; praise him with the lyre and harp! Praise him with the tambourine
and dancing; praise him with strings and flutes! Praise him with a clash of cymbals.
Let everything that breathes sing praises to the Lord! Praise the Lord!1
God has made us a
special people so that we can fulfill a special purpose. Isaiah 43:21 says,
"The people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise." An
integral part of worshiping the Lord is proclaiming His greatness.
To praise the Lord is to
admire Him for who He is and for what He has done. When we love another person,
it is natural to speak well of them. In the same way, those who love God find
it easy to praise Him.
Praising the Lord is
good for us. It is easy to focus on meeting our needs. And, sadly, this
attitude has infiltrated some churches. But God does not want us to go to
church worried only about ourselves. Praise lifts our gaze to the Lord and
fills our hearts with satisfaction.
Praise and worship are
often associated with church services, but they should characterize us wherever
we are. Some of the most intimate and precious experiences of worship can occur
when we are alone with the Father.
Remember how God has
cared for you, and look for daily evidence in your life. Then tell the Lord
that you want to learn to praise Him with all your heart.
Suggested Prayer: Heavenly
Father, I want to thank you for taking care of me and my family. Let me
focus on the evidences in my day-to-day life that You are with me. Being able
to breathe tells me that You are with me, being able to open my eyes every
morning, being able to give a smile, being able to give words of encouragement
to someone, being able to give a hug, being able to praise You freely, being
able to spend time with You. Thank You, Lord, because if I start counting, I
have thousands of evidences of Your presence with me. I praise you with all my
heart in the name of Jesus, Amen.
1.
Psalm 150 (ESV).
Today's Encounter was
written by: Rosina N.