Weekly Prayer Thought

I will praise You, O LORD, with my whole heart;
I will tell of all Your marvelous works.
I will be glad and rejoice in You;
I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.
Psalm 9.1-2

When you are first starting your journey of prayer, the most difficult part of praying is the worship part. We find it easy to bring our petitions, our requests, to God. After all, for most of us our whole prayer life has been asking God for stuff. Thanking God is also fairly easy because we have asked for things that God has given us. We also find it simple to thank God for the blessings that surround us on a daily basis.

But praising God? Praising God is a completely different story. It feels uncomfortable, unnatural. We are not used to saying the words of praise. Since praise can be a source of tension, let me make a few suggestions from Psalm 9.

• Praise God with your heart. You do not necessarily need words. Praise is a matter of attitude.
• Tell of what God has done. You can incorporate this aspect of praise in your prayer time by rehearsing God's work. You can also praise God by sharing the news of God's deeds to others.
• Be glad about the work of God. You may not be wealthy, beautiful or in perfect health, but God is with you. Be glad for God, with God and to God.
• Sing to the Lord. Not everyone loves music the way I do, but most people can sing, at least a little. Next time you are alone, or driving, or in the shower, sing a song of praise to the Lord.

PRAYER: Lord, you are good and your mercy endures forever. You are high and lifted up. You are worthy of all glory and power and praise and worship and honor. I love you, Lord. Be exalted in my life, in my words and in my heart. Amen.