Quotes, Devotionals, Illustrations from
There is no engagement under Heaven that is more exalting than praising God—and however great may be the work which is committed to the charge of any of us, we shall always do well if we pause awhile to spend a time in sacred praise. (Holy Song from Happy Saints)
Brothers and Sisters, the very best work which we ever do on earth is to adore. You are blessed in prayer, but you are seven times blessed in praise! (The Feast of the Lord)
We don’t sing enough, my Brothers and Sisters! How often do I stir you up about the matter of prayer, but perhaps I might be just as earnest about the matter of praise! Do we sing as much as the birds do? Yet what have birds to sing about, compared with us? Do you think we sing as much as the angels do? Yet they were never redeemed by the blood of Christ! (Holy Song from Happy Saints)
The soul full of joy takes a still higher step when it clothes itself with praise. Such a heart takes to itself no glory, for it is dressed in gratitude and so hides itself. Nothing is seen of the flesh and its self-exaltation, since the garment of praise hides the pride of man. (The Garment of Praise)
It would create an almost miraculous change in some people’s lives if they made a point of speaking most of the precious things and least of the worries and ills! Why always the poverty? Why always the pains? Why always the dying child? Why always the husband’s small wages? Why always the unkindness of a friend? Why not sometimes—yes, why not always—the mercies of the Lord? That is praise and it is to be our everyday garment, the livery of every servant of Christ! (The Garment of Praise)
Whoever offers praise glorifies Me,’ says the Lord. Man is made on purpose to glorify God. It is his chief end. Then his chief end is comely to him. If he answers his end, he is comely to Him who made him, and inasmuch as our chief end is to glorify God, praise becomes comely to the upright. (All-Sufficiency Magnified)
God gets some of His richest praise amidst dying groans—and He gets delightful music from His people’s triumphant cries. (True Worship)
Sometimes, even when prayer fails, praise will do it. It seems to gird up the loins. It pours a holy anointing oil upon the head and upon the spirit. It gives us a joy of the Lord which is always our strength. Sometimes, if you begin to sing in a dull frame, you can sing yourself up the ladder. Singing will often make the heart rise. (Holy Song from Happy Saints)
We are in a wrong state of mind if we are not in a thankful state of mind. Depend upon it, there is something wrong with you if you cannot praise God. (Daily Blessings for God's People)
A rejoicing heart soon makes a praising tongue. (Howling Changed to Singing)
Those tongues that confess sins are the best tongues to sing with! That tongue which has been salted with the brine of penitence is fitted to be sweet with the honey of praise. (An Earners Entreaty)
It is a great thing to praise Jesus Christ by day; but there is no music sweeter than the nightingale's, and she praises God by night. It is well to praise the Lord for his mercy when you are in health, but make sure that you do it when you are sick, for then your praise is more likely to be genuine. When you are deep down in sorrow, do not rob God of the gratitude that is due to him; never stint him of his revenue of praise whatever else goes short. Praise him sometimes on the high-sounding cymbals,—crash, crash,—with all your heart and being; but when you cannot do that, just sit, and mean his praise in solemn silence in the deep quiet of your spirit.
There is no other praise. We cannot fetch anything from elsewhere, and bring it to God; but the praises of God are simply the facts about himself.
Surely, goodness and mercy have brightened all the days of our lives. Each day has been so wonderful, that if we had only lived that one day, we should have had cause to praise the Lord for ever and ever.
God is God still; and the deeper your trouble, the greater are your possibilities of adoration; for, when you are brought to the very lowest, it is that, in extremis, you can raise the song in excelsis, out of the deepest depths you can praise the Lord to the very highest. When we glorify God out of the fires of fiercest tribulation, there is probably more true adoration of him in that melody than in the loftiest songs of cherubim and seraphim when they enjoy God, and sing out his praises in his presence above.
Come, ye children of God, and bless his dear name; for doth not all nature around you sing? If you were silent, you would be an exception to the universe. Doth not the thunder praise him as it rolls like drums in the march of the God of armies? Doth not the ocean praise him as it claps its thousand hands? Doth not the sea roar, and the fullness thereof? Do not the mountains praise him when the shaggy woods upon their summits wave in adoration? Do not the lightnings write his name in letters of fire upon the midnight darkness? Doth not this world, in its unceasing revolutions, perpetually roll forth his praise? Hath not the whole earth a voice, and shall we be silent? Shall man, for whom the world was made, and suns and stars were created,—shall he be dumb? No, let him lead the strain. Let him be the world's high priest, and while the world shall be as the sacrifice, let him add his heart thereto, and thus supply the fire of love which shall make that sacrifice smoke towards heaven. (Magnificat)
SING in fine weather! Any bird can do that. Praising God when all goes well is commonplace work. Everybody marks the nightingale above all other birds because she singeth when the other minstrels of the wood are silent and asleep; and thus doth faith praise God under the cloud. Songs in the day are from man, but God Himself giveth songs in the night. O come let us sing unto the Lord under the cloud; let us pour forth His praises in the fires! Let us praise Him under depressions, let us magnify Him when our heart is heavy. (Barbed Arrows from the Quiver of C. H. Spurgeon)\
To forget to praise God, is to refuse to benefit ourselves, for praise, like prayer, is exceedingly useful to the spiritual man. It is a high and healthful exercise. To dance, like David, before the Lord, is to quicken the blood in the veins and make the pulse beat at a healthier rate. Praise gives to us a great feast, like that of Solomon, who gave to every man a good piece of flesh and a flagon of wine. Praise is the most heavenly of Christian duties. The angels pray not, but they cease not to praise both day and night. To bless God for mercies received is to benefit our fellow-men; “the humble shall hear thereof and be glad.” Others who have been in like circumstances, shall take comfort if we can say, “Oh! magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together; this poor man cried, and the Lord heard him.” Tongue-tied Christians are a sad dishonor to the Church. We have some such, some whom the devil has gagged, and the loudest music they ever make is when they are champing the bit of their silence. I would, my brethren, that in all such cases the tongue of the dumb may sing. To go a step further here. As praise is good and pleasant, blessing man and glorifying, God, united praise has a very special commendation. United praise is like music in concert. The sound of one instrument is exceeding sweet, but when hundreds of instruments, both wind and stringed, are all combined, then the orchestra sendeth forth a noble volume of harmony. The praise of one Christian is accepted before God like a grain of incense; but the praise of many is like a censor full of frankincense smoking up before the Lord. Combined praise is an anticipation of heaven, for in that general assembly they altogether with one heart and voice praise the Lord. “Ten thousand thousand are their tongues, But all their joys are one.” Public praise is very agreeable to the Christian himself. How many burdens has it removed, I am sure when I hear the shout of praise in this house it warms my heart. It is at times a little too slow for my taste, and I must urge you to quicken your pace, that the rolling waves of majestic praise may display their full force, yet with all drawbacks, to my heart there is no music like yours. Even there, however, the many voices make a grand harmony of praise. I love to hear God’s people sing when they really do sing, not when it is a drawing out somewhere between harmony and discord. O for a sacred song, a shout of lofty praise in which every man’s soul beats the time, and every man’s tongue sounds the tune, and each singer feels a high ambition to excel his fellow in gratitude and love. There is something exceedingly delightful in the union of true hearts in the worship of God, and when these hearts are expressed in song, how sweet the charming sounds. I think we ought to have a praise-meeting once a week. We have a prayer meeting every Monday, and a prayer-meeting every Saturday, and a prayer-meeting every morning, but why do we not have a praise-meeting? Surely seasons should be set apart for services made up of praise from beginning to end. Let us try the plan at once… it is almost always the case that David by the fire of prayer warms himself into praise. He begins low, with many a broken note of complaining, but he mounts and glows, and, like the lark, sings as he ascends. When at first his harp is muffled he warbles a few mournful notes and becomes excited, till he cannot restrain his hand from that well-known and accustomed string which he had reserved for the music of praise alone. (The Power of Prayer and the Pleasure of Praise)
Praising God is one of the best ways of keeping away murmuring! (Fifteen Years Later!)
Is not praise composed in a large measure of an attentive observation of God’s mercy? Thousands of blessings come to us without our knowledge: we take them in at the back-door, and put them away. in the cellar. Now, praise takes note of them, preserves the invoice of favors received, and records the goodness of the Lord. O friends, if you do this, you will never be short, of reasons for praise. He who notices ’God’s mercy will never be without a mercy to notice. This is the chief material of the garment of praise: attentive consideration of divine grace is the broadcloth out of which the garment of praise is made… Maintain the memory of his great goodness. “Forget not all his benefits.” Call to remembrance your song in the night; and remember the loving-kindnesses of the Lord. In this also we find rich material for the garment of praise. (The Garment of Praise)
God turns our fasts into feasts, and we are glad in the midst of our sorrow! We can praise and bless His name for all that He does. (Sad Fasts Changed to Glad Feasts)
Praise is the beauty of a Christian. What wings are to a bird, what fruit is to the tree, what the rose is to the thorn, that is praise to a child of God. (Prayer, the Proof of Godliness)
This is how we live spiritually—we breathe in the air by prayer, and we breathe it out by praise! This is the holy respiration of a Christian’s life! Prayer and praise must be mingled in a divinely wise proportion and then they make a sweet incense, acceptable to God. (Eternal Life!)
Praise is the end of prayer and preaching. (An Unparalleled Cure)
O Friends, if you are afraid of being overcome, take to praising God! If you are in trouble and do not know how to bear it, divert your thoughts by praising God! Get away from the present trial by blessing and magnifying His holy name! (Comforted and Comforting)
How many times a day do you praise Him [God]? I think you do get alone to pray and you would be ashamed if you did not, once, twice, or three or even more times in the day—but how often do you praise God? Now, you know that you will not pray in Heaven; there it will be all praise. Then do not neglect that necessary part of your education which is to “begin the music here.” Start at once praising the Lord. (Christ’s Indwelling Word)
Mercies should be remembered. It is a great wrong to God when we bury His mercies in the grave of unthankfulness. Especially is this the case with distinguishing mercies, wherein the Lord makes us to differ from others. Light, when the rest of the land is in darkness! Life, when others are smitten with the sword of death! Liberty from an iron bondage! O Christians, these are not things to be forgotten! Abundantly utter the memory of distinguishing mercies! Discriminating Grace deserves unceasing memorials of praise! (Sin—Its Springhead, Stream and Sea)
You may also destroy your distresses by singing praises to God. By blessing the Lord, you may set your foot upon the neck of your adversaries—you can sing yourself right up from the deeps by God’s gracious help. Out of the very depths you may cry unto the Lord till He shall lift you up, and you shall praise Him in excelsis—in the very highest—and magnify His name! I give you this as one of the shortest and surest recipes for comfort—begin to praise God. The next time that a friend comes in to see you, do not tell him how long the wind has been blowing from the North, how cold the weather is for this season of the year, how your poor bones ache, how little you have coming in and all your troubles—he has probably heard the sad story many times before! Instead of that, tell him what the Lord has done for you and make him feel that the Lord is good. Your griefs and your troubles speak for themselves, but your mercies are often dumb—so try, therefore, to give them a tongue and praise the Lord with all your heart! (Comforted and Comforting - See the Exposition of Psalm 147 after the sermon)
Prayer is refreshing, but praise is even more so, for there may be and there often is, in prayer, the element of selfishness—but praise rises to a yet higher level. Prayer and praise together make up spiritual respiration—we breathe in the air of Heaven when we pray—and we breathe it out again when we praise. ‘It is good to sing praises unto our God.’ (The Known and the Unknown)
Aaron held his peace when his two sons died. He got as far as that in submission to the will of the Lord. But it will be better still if, instead of simply holding your peace, you can bless and praise and magnify the Lord even in your sharpest trouble! Oh, may you be divinely helped to do so! (The Sorrowful Man’s Question)
‘Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice! Have mercy also upon me, and answer me. The Psalmist has only just begun praising when he takes to praying—and that should be a Christian’s double occupation—praising and praying! I have often said that as our life is made up of breathing in and breathing out, so we should breathe in the atmosphere of Heaven by prayer and then breathe it out, again, in praise. (Unparalleled Suffering)
It is a good thing to praise Christ in the presence of His friends. It is, sometimes, a better thing to extol Him in the presence of His enemies. It is a great thing to praise Jesus Christ by day, but there is no music sweeter than the nightingale’s—and she praises God by night. It is well to praise the Lord for His mercy when you are in health, but make sure that you do it when you are sick, for then your praise is more likely to be genuine. (The Objective of Christ’s Death)
Souls are often converted through godly conversation. Simple words frequently do more good than long sermons. Disjointed, unconnected sentences are often of more use than the most finely polished periods or rounded sentences. If you would be useful, let the praises of Christ be always on your tongue. Let Him live on your lips. Speak of Him always! (Christian Conversation)
The first thing to do, when the throat is clear after an illness, is to sing praises to God! The first thing to do, when the eyes are brightened again, is to look up to the Lord with thankfulness and gratitude. (Singing Saints)
It is always best for us, if there is anything to be said in our praise, not to say it ourselves, but to let somebody else say it. Brother, if your trumpeter is dead, put the trumpet away! When that trumpet needs to be blown, there will be a trumpeter found to use it—but you need never blow it yourself. (A Man Named Matthew)
Many of our doubts and fears would fly away if we praised God more. And many of our trials and troubles would altogether vanish if we began to sing of our mercies. Oftentimes, depression of spirit that will not yield to a whole night of wrestling, would yield to ten minutes of thanksgiving before God! Praying is the stalk of the wheat, but praise is the very ear of it. Praying is the leaf of the rose, but praise is the rose itself, redolent with the richest perfume.” (Christ’s Indwelling Word)
When a man blesses God for the bitter, the Lord often sends him the sweet. If he can praise God in the night, the daylight is not far off. There never was a heart yet that waited and wanted to praise God but the Lord soon gave it opportunities of lifting up Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs unto Him. (Comforted and Comforting)
I look upon a murmuring spirit as the forewarning of stormy weather in a rebellious soul—and I regard a praiseful spirit as the forecast of a happy time to come to the loyal joyous soul. God has prepared the heart to receive the joy which, otherwise, it, might not have been fit to accept at his hands. Be comforted, then, dear Friends, if you find in your hearts the desire to praise God, and belief that the Lord will find in His heart the willingness to speedily bless you! (Comforted and Comforting)
Whenever I grow very dull through pain, or heavy through lack of sleep, I say to myself, ‘I will note down what I owe to God of praise, which I cannot just now pay to Him, that I may do so when I get a little better.’ And then my conscience chides me, saying, ‘Praise Him NOW! Bless God for aching bones! Bless God for a weary head! Bless God for troubles and trials, for he who can so praise the Lord is singing a truer and more acceptable song than youth, health and happiness can present!’ A seraph never praised God with an aching head. Cherubs never blessed the Lord upon a sick bed—so you will excel even the angels if you magnify the Lord in sickness! Why should you not, since you also can say, ‘The Lord is my strength and song’? (An Epistle Illustrated by a Psalm)
“Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice—have mercy also upon me and answer me. One moment he praises and the next moment he prays. That is quite right. I have often said to you that we live by breathing in and breathing out. We breathe in the atmosphere of Heaven by prayer and we breathe it out again by praise. Prayer and praise make up the essentials of the Christian’s life. Oh, for more of them—not prayer without praise, nor praise without prayer! Prayer and praise, like the two horses in Pharaoh’s chariot, make our Christian life to run smoothly and swiftly to God’s honor and glory.” (“Mr. Moody’s Text”)
Singing is the best thing to purge ourselves of evil thoughts. Keep your mouth full of songs and you will often keep your heart full of praises keep on singing as long as you can—you will find it a good method of driving away your fears. (Songs in the Night)
There are many ways of praising God. We should do it with the lips and grateful is the voice of song in the ears of the Lord God of Sabaoth. We should do it by our daily conversation—let our acts be acts of praise, as well as our words be words of praise. We should do it even by the very look of our eyes and by the appearance of our countenance. Let not your face be sad, let your countenance be joyous! Sing wherever you go, yes, when you are laden with trouble, let no man see it. (Covenant Blessings)
The man who knows that his eternal future is secured by the unfailing Grace of God may forever praise the Lord who has given him life! (A Song and a Solace)
Let me say to you mourners and sufferers that your praises of God when you have no trouble are not worth half as much as they may be now. If you can sing His praises on the bed of sickness and extol Him in the fire of a sore bereavement, that will be grand! The praises of the angels, as they bow in perfect happiness, and say, “God is good,” must be very blessed. And the praises of men of God on earth, who are prospering in business and who have health and strength, and who say, “God is good,” are very precious. But you take me to one who is poor and needy, one who scarcely knows where his daily bread will come from—and when he says, ‘But God is good,; I think the Lord finds a sweeter note in that praise than He does even in the music of the angelic choirs!” (The Stronghold)
I do not think that all the cherubim and seraphim in Heaven ever praised God as they have done who have died in prison for Jesus’ sake, or at the stake have poured forth their blood rather than deny Him. Be glad that you may prove your love by suffering for Christ. The ruby crown of martyrdom is not within your reach today, but be thankful if some jewels of suffering may be yours. And count it all joy when you can endure this cross for the name of Jesus Christ. (A Procession of Cross-Bearers)
The praise of gratitude for the past is sweet, but that praise is sweeter which adores God for the future in full confidence that it shall be well. Therefore, take down your harps from the willows, O you people, and praise you the name of the Lord, though the fig tree still does not blossom and the cattle still die in the stall and the sheep still perish from the folds—though there should be to you no income to meet your needs and you should be brought almost to necessity’s door—still bless the Lord whose mighty Providence cannot fail and shall not fail as long as there is one of His children to be provided for! (The Singing Army)
Do you notice that there is not a single petition in the whole of this Psalm? [Psalm 103] It is all praise! And herein it is like Heaven, where they cease to pray, but where they praise God without ceasing! We cannot rise to that height here, but let us both praise and pray when we can.” (Prisoners of Hope - bottom of page)
Surely we make too little of our Redeemer’s death. I fear that even we, who preach most concerning it, dwell too little upon it. That we who pray, plead it too little. That we who sing, praise our Lord too little for His wondrous death and that we who live upon His Grace, yet think too little of the channel by which it flows to us! (Christ’s Death and Ours)
Virtues in unregenerate men are nothing but whitewashed sins! The best performance of an unchanged character is worthless in God’s sight. It lacks the stamp of Grace upon it and that which has not the stamp of Grace is false coin. Be it ever so beautiful in model and finish, it is not what it should be. ‘So then they that are in the flesh cannot praise God. (The Search After Happiness)
To be wrapped in praise to God is the highest state of the soul. To receive the mercy for which we praise God is something, but to be wholly clothed with praise to God for the mercy received is far more! (The Garment of Praise)
Think not that all praise is gathered up in singing! It is the praise of God when the mother tells her child of the goodness of Him who made the stars, and who spread the world with flowers. It is praise when the young convert tells of the joy of his heart to his companion and bids him fly to the Fountain where he has washed and been made clean. It is praise, praise of a high order, too, when the advanced Believer in his old age tells of the faithfulness of God, and how not one good thing has failed of all that the Lord God has promised! (Praise Comely to the Upright)
But every morning also brings a new mercy because every morning ushers in another day. That is a new reason for praise, for we have no right to an hour, or even a minute, much less to a day. To the sinner, especially, it is a great mercy to have another day of Grace, another opportunity for repentance, a new reprieve from death, a little more space in which to escape from Hell and fly to Heaven. (The Novelties of Divine Mercy)
Are we to praise the Lord now for keeping us to the end? Will it not do if we praise Him when the end comes and we have been kept to the end? Will it not do if we praise Him when we are presented faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy? But can you not believe God s promise that He will keep you to the end—and bless His name for it even NOW? (Danger. Safety. Gratitude)
Oh, that the Lord Jesus would now send fire into all your souls and make you love Him, for surely, if you have but the sense of what He has done and how He did it, and what it cost Him to do it, and who He is that has done it—and who you were for whom He has done it—you will surely say, ‘Oh, for a thousand hearts that I may love You as I should, and a thousand tongues that I may praise You as I should!’ (Christ Made Sin)
When I pray, I ask for something for myself or other people. When I praise, it is but little I can render. But oh, to think that, I, a poor creature of God’s own making, should be able to give to Him! It puts the creature in the highest conceivable light. It lifts him well above angels. (Black Clouds and Bright Blessings)
To praise God without praying to Him would be impossible. To pray to God without praising Him would be ungrateful. (God in Heaven, and Men on the Sea)
It is only when we can say with David, ‘My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise,’ that there is the music of deep and lasting joy in the songs that we send up to Heaven! (Finding and Following Christ)
Happy, happy child, whose earliest work is work for God, whose earliest hearing is hearing the voice of God, whose earliest breath is spent in the praise of God! God grant, of His infinite mercy, that our children may be such children, and He shall have the praise! (Here I Am!)
O dear Friends, let us never be satisfied with any kind of worship which does not take up the whole of our inner and higher nature! It is what you are within that you really are before the living God! And it is quite a secondary matter how loud the chant may be, or how sweet the tune of your hymn, or how delightfully you join in it unless your spirit, your soul, truly praises the Lord! You can sometimes do this in ‘songs without words’—and he that has no voice for singing can, after this fashion, magnify the Lord with his soul and spirit. (Mary’s Magnificat)
Brothers and Sisters, praise is God’s due when He takes as well as when He gives, for there is as much love in His taking as in His giving! The kindness of God is quite as great when He smites us with His rod as when He kisses us with the kisses of His mouth. If we could see everything as He sees it, we would often perceive that the kindest possible thing He can do to us is that which appears to us to be unkind. (Fifteen Years Later!)
A Christian silent when others are praising His Master? No! He must join in the song. Satan tries to make God’s people dumb, but he cannot, for the Lord has not a tongue-tied child in all His family! They can all speak and they can all cry, even if they cannot all sing—but I think there are times when they can all sing—yes, they must, for you know the promise, “Then shall the tongue of the dumb sing.” Surely, when Jesus leads the tune, if there should be any silent ones in the Lord’s family, they must begin to praise the name of the Lord! (The Memorable Hymn)
There is no prayer that is purer, more spiritual, more heavenly than the prayer which comes out of a heart full of praise! How often have I said that prayer is the breathing in of the air of Heaven and praise is the breathing of it out again? Prayer and praise make up the best life of the Christian and he is not yet thoroughly in spiritual health who is all for prayer and not at all for praise—but he is the really healthy Christian who has these two things rightly balanced. (A Visit from the Lord)
Sing praises unto His name; for it is pleasant. That is, singing God’s praises is pleasant—it is a pleasant duty and the Lord’s name is pleasant, or lovely. The very thought of God brings the sweetest emotions to every renewed heart. There is no pleasure in the world that exceeds that of devotion. As we sing praises unto the Lord, we shake off the cares of the world, we rise above its smoke and mists and we get, then, the clearer atmosphere of communion with Him. (A Strange Yet Gracious Choice)
Greek and Hebrew Word Studies Related to Praise:
- Hallelujah - Praise the Lord'
- Halal (Praise - verb)
- Tehillah (Praise - noun),
- Allelouia (Greek for Hallelujah)
You may never have heard these beautiful instrumentals of praise to the Most High God by the gifted vocalist and pianist Fernando Ortega
Other songs by Fernando Ortega that speak of Praise:
- Our Great God - God glorifying wonderful lyrics and melody
Leon Patillo's Love to Praise Your Name
Joseph Addison (Vocal by Fernando Ortega - O my! What can we do but praise our King!) (View All Stanzas)
When all thy mercies, O my God!
My rising soul surveys,
Transported with the view, I’m lost
In wonder, love, and praise.Through all eternity to Thee
A joyful song I’ll raise;
For, oh, eternity’s too short
To utter all Thy praise!
He who sings his own praise is usually off key. - Anon
The best atmosphere for prayer is praise. - Peter Anderson
Be not hot in prayer and cold in praise. - Anon.
When you sing your own praise, you always get the tune too high.
Worship is a heart overflowing with praise to God.
Praise is our heart’s response to His forgiveness.
Praise has the power to lighten our heaviest burden.
Praise is the voice of faith.
Praise is the fairest blossom which springs from the soul.
God's work of creating is done; our work of praising has just begun.
Praise can lighten your heaviest burden.
If you keep in tune with Christ, you can sing (praise) even in the dark.
A heart filled with praise brings pleasure to God.
Joy thrives in the soil of praise.
Take control of my heart today,
Keep it filled with joy and praise
And gratitude for every good
You bestow on all my days.
—Sees
If you find yourself wearing a spirit of heaviness, try on a garment of praise. (Robin Mark - Garments of Praise - wonderful!)
Praise is the song of a soul set free.
At the heart of worship is worship from the heart.
Perhaps once in a hundred years a person may be ruined by excessive praise, but surely once every minute someone dies inside for lack of it. - God’s Little Instruction Book for Men
Praise is more than singing, it’s the saint reflecting the life of Christ. - Anon.
Bless God heartily though he afflict you heavily. - Anon.
Bless the Lord today; he blesses you every day. - Anon.
Hem your blessings with praise, lest they unravel. - Anon.
Worthy is God of our worship,
Worthy is He of our praise,
Magnify Him with thanksgiving,
Gladly our voices we raise. —Anon.
A heart in tune with God can sing praises even in the darkest night.
A heart in tune with God can’t help but sing His praises.
ou are the chosen of the Lord
To sing His highest praise,
And through the melody of song
To show His wondrous ways. —Anon.
Praise comes naturally when you count your blessings.
Hymns are the incense of a worshiping soul praising God!
God keeps giving us reasons to praise Him.
Even on the darkest days
My heart sings in joyful praise,
Not because God says I should
But because I know He's good. —Link
You awaken us to delight in your praise; for you have made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you. Augustine
When a friend was comforting the Rev. Richard Baxter (1615–1691) on his deathbed with the remembrance of the good which many had received by his preaching and writings, Mr. Baxter replied, “I was but a pen in God’s hand, and what praise is due to a pen?”
J. S. Bach said, “All music should have no other end and aim than the glory of God and the soul’s refreshment; where this is not remembered there is no real music but only a devilish hubbub.” He headed his compositions: “J. J.” “Jesus Juva” which means “Jesus help me.” He ended them “S.D.G.” “Soli Dei gratia” which means “To God alone the praise.”
An aged lady, dearly loved her Lord. Often her cup of joy overflowed. A favorite expression of hers was, "Praise the Lord!" In God's house, when the minister preached, she would say, "Praise the Lord!" Sometimes the minister was disturbed when "Aunt" Betty said, "Praise the Lord!" He would lose his line of thought for the moment. He offered her a pair of blankets if she would refrain from saying, "Praise the Lord!" during his sermon. She greatly needed the blankets, for she was very poor. She did her best to earn them on the minister's terms. For many Sundays, she kept perfectly quiet during the sermon. Then, one day, a visiting minister came to preach. He preached on forgiveness of sin, with its attendant blessings and joys. As he preached, "Aunt" Betty thought less and less of the blankets, and more and more of the joys of salvation. Finally, she could stand it no longer. She cried out, "Blankets or no blankets, PRAISE THE LORD!" - "Aunt Betty" (from Walter Knight)
Praise … decentralizes self. - Paul E. Billheimer
Had I a thousand tongues, I would praise God with them all. - Peter Boehler
I have never sufficiently praised the Lord, and never can. - Andrew Bonar
We should be always wearing the garment of praise, not just waving a palmbranch now and then. - Andrew Bonar
The servants of the Lord are to sing his praises in this life to the world’s end; and in the next life world without end. - John Boys
God listens for nothing more tenderly as when his children help each other by their testimonies to his goodness and the way in which he has brought them deliverance. - Horace Bushnell
Men in general praise God in such a manner that he scarcely obtains the tenth part of his due. - John Calvin
Praise is the best of all sacrifices and the true evidence of godliness. John Calvin
The most holy service that we can render to God is to be employed in praising his name. John Calvin
There is not a corner in heaven or on earth where God is not praised. John Calvin
Praise God for Being God - Authentic praise of God acknowledges what is true about God; it responds to qualities that are "there" and not simply "there for me." ... In other words, God is to be praised because God is God, because of what God is and does, quite apart from what God is and does for me. Anyone can, and should, praise God when the Lord blesses one and keeps one. ... Gratitude is indeed often expressed as praise, and rightly. But that does not make praise and gratitude identical. Or does God cease to be praiseworthy when gratitude has fled because the Lord seems to withhold blessing, when the divine face appears to be set against us, and when agony drives out peace? - Quoted by Jeff Carroll
Recognize Your Blessings "Count your blessings!" That is excellent counsel, but sometimes we have to recognize them first! A man who owned a small estate wished to sell it. Sending for a real estate agent, he asked him to write an advertisement describing the house and land. When the ad was ready, the agent took it to the owner and read it to him. "Read that again," said the owner. The agent read the description of the estate once more. "I don't think I will sell after all," said the owner. "I have been looking for an estate like that all my life, and I did not know that I owned it!" Count your blessings—yes, but start by asking God to open your eyes to see your possessions in Christ. Begin by recognizing all that you have in Christ. That will change your entire perspective and enable you to praise God for what you have. - Quoted by Jeff Carroll
To the ear of God everything he created makes exquisite music, and man joined in the paean of praise until he fell, then there came in the frantic discord of sin. The realization of redemption brings man by way of the minor note of repentance back into tune with praise again. Oswald Chambers
All things praise Thee, Lord most high,
Heav’n and earth and sea and sky,
All were for Thy glory made,
That Thy greatness thus displayed
Should all worship bring to Thee;
All things praise Thee—Lord, may we!All things praise Thee—night to night
Sings in silent hymns of light;
All things praise Thee—day to day
Chants Thy power in burning ray;
Time and space are praising Thee,
All things praise Thee—Lord, may we!All things praise Thee—high and low,
Rain and dew and sparkling snow,
Crimson sunset, fleecy cloud,
Rippling stream, and tempest loud;
Summer, winter, all to Thee
Glory render—Lord, may we!All things praise Thee—Heav’n’s high shrine
Rings with melody divine;
Lowly bending at Thy feet,
Seraph and archangel meet;
This their highest bliss, to be
Ever praising—Lord, may we!All things praise Thee—gracious Lord,
Great Creator, powerful Word,
Omnipresent Spirit, now
At Thy feet we humbly bow;
Lift our hearts in praise to Thee;
All things praise Thee—Lord, may we!
William Cowper (List of hymns)
Almighty King! whose wondrous hand
Supports the weight of sea and land;
Whose grace is such a boundless store,
No heart shall break that sighs for more;Thy providence supplies my food,
And ‘tis Thy blessing makes it good;
My soul is nourish’d by Thy Word,
Let soul and body praise the Lord!My streams of outward comfort came
From Him who built this earthly frame;
Whate’er I want His bounty gives,
By whom my soul for ever lives.Either His hand preserves from pain,
Or, if I feel it, heals again;
From Satan’s malice shields my breast,
Or overrules it for the best.Forgive the song that falls so low
Beneath the gratitude I owe!
It means Thy praise, however poor,
An angel’s song can do no more.><>><>><>
Yet God the same abiding,
His praise shall tune my voice;
For, while in Him confiding,
I cannot but rejoice.
It is a bad sign when a new-born babe has not lungs enough to make itself heard over the whole house. It is equally a bad symptom when the new convert is born dumb and cannot find his voice to praise God audibly. T. L. Cuyler
Daniel ben Judah - Paraphrased by Thomas Olivers (Piano version by Fernando Ortega)(Congregational singing)(Another)
The God of Abraham praise, who reigns enthroned above;
Ancient of everlasting days, and God of Love;
Jehovah, great I AM! by earth and Heav’n confessed;
I bow and bless the sacred name forever blessed.The God of Abraham praise, at whose supreme command
From earth I rise—and seek the joys at His right hand;
I all on earth forsake, its wisdom, fame, and power;
And Him my only portion make, my shield and tower.The God of Abraham praise, whose all sufficient grace
Shall guide me all my happy days, in all my ways.
He calls a worm His friend, He calls Himself my God!
And He shall save me to the end, thro’ Jesus’ blood.The whole triumphant host give thanks to God on high;
Hail, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,they ever cry.
Hail, Abraham’s God, and mine! (I join the heav’nly lays,)
All might and majesty are Thine, and endless praise.Comment - One night in London, [Olivers] was attracted to a service in a Jewish synagogue, where he heard a great singer, Leoni, sing an ancient Hebrew melody in the solemn, plaintive mode and he became impressed with a desire to write a hymn to that tune. The result was our hymn, The God of Abraham Praise, which in a sense is a paraphrase of the ancient Hebrew Yigdal, or doxology, though Olivers gave to it a distinctly Christian flavor.
The story is told of a young Jewess who had been baptized into the Christian faith, and in consequence was abandoned by her family. She fled to the home of the minister, poured out her heart to him, and as if to show that, after all, her joy in her new-found Saviour was greater than all her loss of home and family, she sang, The God of Abraham Praise.
What else can I do, a lame old man, but sing hymns to God? - Epictetus
Lord, may our worship and our praise,
From hearts surrendered to Your ways,
Be worthy offerings of love
or all Your blessings from above. —Sper
Evening Praise - The Alpine shepherds have a beautiful custom of ending the day by singing to one another an evening farewell. The air is so crystalline that the song will carry long distances. As the dusk begins to fall, they gather their flocks and begin to lead them down the mountain paths, singing, "Hitherto hath the Lord helped us. Let us praise His name!" And at last with a sweet courtesy, they sing to one another the friendly farewell: "Goodnight! Goodnight!" The words are taken up by the echoes, and from side to side the song goes reverberating sweetly and softly until the music dies away in the distance.
In praising a creature, we may easily exceed the truth; but in praising God we have only to go on confessing what he really is to us. Hence it is impossible to exceed the truth: here is genuine praise. A. R. Fausset
Has praise become the new darling of the church—something to busy ourselves with while skirting other more demanding calls of God? Is it now "praise" instead of "love" that covers over a multitude of sins? Is it now faith, hope, and love that remain, but the greatest of these is praise? It does appear sometimes that no matter what we are doing wrong, praise will somehow make it right...Praise is important, but not something to make such a big deal about when everything else God created is already engaged in the moment by moment expression of this... as a natural course of events... When we admonish people to praise, don't tell them what they'll get out of it, or what God will get out of it. Tell them to praise Him simply because it is right and reasonable to do so. To attach anything more to this is to presume undue importance upon ourselves. —John Fischer
When suffering comes, learn to trust each day into God’s hands . . .let your lips be filled with prayer and praise. - Billy Graham
Praise Him when the sun is shining,
When the winds of trouble blow,
When you see no silver lining
On the clouds that hang so low.
Praise illumines clouds of sorrow,
Turns the gray skies into gold
Giving promise of a morrow
Bright with blessings manifold.
Praise Him when your load is heavy
And the day no comfort brings,
Then your burden God will carry,
Bear you as on eagles' wings.
God delights to have us praise Him,
And believe His holy Word;
And He knoweth them that trust Him,
For they always praise the Lord.
—Ida A. Guirey
You cannot change the order of penitence, person, praise. When God's people repent and give themselves to God they will have a song. It will be spontaneous, for what is down in the well will come up in the bucket. - Vance Havner
Thanks and Praise
Let us, with a gladsome mind,
Praise the Lord, for he is kind:
For his mercies aye endure,
Ever faithful, ever sure.
JOHN MILTON, Psalm 136
The Lost Voice
"...I cannot speak..." (Jer. 1:6).
"...I will not...speak..." (Jer. 20:9).
"...We cannot but speak..." (Acts 4:20).
Repentance is articulate (Hos. 14:2).
Faith is vocal (Rom. 10:9, 10).
Praise is the fruit of our lips (Heb. 13:15).
Testimony is with words (Ps. 107:2).
We have lost our voice. We need voice lessons in repentance, faith, praise, and testimony. - Vance Havner
Be not afraid of saying too much in the praises of God; all the danger is of saying too little. Matthew Henry
In thanking God, we fasten upon his favours to us; in praising and adoring God, we fasten upon his perfections in himself. Matthew Henry
What we win by prayer we must wear with praise. Matthew Henry
From your heart give God your praise
For His blessings all your days;
Lift your voice to God above—
God of mercy, God of love.
—Hess
If Christians praised God more, the world would doubt him less. Charles E. Jefferson
Praise shall conclude that work which prayer began. William Jenkyn
Thomas Ken - "The Doxology"
Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow,
Praise Him, all creatures here below,
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host,
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
(Another Version)
He who praises everybody praises nobody. - Samuel Johnson
A conference at a Presbyterian church in Omaha. People were given helium-filled balloons and told to release them at some point in the service when they felt like expressing the joy in their hearts. Since they were Presbyterians, they weren’t free to say “Hallelujah, Praise the Lord.” All through the service balloons ascended, but when it was over 1/3 of the balloons were unreleased. Let your balloon go. - Bruce Larson
Receive every day as a resurrection from death, as a new enjoyment of life . . . let your joyful heart praise and magnify so good and glorious a Creator. - William Law
In commanding us to glorify him, God is inviting us to enjoy Him. - C. S. Lewis
I think we delight to praise what we enjoy because the praise not merely expresses but completes the enjoyment. It is not out of compliment that lovers keep on telling one another how beautiful they are; the delight is incomplete till it is expressed. - C. S. Lewis
We all sin by needlessly disobeying the apostolic injunction to rejoice as much as by anything else. - C. S. Lewis
Oliver Wendell Holmes - The brilliant physician and writer Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr., and his brother John represent two radically different views on the subject of flattery. Dr. Holmes loved to collect compliments, and when he was older he indulged his pastime by saying to someone who had just praised his work, “I am a trifle deaf, you know. Do you mind repeating that a little louder?” John, however, was unassuming and content to be in his older brother’s shadow. He once said that the only compliment he ever received came when he was six. The maid was brushing his hair when she observed to his mother that little John wasn’t all that cross-eyed! I think we delight to praise what we enjoy because the praise not merely expresses but completes the enjoyment; it is its appointed consummation. If it were possible for a created soul fully to ‘appreciate,’ that is, to love and delight in, the worthiest object of all, and simultaneously at every moment to give this delight perfect expression, then that soul would be in supreme blessedness. To praise God fully we must suppose ourselves to be in perfect love with God, drowned in, dissolved by that delight which, far from remaining pent up within ourselves as incommunicable bliss, flows out from us incessantly again in effortless and perfect expression. Our joy is no more separable from the praise in which it liberates and utters itself than the brightness a mirror receives is separable from the brightness it sheds. - C. S. Lewis,
Get Guiterman's wisdom:
Though right it is to give thanks,
True gratitude will live thanks!
ROBERT G. LEE
The long, dull monotonous years of middle-aged prosperity or middle-aged adversity are excellent campaigning weather [for the devil].
C. S. LEWIS, Screwtape Letters
No one knows how bad he is until he has tried to be good. There is a silly idea about that good people don't know what temptation means.
C. S. LEWIS, Screwtape Letters
A line of praises is worth a leaf of prayer, and an hour of praises is worth a day of fasting and mourning! - John Livingstone
You don’t learn to praise in a day, especially since you may have been complaining for years! New habits take time to develop. But you can begin today, and practice tomorrow, and the next day, until it becomes part of you. Erwin Lutzer
Praise, my soul, the King of Heaven;
To His feet thy tribute bring.
Ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven,
Evermore His praises sing:
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Praise the everlasting King.Praise Him for His grace and favor
To our fathers in distress.
Praise Him still the same as ever,
Slow to chide, and swift to bless.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Glorious in His faithfulness.Fatherlike He tends and spares us;
Well our feeble frame He knows.
In His hands He gently bears us,
Rescues us from all our foes.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Widely yet His mercy flows.Frail as summer’s flower we flourish,
Blows the wind and it is gone;
But while mortals rise and perish
Our God lives unchanging on,
Praise Him, praise Him, hallelujah
Praise the high eternal One!Angels, help us to adore Him;
Ye behold Him face to face;
Sun and moon, bow down before Him,
Dwellers all in time and space.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Praise with us the God of grace.
The music of praise arises out of a fixed heart, a heart settled on God. John MacArthur
Praise, to be acceptable to God, must come from a heart devoted to him. Albertus Magnus
Self-love may lead us to prayers, but love to God excites us to praises. Thomas Manton
Awake, my soul, to joyful lays,
And sing thy great Redeemer’s praise;
He justly claims a song from me;
His loving-kindness is so free!
I have never forgotten that Daystar began his Great Insurrection by frowning and skipping his morning Alleluias. It must have seemed minor at the time, but hell grows out of paradise gone sour. Joy is a discipline, and fallen angels were always those who grew negligent with their praise. - Calvin Miller, The Valiant Papers
I once led a man to Christ who loved the sunny country of common sense, but he could not put up with the mysteries of godliness. He kept shoving common sense at me, while I kept trying to show him that the mysteries held the meaning of faith. One day he said, “Pastor, you know this new eternal life I have—well, I’ve been thinking about it. What are we going to do all day long for eternity?” “We’ll praise the Lord,” I said. “Forever—for ten million years we’re going to stand around and praise the Lord?” “Well, yes,” I said, although heaven was beginning to sound like cable television. “For millions and millions of years?” he said. “Couldn’t we just stop now and then and mess around a while?” kidded him about his “dumb questions,” but I have to admit similar questions of my own at times. How meager our understanding of praise—and heaven! - Calvin Miller
People ask you for criticism, but they only want praise. W. SOMERSET MAUGHAM
Let us, with a gladsome mind,
Praise the Lord, for he is kind:
For his mercies aye endure,
Ever faithful, ever sure.
Let us blaze his name abroad,
For of gods he is the God:
He, with all-commanding might,
Filled the new-made world with light:
All things living he doth feed,
His full hand supplies their need:
He his chosen race did bless
In the wasteful wilderness:
Let us then with gladsome mind
Praise the Lord, for he is kind.
John Milton
On earth join all ye creatures to extol
Him first, him last, him midst, and without end. - John Milton
Thanks and Praise
Let us, with a gladsome mind,
Praise the Lord, for he is kind:
For his mercies aye endure,
Ever faithful, ever sure.
- John Milton, Psalm 136
Give unlimited credit to our God. -- Robert Murray M’Cheyne
In his book, "The Purpose and Power of Praise & Worship", Myles Munroe lists 10 principles of praise, they are:
1. You don't need a special reason to praise God.
2. Every moment of every day is a suitable time for praise.
3. A lifestyle of praise teaches you to see and trust God's work in your life.
4. Private praise prepares you for public praise and worship.
5. Private praise prepares you for public victory.
6. Praise in the beginning of the day gives God room to handle whatever comes your way in the rest of the day.
7. Praise may be both direct and indirect.
8. When you commend God to others, you are praising Him indirectly.
9. Complaining destroys the atmosphere created by praise.
10. Your new song every day keeps God's presence with you.
—"The Purpose and Power of Praise & Worship", p. 86.
God seeks and values the gifts we bring Him—gifts of praise, thanksgiving, service, and material offerings. In all such giving at the altar we enter into the highest experiences of fellowship. But the gift is acceptable to God in the measure to which the one who offers it is in fellowship with Him in character and conduct; and the test of this is in our relationships with our fellow men. We are thus charged to postpone giving to God until right relationships are established with others. Could the neglect of this be the explanation of the barrenness of our worship? (Matt. 5:24) - G. Campbell Morgan
Pray unceasingly 1 Thess. 5:17; Eph. 6:18
Praise continually Eph. 5:19–20; Heb. 13:15
Preach unwearingly 2 Tim. 4:2; 1 Cor. 15:58
Joachim Neander (Vocal by Fernando Ortega - you must listen. You will praise Him with this Hymn!)
Praise to the Lord,
The Almighty, the king of creation!
O my soul, praise Him,
For He is thy health and salvation!
All ye who hear,
Now to His temple draw near;
Praise Him in glad adoration.Praise to the Lord,
Who o’er all things so wondrously reigneth,
Shelters thee under His wings,
Yea, so gently sustaineth!
Hast thou not seen
How thy desires ever have been
Granted in what He ordaineth?Praise to the Lord,
Who hath fearfully, wondrously, made thee;
Health hath vouchsafed
And, when heedlessly falling, hath stayed thee.
What need or grief
Ever hath failed of relief?
Wings of His mercy did shade thee.Praise to the Lord,
Who doth prosper thy work and defend thee;
Surely His goodness
And mercy here daily attend thee.
Ponder anew
What the Almighty can do,
If with His love He befriend thee.Praise to the Lord,
Who, when tempests their warfare are waging,
Who, when the elements
Madly around thee are raging,
Biddeth them cease,
Turneth their fury to peace,
Whirlwinds and waters assuaging.Praise to the Lord,
Who, when darkness of sin is abounding,
Who, when the godless
Do triumph, all virtue confounding,
Sheddeth His light,
Chaseth the horrors of night,
Saints with His mercy surrounding.Praise to the Lord,
O let all that is in me adore Him!
All that hath life and breath,
Come now with praises before Him.
Let the Amen sound from His people again,
Gladly for aye we adore Him.
Doth not all nature around me praise God? If I were silent, I should be an exception to the universe. Doth not the thunder praise Him as it rolls like drums in the march of the God of armies? Do not the mountains praise Him when the woods upon their summits wave in adoration? Doth not the lightning write His name in letters of fire? Hath not the whole earth a voice? And shall I, can I, silent be? - C H Spurgeon
The word enthusiasm really means to be filled or inspired by God. If any people ought to radiate enthusiasm and joy, we should. We read that the apostolic church was "Praising God, and having favour with all the people" (Acts 2:47). Their unanimous acceptance was related to their spirit of praise. There is a charisma in praise. "Praise is comely for the upright" (Psalm 33:1). A sad, half-hearted, reluctant Christian is an enigma. But when the joy of the Lord is our strength, we must say with Peter, "We cannot but speak" what we know and believe. Ask the Lord to make you a winsome witness, and I guarantee you that you will win some. Enthusiasm isn't everything but it is important. - George Sweeting
Power in Praise - Willie Myrick was kidnapped from his driveway when he was 9 years old. For hours, he traveled in a car with his kidnapper, not knowing what would happen to him. During that time, Willie decided to sing a song called “Every Praise.” As he repeatedly sang the words, his abductor spewed profanity and told him to shut up. Finally, the man stopped the car and let Willie out—unharmed. As Willie demonstrated, truly praising the Lord requires us to concentrate on God’s character while forsaking what we fear, what is wrong in our lives, and the self-sufficiency in our hearts. The Israelites reached this place of surrender when they faced attackers. As they prepared for battle, King Jehoshaphat organized a choir to march out in advance of their enemy’s army. The choir sang, “Praise the Lord, for His mercy endures forever” (2 Chron. 20:21). When the music started, Israel’s enemies became confused and destroyed each other. As the prophet Jahaziel had predicted, Israel didn’t need to fight at all (v.17). Whether we’re facing a battle or feeling trapped, we can glorify God in our hearts. Truly, “The Lord is great and greatly to be praised” (Ps. 96:4). (Power in Praise - Our Daily Bread)
Sing A New Song - Read: Psalm 98 | Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth; break forth in song, rejoice, and sing praises. (Psalm 98:4) At age 94, Pastor Willis was admitted into a care facility. From his wheelchair, he shared with joy how God had given him a new mission field to share the gospel. When he was bedridden a few years later, he spoke with enthusiasm of being in the best possible position to look up to God. When he died at age 100, Pastor Willis left behind a legacy of one who sang a new song of praise at every turn of his earthly life. Psalm 98 exhorts us to sing a new song for God who “has done marvelous things; His right hand and His holy arm have gained Him the victory” (Ps 98:1). We ought to praise Him —even in times of difficulty—for God remembers “His mercy and His faithfulness” (v.3). Though this psalm is about God freeing the Israelites from slavery, it is prophetically also about our salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord. And as we remember what God has done for us, we can trust Him to help us with today’s difficulties as well as tomorrow’s uncertainties. The psalmist wrote: “Let the sea roar, and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell in it; . . . let the hills be joyful together before the Lord” (Ps 98:7-9). Let us join God’s creation in singing praise to our Savior!
I don’t know about tomorrow,
Nor what coming days will bring;
But I know my Lord is with me,
And His praise my heart will sing.
—Fitzhugh
A heart in tune with God sings melodies of praise.
Listen to Fernando Ortega's beautiful hymn...
I Will Praise Him, Still
When the morning falls on the farthest hill
I will sing His name, I will praise Him, still.
When dark trials come and my heart is filled
With the weight of doubt, I will praise Him, still.
[Chorus:]
For the Lord, our God, He is strong to save
From the arms of death, from the deepest grave,
And He gave us life in His perfect will,
And by His good grace, I will praise Him, still.
When the morning falls on the farthest hill
I will sing His name, I will praise Him, still.
When dark trials come and my heart is filled
With the weight of doubt, I will praise Him, still.
For the Lord, our God, He is strong to save
From the arms of death, from the deepest grave,
For the Lord, our God, He is strong to save
From the arms of death, from the deepest grave,
And He gave us life in His perfect will,
And by His good grace, I will praise Him, still.
In The Middle Of A Muddle - Read: Psalm 63:1-11 | My lips shall praise You. Thus I will bless You while I live. (Psalm 63:3-4) Praise doesn’t come easy when we’re struggling with a problem. But magnifying the Lord while we’re in the middle of a muddle is an important aspect of praise. The psalmist David clearly understood and practiced this. He composed Psalm 63 in the wilderness when he was fleeing from those who sought his life. British preacher Charles Spurgeon (1834-92) called it a “wilderness hymn.” Its timeless words apply to any believer whose circumstances have become a wilderness. Spurgeon described David’s hymn of praise like this: The first eight verses express his longing after God and his confidence in Him; the remaining three verses prophesy the overthrow of his enemies. In verses 1 through 8, we find no less than 16 statements of love and faith, revealing David’s confidence in a personal God. He said, “O God, You are my God” (Psalm 63:1), “Your lovingkindness is better than life” (Psalm 63:3), “In the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice” (Psalm 63:7), “Your right hand upholds me” (Psalm 63:8). Are you stuck in the middle of a muddle and longing for God to deliver you so you can praise Him later? Like David, why not let your praises precede the victory. Praise God now!
Through all the changing scenes of life,
In trouble and in joy,
The praises of my God shall still
My heart and tongue employ. —Tate
There's no better time to praise God than right now.
Bird Song - Read: Psalm 104:24-35 | Break forth in song, rejoice, and sing praises. —Psalm 98:4 - Why do birds sing? Birds sing “because they can and because they must,” says David Rothenberg, a professor at the New Jersey Institute of Technology. “Songs are used to attract mates and defend territories, but the form is much more than function. Nature is full of beauty, and of music.” Birds sing because they have a syrinx instead of a larynx. The syrinx is the bird’s voice box, an organ that lies deep in a bird’s chest and is uniquely fashioned for song. That, at least, is the natural explanation for their gift. But I ask again, why do birds sing? Because their Creator put a song in their hearts. Each bird is “heaven’s high and holy muse,” said John Donne, created to draw our hearts up to our Creator. They are reminders that He has given us a song that we may sing His praise. So when you hear God’s little hymn-birds singing their hearts out, remember to sing your own song of salvation. Lift up your voice—harmonious, hoarse, or harsh—and join with them in praise to our Creator, Redeemer, and Lord. The birds of the air “sing among the branches,” Israel’s poet observes. “[Therefore] I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being” (Ps. 104:12,33). (David Roper)
Field and forest, vale and mountain,
Flowery meadow, flashing sea,
Chanting bird and flowing fountain
Call us to rejoice in Thee. —van Dyke
All creation sings God’s praise.
No Loss For Words - Read: Psalm 71:1-8 | Let my mouth be filled with Your praise and with Your glory all the day. (Psalm 71:8) As a pastor, a preacher, and now as a writer, Bob Hostetler has worked with words. He confesses, “I’m not often at a loss for words. I’ve always been able to hold up my end of a conversation without difficulty—except when it comes to prayer—and especially when I attempt to express my praise to God.” Bob’s not alone. Many of us have trouble getting started with our praise to the Lord. One idea that might help is to anchor our praise to a Scripture passage that expresses an attribute of God, such as His holiness or His justice. Here are a few of God’s attributes to help you get started in learning to praise Him:
* He is the one true and living God (Isa. 45:5).
* He is almighty, all-powerful, and faithful (Ps. 89:8).
* He is just and righteous (Rom. 3:26).
* He is our protector (Ps. 62:7).
* He is loving (1 Jn. 4:16).
I’m sure you can think of many Scripture passages that express attributes of our God. As you read the Bible each day, look for what it tells you about Him. Then I’m sure you’ll not be at a loss for words as you praise the Lord for who He is. (David Egner)
Give me a spirit of praise, dear Lord,
That I may adore Your name,
Sing praise from the depths of a grateful heart
To the One who is always the same. —Dawe
You can never praise God too much.
Plenty To Praise - "Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised." (Psalm 48:1) God—have you ever just sat back and marveled at how grand and glorious He is? Today, let’s pause to ponder His majesty and greatness. To help us do that, here are a few descriptions of God that I found while reading Psalms 1-48. The Lord is a shield (Ps 3:3), my source of safety (Ps 4:8), my King (Ps 5:2), the Judge (Ps 7:8), the Most High (Ps 7:17), my refuge (Ps 9:9), the helper of the fatherless (Ps 10:14), the King forever (Ps 10:16), righteous (Ps 11:7). God is my strength, rock, fortress, stronghold (Ps 18:1-3; 28:1; 31:4), my deliverer (Ps 18:2), my support (18:18), my Redeemer (Ps 19:14). He is my shepherd (23:1), the King of glory (24:7), the Lord of hosts (24:10), the God of my salvation (Ps 25:5), my light and my salvation (Ps 27:1), my strength and shield (Ps 27:1; Ps 28:7). He is the God of glory (Ps 29:3), the Lord God of truth (Ps 31:5), the living God (Ps 42:2), my help in trouble (Ps 46:1), the King over all the earth (Ps 47:2). That should be enough to meditate on for one day. No, that’s enough for an eternity! Let’s start today to worship our God in earnest—the One who gives us so many reasons to praise Him. By Dave Branon
During your prayer time today, begin by praising
the Lord for some of the qualities listed above.
For more on this topic, read the online booklet
How Can I Know God Through His Book?
You can never praise God too much.
A Bouquet Of Praise - "That in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ." (1 Peter 4:11) Corrie ten Boom (1892–1983) was a World War II concentration camp survivor and Christian who became a popular speaker around the world. Thousands attended her meetings as she talked about how she had learned to forgive her captors just as Christ had forgiven her sins. After each meeting, people surrounded her and heaped accolades on her for her godly qualities and thanked her for encouraging them in their walk with the Lord. Corrie said she would then return to her hotel room, get down on her knees, and present those compliments in thanks to God. She called it giving God “a bouquet of praise.” The Lord has given each of us gifts to use to minister to one another (1 Peter 4:10) so that “in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever” (1 Pe 4:11). We have nothing to offer others that we have not first received from the Lord (1 Cor. 4:7), so the glory does belong to Him. To learn humility, perhaps we could follow Corrie’s example. If we receive a compliment for something we’ve said or done, let’s privately give a bouquet of praise to God for the glory He alone deserves.
Blended Together (Praise) - My wife, Janet, bought me a new Dreadnought D-35 guitar for my 65th birthday. Originally developed in the early 1900s, the Dreadnought style is larger than most guitars designed during that time, and it’s known for its bold and loud tone. It was named after the large World War I British battleship the HMS Dreadnought. The back of the D-35 is unique. Because of the shortage of wide pieces of high quality rosewood, the craftsmen innovatively fit three smaller pieces of wood together, which resulted in a richer tone. God’s workmanship is a lot like that innovative guitar design. Jesus takes fragments and blends them together to bring Him praise. He recruited tax collectors, Jewish revolutionaries, fishermen, and others to be His followers. And down through the centuries Christ continues to call out people from varied walks of life. The apostle Paul tells us, “He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love” (Eph. 4:16 nlt). In the Master’s hand many kinds of people are fit together and are being built into something with great potential for praise to God and service for others.
Thank You, Lord, that you have placed us
in Your family—that You are using us
individually and together to bring You
honor. Help us to live in Your power.
We can accomplish more together than we can alone.
Complaining Or Praising? - Read: Psalm 103:1-10 | Do all things without complaining. (Philippians 2:14) There are some people who would be greatly disappointed if they didn’t have something to gripe about. They are so occupied with their little troubles that they lose sight of all their big blessings. During the years I was a medical doctor, I had a number of patients who seemed to enjoy complaining about their physical ills. I would examine them and not find a single thing wrong, yet all they did was whine and complain. Pains here, aches there, and as one expressed it, “I just feel no good all over.” In my opinion, it was all imaginary. It seemed to me that if they would only start to count their blessings they would soon forget their troubles. How different the case of the very old woman, penniless and weak, who was asked, “Auntie, how is your health?” “Oh, I have so much to be thankful for,” she replied. “I have only two teeth left, but thank God, they are opposite each other!” Before you begin another day, stop to count your blessings instead of dwelling on your troubles. Use the words of Psalm 103 as a guide and sing a song of thanksgiving to the Lord. If you are a redeemed child of God, praise Him! You have the greatest blessing of all.
I Will Praise Him (Alt) (Vocal)
Then God’s fire upon the altar
Of my heart was set aflame;
I shall never cease to praise Him
Glory, glory to His name!
I will praise Him! I will praise Him!
Praise the Lamb for sinners slain;
Give Him glory all ye people,
For His blood can wash away each stain. —Harris
Instead of complaining, count your blessings.
By M.R. DeHaan
Battle Praise (Read: 2 Chronicles 20:1-22) "When they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushes against the people . . . who had come against Judah. —2 Chronicles 20:22. Visitors to the Military Museum in Istanbul, Turkey, can hear stirring music that dates back to the early years of the Ottoman Empire. Whenever their troops marched off to war, bands accompanied them. Centuries earlier, worship singers led the people of Judah into battle, but there was a big difference. Whereas the Ottomans used music to instill self-confidence in their soldiers, the Jews used it to express their confidence in God. Threatened by huge armies, King Jehoshaphat of Judah knew that his people were powerless to defend themselves. So he cried out to God for help (2 Chronicles 20:12). The Lord’s answer came through Jahaziel, who said, “Do not be afraid nor dismayed . . . , for the battle is not yours, but God’s” (2 Chr 20:15). Jehoshaphat responded by worshiping and then by appointing singers to lead the army (2 Chr 20:18,21). As the people sang, “Praise the Lord, for His mercy endures forever,” God confused the invaders and they killed one another (2 Chr 20:22-24). No matter what battles we may face today, the Lord will help us when we cry out to Him. Instead of retreating in fear, we can march ahead with confidence in God’s power and sing praise to Him. (Julie Ackerman Link)
Does all the world seem against you
And you're in the battle alone?
It's often when you are most helpless
That God's mighty power is known. —Anon.
Hopeful Praise - "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits." (Psalm 103:2) One of my friends was in tears on a beautiful summer day, unable to deal with life’s difficulties. Another could not look beyond the life-altering sadnesses of her past. Still another struggled with the closing of the small church he had pastored faithfully. A fourth friend had lost his job at a local ministry. What can our struggling friends—or any of us—do to find hope? Where do we turn when tomorrow offers no happy promises? We can praise or “bless” the Lord, as David said in Psalm 103. In the middle of trouble, acknowledging God’s role in our lives can redirect our thinking from the hurts of our hearts and force us to dwell instead on the greatness of our God. David knew trouble. He faced the threat of enemies, the consequences of his own sin, and the challenges of sorrow. Yet he also recognized the healing power of praise. That’s why in Psalm 103 he can list reasons to turn our attention to God, who gives us many benefits: He forgives us, heals us, redeems us, crowns us with love and compassion, satisfies our desires, and renews us. David reminds us that God provides justice and righteousness, and He is gracious and loving. Take it from David: Praising God’s greatness puts hope in our troubled hearts. (Dave Branon - Our Daily Bread)
Prayer, Work, And Praise - Read: Ezra 8:21-35 "We fasted and entreated our God for this, and He answered our prayer." (Ezra 8:23) A 12-year-old Haitian girl’s feet were so deformed that she was actually walking on her ankles. She asked some missionaries if they could help her, but the girl’s father, who looked to a voodoo priest for advice, refused to let the doctors operate. So the missionaries began to pray fervently that God would intervene. After 2 days, the father returned with his daughter and gave them permission for the surgery. Just before the operation, the youngster pointed to her heart and said, “I’m not afraid, because I put Jesus right here.” The operation was successful, and all who knew about this situation are praising the Lord for His answer to prayer. We see a similar order of events in Ezra 8. The Israelites had to transport a large quantity of gold and silver to Jerusalem. This made them vulnerable to raids by outlaw gangs along the way. So the people fasted and prayed until they received assurance of God’s protection. Then, after taking every precaution, they set out on their journey. Arriving safely in Jerusalem, they offered sacrifices of thanksgiving to the Lord. Prayer, work, and praise—it’s a God-honoring combination. (Herbert VanderLugt)
The Darkest Day - The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. (Psalm 118:22) To celebrate Passover, Jewish worshipers sing Psalms 113-118, a section called the “Egyptian Hallel.” The ceremony builds to a crescendo of appreciation for freedom and the beauty of life given by God. It ends with participants singing and praising God both to please Him and to express their own pleasure. One rabbi explains it as experiencing the “emotional joy of freedom.” Near the end of the Passover meal, the second half of these Hallel psalms are sung. According to the gospel of Matthew, Jesus and His disciples sang a hymn and “went out to the Mount of Olives” after celebrating their last Passover together (26:30). They may well have sung this psalm:
The stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief cornerstone.
This was the Lord’s doing;
It is marvelous in our eyes.
This is the day the Lord has made;
We will rejoice and be glad in it (Psalm 118:22-24).
Regardless of which hymn they sang, the confidence Jesus had in the goodness of His heavenly Father is astounding. He was able to praise His Father even though He knew He was about to experience His darkest day. (Julie Ackerman Link)
Prelude Of Praise - Psalm 150 |I will sing praise to Your name forever, that I may daily perform my vows. —Psalm 61:8. We enter a concert hall, find our seats, and listen with anticipation as the members of the orchestra tune their instruments. The sound is discordant, not melodic. But the tuning is simply a prelude to the symphony. C. S. Lewis suggested that’s how it is with our devotional practices and even our worship services. Sometimes they sound discordant, but God hears our prayers and praises with fatherly delight. We are really preparing for participation in the glorious symphony of heaven. Now we are making a minuscule contribution to the harmonies of angelic and redeemed hosts. But our adoration, though feeble, pleases the heart of the Divine Listener more than the finest rendition of earth’s greatest orchestra. Are we eagerly awaiting our participation in heaven’s symphony of praise? Are we joyfully participating in the adoration that delights the heart of God? Or do we regard devotion as more of a discipline than a delight? Our attitudes will be transformed when we realize that praise delights God’s heart. Praise helps us to tune our lives to heavenly harmonies. Praise is an indispensable preparation for the worship that will be our eternal joy. “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord” (Ps. 150:6). (Vernon Grounds)
Joyfully, heartily resounding,
Let every instrument and voice
Peal out the praise of grace abounding,
Calling the whole world to rejoice.
—Routley
The heart filled with praise brings pleasure to God.
Reasons To Praise - Read: Job 38:1-18 | Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? —Job 38:4
How could we forget? How could we be so much like Job? How could we fail to be awestruck by God’s majesty?
Yet sometimes we do forget. And like Job, we need to hear anew the details of the wonders of God’s creative power.
Job’s suffering led him to doubt God, so our heavenly Father reminded him, and us, of His unfathomable ways:
He laid the earth’s foundations (Job 38:4).
He set the boundaries of the oceans (Job 38:8).
He sends the morning sun (Job 38:12).
He controls life and death (Job 38:17).
He sends the snow, rain, and hail (Job 38:22,26,30).
He imprints knowledge on the heart (Job 38:36).
He sets the time for the birth of animals (Job 39:1-3).
He gives creatures like the ostrich their unusual ways of life (Job 39:13-18).
He instills the horse with great power (Job 39:19-25).
He directs the hawk and the eagle (Job 39:26-30).
Each day, this earth shouts aloud a song of recognition of its Creator. Let’s take some time today to echo that tune and pour out our praise to our mighty Creator-God.
May we never forget God’s awesome majesty! —JDB
Wind and water, light and sod
Speak so faithfully of God;
Let us give to Him our praise
For the goodness He displays. —Anon.
Hymns Of Praise - Psalm 149 |Sing to the Lord a new song, and His praise in the assembly of saints. —Psalm 149:1 Music is one of those good things in life we take for granted. Yet, as is so often the case, sinful man has taken this good gift from God and used it to serve evil purposes. In our day we’re especially aware of its misuse and of the shameful lyrics that so often are a part of it. Good music, however, is a blessing from the Lord. It’s a soothing tonic for troubled hearts. It can motivate us to live for Christ, and through it we can lift our hearts in praise to the Lord. Without music, we would be greatly deprived. An old Jewish legend says that after God had created the world He called the angels to Himself and asked them what they thought of it. One of them said, “The only thing lacking is the sound of praise to the Creator.” So God created music, and it was heard in the whisper of the wind and in the song of the birds. He also gave man the gift of song. And throughout all the ages, music has blessed multitudes of people. Singing God’s praises honors the Lord, edifies our brothers and sisters in Christ, and brings us joy. As we join with other Christians in singing, it should be with a renewed appreciation of music. So let us join voices with fellow believers and lift our hearts in hymns of praise whenever we have the privilege. Hearts in tune with God will sing His praises. Richard DeHaan
Star Praises -Read: Psalm 148:1-14 | Praise Him, all you stars of light! —Psalm 148:3 The Hubble telescope has provided us with dramatic pictures of the farthest regions of the starry heavens. Photographs show clouds of interstellar hydrogen gas towering nearly 6 trillion miles high, illuminated by the ultraviolet radiation of stars like our sun. The telescope revealed evidence of an enormous galactic collision that produced immense shock waves which pushed space dust and gases together to form new stars. The Hubble lens focused on Eta Carinae, one of the brightest and most massive stars known to man, which erupts every so often with enormous bursts of energy. And it has given a glimpse of a “stellar nursery,” an area in the constellation Orion where “stars are mass-produced by the dozen” (Time, November 20, 1995). After viewing space through the Hubble telescope, astronomers used words like awestruck, overwhelmed, and amazed to describe their reaction. These are also appropriate responses for us as we think about the One who “commanded and they were created” (Ps. 148:5). The stars speak in eloquent praise of the Lord’s creative power. And if even the stars sing God’s praises, how much more should we! (Dave Egner)
With words of power God formed the world,
Across the heavens the stars were hurled;
And now in honor to Him we bring
Our words of praise as we pray and sing. —JDB
All creation bears God's autograph.
Praise—Even In Pain - [God] has blessed us with every spiritual blessing. —Ephesians 1:3 Terry Waite, a courageous British negotiator during an international hostage crisis, had gone to Lebanon to arrange the release of prisoners. But he himself was arrested and detained in solitary confinement. Through long, lonely days and nights, he was unsure that his life would be spared. Nevertheless, every morning he offered as his own a prayer written in 1596 by Queen Elizabeth I. In it he expressed “most humble and hearty thanks for manifold mercies so abundantly bestowed upon me as well as for my creation, preservation, regeneration, and all other of Thy benefits and great mercies exhibited in Jesus Christ.” Is this how we react to hardships? When troubles engulf us, we plead with God for relief from suffering, for healing of disease, for comfort, for strength, and for the supply of our needs. Such petitions are certainly legitimate, and we should bring them to the Father. But do we remember, as Paul and Silas did from the depths of a jail cell, to offer thanks for God’s lovingkindness? (Acts 16:25). Do we praise God for giving us life itself, as well as the blessed promise of eternal life? When we acknowledge God’s great mercies, we are able to offer Him praise—even in pain. (Vernon Grounds)
When upon life's billows you are tempest-tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings—name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.
—Oatman
Let’s Celebrate Read: Psalm 150 | Praise him with timbrel and dancing, praise him with the strings and pipe. Psalm 150:4 - After Ghana’s Asamoah Gyan scored a goal against Germany in the 2014 World Cup, he and his teammates did a coordinated dance step. When Germany’s Miroslav Klose scored a few minutes later, he did a running front flip. “Soccer celebrations are so appealing because they reveal players’ personalities, values, and passions,” says Clint Mathis, who scored for the US at the 2002 World Cup. In Psalm 150, the psalmist invites “everything that has breath” to celebrate and praise the Lord in many different ways. He suggests that we use trumpets and harps, stringed instruments and pipes, cymbals and dancing. He encourages us to creatively and passionately celebrate, honor, and adore the Lord. Because the Lord is great and has performed mighty acts on behalf of His people, He is worthy of all praise. These outward expressions of praise will come from an inner wellspring overflowing with gratitude to God. “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord,” the psalmist declares (Ps 150:6). Though we may celebrate the Lord in different ways (I’m not encouraging back flips in our worship services), our praise to God always needs to be expressive and meaningful. When we think about the Lord’s character and His mighty acts toward us, we cannot help but celebrate Him through our praise and worship. How has this psalm challenged you to be more expressive in your praise to God? Spend some time thinking about the greatness of the Lord’s mighty works. Then give Him your praise. Praise is the song of a soul set free.
INSIGHT: The last five psalms (146–150) are also known as Hallelujah psalms because each of them begins and ends with “Hallelujah” or “Praise the Lord.” The psalmist calls for “everything that has breath”—every living thing on earth and spiritual beings in the heavens—to worship God for what He has done (v6). We praise Him for “his acts of power” and for “his surpassing greatness” (v. 2). God deserves the full and joyous expression of our commitment and devotion, and we can praise Him exuberantly with singing and musical instruments (vv. 3-6). (Marvin Williams)
The Power of Praise - Praise is powerful! When Scottish pastor Robert Murray McCheyne was troubled with a coldness of heart toward the things of the Lord, he would sing the praises of God until he felt revived in his spirit. Those in his household were often able to tell what hour he awoke because he began the day with a psalm of praise. One day, while he was trying to prepare his heart for preaching, he wrote in his journal: “Is it the desire of my heart to be made altogether holy? . . . Lord, You know all things . . . . I’ve felt so much deadness and grief that I cannot grieve for this deadness. Toward evening I revived. Got a calm spirit through [singing psalms] and prayer.” McCheyne had been uplifted by praising God. Perhaps you feel as if you are mired in what John Bunyan called the “slough of despond.” Lift a song of praise to the Lord. The psalmist said, “I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever” (Ps 89:1). When we do that, the praise will flow not only from our lips but also from our heart. The Lord delights to give “the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness” (Isa. 61:3). Yes, “it is good to sing praises to our God”—at all times (Ps. 147:1). (The Power Of Praise - Our Daily Bread)
In Praise Of Sovereignty - "The Lord has established His throne in heaven, and His kingdom rules over all." (Psalm 103:19) In James Fenimore Cooper’s book The Last of the Mohicans, we become acquainted with a character named David Gamut. He is a devout Christian who delights in setting the Psalms to music and singing them no matter what circumstances life brings his way. Gamut believes that God can be trusted in crisis as well as in good times. He lives a life in praise of God’s sovereignty—His supreme power, authority, and control over the world. The Bible tells us about another David, a flesh-and-blood person who was no stranger to unpredictable life circumstances and who loved to respond to God in praise: King David of Israel. He saw the giant Goliath fall by his sling, he was chased by the murderous King Saul, and he watched the nation of Israel rally under his own leadership. Yet in all these situations, David took time to write and sing psalms of praise to his sovereign God. For example, he wrote, “The Lord has established His throne in heaven, and His kingdom rules over all” (Ps. 103:19). David understood that in all circumstances we can worship and thank God for His care and control. What are you experiencing today? A time of blessing or of testing? In any event, remember David’s example, and sing praises to God for His rule in our lives. (Dennis Fisher - Our Daily Bread)
Psalms, Incense, Praise - "Let everything that has breath praise the Lord." (Psalm 150:6) The well-known English preacher Charles H. Spurgeon (1834-1892) wrote something that would be good to remember at the start of each day: “Let your thoughts be psalms, your prayers incense, and your breath praise.” Let’s look at each of these phrases. Let your thoughts be psalms. The 150 psalms have a variety of themes, including praise, God’s character, and expressions of dependence on the Lord. Throughout the day we can turn our thoughts into psalms by meditating on God’s holiness, His worthiness of our worship, and how much we need Him. Let your prayers be incense. In the tabernacle of the Jews, incense was burned continually to offer a sweet savor to the Lord (Exodus 30:7-8). Our prayers are like incense to God (Psalm 141:2), bringing to His nostrils the pleasing scent of our adoration and need for Him. Let your breath be praise. The book of Psalms concludes with the words, “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!” (Psalm 150:6). Talking about God and offering Him words of praise should be as natural to us as breathing. Keep the Lord in your thoughts, prayers, and speech today.
Worship, praise, and adoration
All belong to Jesus' name;
Freely give your heart's devotion,
Constantly His love proclaim. —Anon.
Now Thank We All Our God - It was the worst of times. In the first half of the 17th century, Germany was in the midst of wars and famine and pestilence. In the city of Eilenburg lived a pastor by the name of Martin Rinkart. During one especially oppressive period, Rinkart conducted up to 50 funerals a day as a plague swept through the town and as the Thirty Years’ War wreaked its own terror on the people. Among those whom Rinkart buried were members of his own family.Yet during those years of darkness and despair, when death and destruction greeted each new day, Pastor Rinkart wrote 66 sacred songs and hymns. Among them was the song “Now Thank We All Our God.” As sorrow crouched all around him, Rinkart wrote:
Now thank we all our God
With hearts and hands and voice,
Who wondrous things hath done,
In whom His world rejoices;
Who, from our mothers’ arms,
Hath blessed us on our way
With countless gifts of love,
And still is ours today.
Rinkart demonstrated a valuable lesson for us all: Thankfulness does not have to wait for prosperity and peace. It’s always a good time to praise God for the “wondrous things” He has done. (Our Daily Bread)
I once read of a man who bought a luxurious house and filled it with expensive and spectacular furnishings. After taking a friend on a tour through its many spacious rooms, the owner of the mansion asked proudly, “Well, what do you think of it?” He expected to hear lavish praise, so he was stunned when his quest responded, “It is gorgeous; but to be perfectly frank, things like this make a deathbed terrible.”
A Lesson In Praise - Praise the Lord! —Psalm 150:1 - Psalm 150 is not only a beautiful expression of praise, it’s also a lesson in praising the Lord. It tells us where to praise, why we’re to praise, how we’re to praise, and who should offer praise. Where do we praise? In God’s “sanctuary” and “mighty firmament” (Psalm 150:1). Wherever we are in the world is a proper place to praise the One who created all things. Why do we praise? First, because of what God does. He performs “mighty acts.” Second, because of who God is. The psalmist praised Him for “His excellent greatness” (Psalm 150:2). The all-powerful Creator is the Sustainer of the universe. How should we praise? Loudly. Softly. Soothingly. Enthusiastically. Rhythmically. Boldly. Unexpectedly. Fearlessly. In other words, we can praise God in many ways and on many occasions Psalm 150:3-5). Who should praise? “Everything that has breath” (Psalm 150:6). Young and old. Rich and poor. Weak and strong. Every living creature. God’s will is for everyone to whom He gave the breath of life to use that breath to acknowledge His power and greatness. Praise is our enthusiastic expression of gratitude to God for reigning in glory forever. (Our Daily Bread - Julie Ackerman Link)
Blessings in Disguise - We don’t often thank God for our trials, heartaches, and difficulties. Although we are willing to praise Him for His goodness, we sometimes fail to realize that even adverse circumstances are blessings in disguise. Scottish preacher George Matheson had that problem. He realized that he was not as ready to praise God when things went wrong as he was when they went right. However, after he began to lose his eyesight, he changed his thinking. He struggled for some months with this weary burden until he reached the point where he could pray, “My God, I have never thanked You for my thorn. I have thanked You a thousand times for my roses, but not once for my thorn. I have been looking forward to a world where I shall get compensated for my cross, but I have never thought of my cross as itself a present glory. Teach me the value of my thorn.” When we count our blessings, we should include the weaknesses, the hardships, the burdens, and the trials we face. If we do, we might find that God has used our difficulties more than the “good” things to help us grow spiritually. Why is that? Because it is in those difficult places that we discover the sufficiency of His grace. In our trials, we turn to God. As we depend on Him, we find that His strength is made perfect in our weakness (2 Cor. 12:9). Take a moment and think about the way God has led you. When you praise God for your blessings, do you remember to thank Him for the thorns? P.R.V. (Our Daily Bread)
A Heart for Praise - Louis Albert Banks tells of an elderly Christian man, a fine singer, who learned that he had cancer of the tongue and that surgery was required. In the hospital after everything was ready for the operation, the man said to the doctor, “Are you sure I will never sing again?” The surgeon found it difficult to answer his question. He simply shook his head no. The patient then asked if he could sit up for a moment. “I’ve had many good times singing the praises of God,” he said. “And now you tell me I can never sing again. I have one song that will be my last. It will be of gratitude and praise to God.” There in the doctor’s presence the man sang softly the words of Isaac Watts’ hymn, (The same one Wesley sang on his deathbed!)
I’ll praise my Maker while I’ve Breath,
And when my voice is lost in death,
Praise shall employ my nobler power;
My days of praise shall ne’er be past,
While life, and thought, and being last,
Or immortality endures.”
Our Daily Bread, January 15
Praising energizes and renews praying. J. I. Packer
Passion for Praise - I am the least of the apostles. - 1 Corinthians 15:9. I am the very least of all the saints. - Ephesians 3:8. I am the foremost of sinners. - 1 Timothy 1:15. Humility and a passion for praise are a pair of characteristics which together indicate growth in grace. The Bible is full of self-humbling (man bowing down before God) and doxology (man giving praise to God). The healthy heart is one that bows down in humility and rises in praise and adoration. The Psalms strike both these notes again and again. So too, Paul in his letters both articulates humility and breaks into doxology. Look at his three descriptions of himself quoted above, dating respectively from around A.D. 59, 63, and 64. As the years pass he goes lower; he grows downward! And as his self-esteem sinks, so his rapture of praise and adoration for the God who so wonderfully saved him rises. Undoubtedly, learning to praise God at all times for all that is good is a mark that we are growing in grace. One of my predecessors in my first parochial appointment died exceedingly painfully of cancer. But between fearful bouts of agony, in which he had to stuff his mouth with bedclothes to avoid biting his tongue, he would say aloud over and over again: “I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth” (Ps. 34:1). That was a passion for praise asserting itself in the most poignant extremity imaginable. Cultivate humility and a passion for praise if you want to grow in grace. - J I Packer in Your Father Loves You
To worship God is to recognize his worth or worthiness; to look God-ward, and to acknowledge in all appropriate ways the value of what we see. The Bible calls this activity “glorifying God” or “giving glory to God,” and views it as the ultimate end, and from one point of view, the whole duty of man (Ps. 29:2; 96:6; 1 Cor. 10:31). Scripture views the glorifying of God as a six-fold activity: praising God for all that he is and all his achievements; thanking him for his gifts and his goodness to us; asking him to meet our own and others’ needs; offering him our gifts, our service, and ourselves; learning of him from his word, read and preached, and obeying his voice; telling others of his worth, both by public confession and testimony to what he has done for us. Thus we might say that the basic formulas of worship are these: “Lord, you are wonderful”; “Thank you, Lord”; “Please Lord”; “Take this, Lord”; “Yes, Lord”; “Listen everybody!” This then is worship in its largest sense: petition as well as praise, preaching as well as prayer, hearing as well as speaking, actions as well as words, obeying as well as offering, loving people as well as loving God. However, the primary acts of worship are those which focus on God directly—and we must not imagine that work for God in the world is a substitute for direct fellowship with him in praise and prayer and devotion. - Your Father Loves You by James Packer
Have we not more cause to praise God than to pray? Surely, for we have many things to thank him for, which we never ask for. A. W. Pink
Praising and adoring God is the noblest part of the saint’s work on earth, as it will be his chief employ in heaven. A. W. Pink
Come, thou fount of every blessing,
Tune my heart to sing thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious measure,
Sung by flaming tongues above;
Oh, the vast, the boundless treasure
Of my Lord’s unchanging love!
Psalm 113:3 From the rising of the sun to its setting the name of the LORD is to be praised.
A farmer took a piece of bad earth and made things flourish thereon. Proud of his accomplishments, he asked his minister to come by and see what he had done. The minister was impressed. “That’s the tallest corn I’ve ever seen. I’ve never seen anything as big as those melons. Praise the Lord!” He went on that way about every crop, praising the Lord for it all. Finally the farmer couldn’t take it anymore. “Reverend,” he said, “I wish you could have seen this place when the Lord was doing it by himself.” - Ronald Reagan
A drop of praise is an unsuitable acknowledgement for an ocean of mercy. William Secker
Let us keep a catalogue of God’s blessings. Richard Sibbes
God deserves every imaginable praise from his creatures, whether heathens or Christians, and the more men praise him the greater will be their happiness. Charles Simeon
God does not need praise by men, but he knows that when men cease to praise him they begin to praise one another excessively. Isaac Bashevis Singer
Walter C Smith (Vocal) (Guitar Instrumental - beautiful)
Immortal, invisible, God only wise,
In light inaccessible hid from our eyes,
Most blessèd, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,
Almighty, victorious, Thy great name we praise.Comment: This hymn was sung in Westminster Abbey, London, England, at the 2002 funeral of Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother.
While we cannot comprehend God in his fulness, we can know enough about him through his revelation to praise him appropriately. R. C. Sproul
Doth not all nature around me praise God? If I were silent, I should be an exception to the universe. Doth not the thunder praise Him as it rolls like drums in the march of the God of armies? Do not the mountains praise Him when the woods upon their summits wave in adoration? Doth not the lightning write His name in letters of fire? Hath not the whole earth a voice? And shall I, can I, silent be? C H Spurgeon
Praise is the rent which God requires for the use of his mercies. C. H. Spurgeon
The whole life of the Christian should be a psalm, of which the contents should be summed up in this sentence, ‘Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.’ C. H. Spurgeon
Our glorifying of God should be a good, loud brag about him. Billy Strachan
The word enthusiasm really means to be filled or inspired by God. If any people ought to radiate enthusiasm and joy, we should. We read that the apostolic church was "Praising God, and having favour with all the people" (Acts 2:47). Their unanimous acceptance was related to their spirit of praise. There is a charisma in praise. "Praise is comely for the upright" (Psalm 33:1). A sad, half-hearted, reluctant Christian is an enigma. But when the joy of the Lord is our strength, we must say with Peter, "We cannot but speak" what we know and believe. Ask the Lord to make you a winsome witness, and I guarantee you that you will win some. Enthusiasm isn't everything but it is important. -- George Sweeting.
The water of saints’ praises is drawn out of a deep spring, the heart. George Swinnock
A sacrifice of praise will always cost you something. It will be a difficult thing to do. It requires trading in our pride, our anger, and most valued of all, our human logic. We will be compelled to voice our words of praise firmly and precisely, even as our logic screams that God has no idea what he’s doing. Most of the verses written about praise in God’s Word were penned by men and women who faced crushing heartaches, injustice, treachery, slander, and scores of other intolerable situations. Joni Eareckson Tada
The concealment of praise is tantamount to depriving the Lord of half his glory. Friedrich Tholuck
Oh, how I wish I could adequately set forth the glory of that One who is worthy to be the object of our worship! A. W. Tozer
No duty almost is more pressed in both Testaments than this, of rejoicing in the Lord. It is no less a sin not to rejoice than not to repent. John Trapp
In prayer we act like men; in praise we act like angels. Thomas Watson
Praise is a soul in flower. Thomas Watson
The motion of our praise must be the motion of our pulse, which beats as long as life lasts. - Thomas Watson
Though nothing can add to God’s essential glory, yet praise exalts him in the eyes of others. - Thomas Watson
Isaac Watts (see nice compilation of History of Hymns and Hymnists - bullet points and pictures make it an easy read)
I’ll praise my Maker while I’ve breath,
And when my voice is lost in death,
Praise shall employ my nobler powers;
My days of praise shall ne’er be past,
While life, and thought, and being last
Or immortality endures.He loves His saints, He knows them well,
But turns the wicked down to hell;
Thy God, O Zion! ever reigns:
Let every tongue, let every age,
In this exalted work engage;
Praise Him in everlasting strains.I’ll praise Him while He lends me breath,
And when my voice is lost in death,
Praise shall employ my nobler powers;
My days of praise shall ne’er be past,
While life, and thought, and being last,
Or immortality endures.
Comment: John Wesley gave out this hymn just before preaching for the last time in City Road Chapel, Tuesday evening, February 22, 1791. The following Monday afternoon, though very ill, he amazed the friends at his bedside by singing the hymn throughout in a strong voice. The next night, his biographer, Tyermann, tells us, he tried scores of times to repeat the hymn, but could only say I’ll praise—I’ll praise—. And with praise for his Maker on his lips and in his heart he passed to that life where immortality endures. (Oh God may words like these come from the last breaths of all who are reading this page in preparation for transport to the presence of He Who Alone is praiseworthy. Amen)
Another Version - John Wesley was about 21 years of age when he went to Oxford University. He came from a Christian home, and he was gifted with a keen mind and good looks. Yet in those days he was a bit snobbish and sarcastic. One night, however, something happened that set in motion a change in Wesley’s heart. While speaking with a porter, he discovered that the poor fellow had only one coat and lived in such impoverished conditions that he didn’t even have a bed. Yet he was an unusually happy person, filled with gratitude to God. Wesley, being immature, thoughtlessly joked about the man’s misfortunes. “And what else do you thank God for?” he said with a touch of sarcasm. The porter smiled, and in the spirit of meekness replied with joy, “I thank Him that He has given me my life and being, a heart to love Him, and above all a constant desire to serve Him!” Deeply moved, Wesley recognized that this man knew the meaning of true thankfulness. Many years later, in 1791, John Wesley lay on his deathbed at the age of 88. Those who gathered around him realized how well he had learned the lesson of praising God in every circumstance. Despite Wesley’s extreme weakness, he began singing the hymn, “I’ll Praise My Maker While I’ve Breath.” (Our Daily Bread)
We give immortal praise
To God the Father’s love,
For all our comforts here,
And better hopes above;
He sent His own eternal Son,
To die for sins that man had done.
Charles Wesley (Version 1) (Version 2) (Version 3) (Version 4 - Modern)
O for a thousand tongues to sing
My great Redeemer’s praise,
The glories of my God and king,
The triumphs of His grace!My gracious master and my God,
Assist me to proclaim,
To spread through all the earth abroad
The honors of Thy name.Jesus! the name that charms our fears,
That bids our sorrows cease;
’Tis music in the sinner’s ears,
’Tis life, and health, and peace.He breaks the power of canceled sin,
He sets the prisoner free;
His blood can make the foulest clean,
His blood availed for me.He speaks, and, listening to His voice,
New life the dead receive,
The mournful, broken hearts rejoice,
The humble poor believe.Hear Him, ye deaf; His praise, ye dumb,
Your loosened tongues employ;
Ye blind, behold your Savior come,
And leap, ye lame, for joy.In Christ your head, you then shall know,
Shall feel your sins forgiven;
Anticipate your heaven below,
And own that love is heaven.Glory to God, and praise and love
Be ever, ever given,
By saints below and saints above,
The church in earth and Heaven.Comment Wesley wrote this hymn to commemorate the first anniversary of his conversion to Christ. He notes in his Journal: "Sunday, May 21, 1738. I waked in expectation of His coming. At nine my brother and some friends came and sang a hymn to the Holy Ghost. My comfort and hope were hereby increased. In about half an hour they went. I betook myself to prayer the substance as follows: O Jesus, thou hast said, I will come unto you; thou hast said, I will send the Comforter unto you. thou hast said, My Father and I will come unto you, and make our abode with you. Thou art my God, who canst not lie. I wholly rely upon thy most true promise: accomplish it in thy time and manner.…Still I felt a violent opposition and reluctance to believe, yet still the Spirit of God strove with my own and the evil spirit till by degrees he chased away the darkness of my unbelief. I found myself convinced, I knew not how or when, and immediately fell to intercession."
The sweetest of all sounds is praise. Xenophon
Praise, more divine than prayer; prayer points our ready way to heaven; praise is already there. - Edward Young