Day 84: May I have A Cup of Praise Please ...
Read: Psalm 103
There are many things I wish I could do better. I wish I could be a
better cook that I may prepare for my wife that first breakfast in bed
that was not just a peanut butter and jelly on wheat toast. I wish I
could better at sorting my wife's laundry so she wouldn't get so mad at me
when some of her colors run together with the whites. I wish that one
day I could become a better more loving husband to my wonderful wife. I
wish that one day when all these other wishes bears the appropriate
fruits in life, then I wish I could become a whole lot more better at
appreciating and praising my awesome God.
I am afraid that I
have not been nearly appreciative or praising enough for that which I
have already been mightily blessed to receive. I guess that I am too
often disappointed by life. Unfortunately, I have found that there
are one too many days in my life that just do not reached that level for
which praise and appreciation warrant any response. But even when life does go my way, I am not particularly thankful because, well .... in all honesty, I believe I am more than just a little bit deserving (finally, it's about time!!).
Lately, I have been asking the Holy Spirit to remind me of the reasons
why praise and appreciation are so vitally important to promoting and
maturing spiritual well being:
Praise helps us appreciate all
the past, present and future blessings we enjoy through the Holy Spirit.
The Lord calls all believers to be intimate with Him and praise
facilitates our nearness to God. Praise enables us to come closer to the
Lord so He can come closer to us. Praise and appreciation are essential
bonding agents between us and God.
Praise helps us to
appreciate who we are and what we can become by focusing our attentions
on God who is holy, pure and blameless in everything. Jesus said,
“Blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God. Blessed are the
people who believe but have not seen. People who are in intimate
fellowship with the Lord are able to give greater thanks to the Lord for
His power and sovereign control in all things that He created.
Praise helps us fully appreciate and appropriate God’s grace, goodness
and peace. The more we know God the better we are able to enjoy His
presence and grow in all aspects into Christ. Praise helps us gain a
greater level of spiritual awareness of how enriched we are through
God’s blessings. It is our privilege to praise the Lord as He gradually
reveals more ways that He has blessed us while we give Him greater
glory.
I am sure that as you come to read this, that your heart will find itself strangely warmed by even more reasons to praise and appreciate all that the Lord our God
has done. I can well appreciate and praise the Lord that for as many
people God has blessed, there are an infinite number of reasons to begin
your prayer with 'Bless the Lord, O My Soul'.
Pray: Father,
Son and Holy Spirit, You call out to us today, telling us to come and
sit at Your feet and be refreshed. You call us today to be at peace in
Your Presence and to recognize all that You are doing everywhere all
around us so we can see the magnitude of Your power and be put at ease
in our relationship. Set aside our pride or ego that still exists, set
us aside so we can praise & worship at Your feet and be renewed
ourselves. Amen
---------------------------------------
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XtwIT8JjddM
Matt Redman - 10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord)
www.youtube.com
Music video by Matt Redman performing 10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord). (P) (C) 2012 sixstepsrecords/Sparrow Records. All rights
Read: Psalm 103
There are many things I wish I could do better. I wish I could be a better cook that I may prepare for my wife that first breakfast in bed that was not just a peanut butter and jelly on wheat toast. I wish I could better at sorting my wife's laundry so she wouldn't get so mad at me when some of her colors run together with the whites. I wish that one day I could become a better more loving husband to my wonderful wife. I wish that one day when all these other wishes bears the appropriate fruits in life, then I wish I could become a whole lot more better at appreciating and praising my awesome God.
I am afraid that I have not been nearly appreciative or praising enough for that which I have already been mightily blessed to receive. I guess that I am too often disappointed by life. Unfortunately, I have found that there are one too many days in my life that just do not reached that level for which praise and appreciation warrant any response. But even when life does go my way, I am not particularly thankful because, well .... in all honesty, I believe I am more than just a little bit deserving (finally, it's about time!!).
Lately, I have been asking the Holy Spirit to remind me of the reasons why praise and appreciation are so vitally important to promoting and maturing spiritual well being:
Praise helps us appreciate all the past, present and future blessings we enjoy through the Holy Spirit. The Lord calls all believers to be intimate with Him and praise facilitates our nearness to God. Praise enables us to come closer to the Lord so He can come closer to us. Praise and appreciation are essential bonding agents between us and God.
Praise helps us to appreciate who we are and what we can become by focusing our attentions on God who is holy, pure and blameless in everything. Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God. Blessed are the people who believe but have not seen. People who are in intimate fellowship with the Lord are able to give greater thanks to the Lord for His power and sovereign control in all things that He created.
Praise helps us fully appreciate and appropriate God’s grace, goodness and peace. The more we know God the better we are able to enjoy His presence and grow in all aspects into Christ. Praise helps us gain a greater level of spiritual awareness of how enriched we are through God’s blessings. It is our privilege to praise the Lord as He gradually reveals more ways that He has blessed us while we give Him greater glory.
I am sure that as you come to read this, that your heart will find itself strangely warmed by even more reasons to praise and appreciate all that the Lord our God has done. I can well appreciate and praise the Lord that for as many people God has blessed, there are an infinite number of reasons to begin your prayer with 'Bless the Lord, O My Soul'.
Pray: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, You call out to us today, telling us to come and sit at Your feet and be refreshed. You call us today to be at peace in Your Presence and to recognize all that You are doing everywhere all around us so we can see the magnitude of Your power and be put at ease in our relationship. Set aside our pride or ego that still exists, set us aside so we can praise & worship at Your feet and be renewed ourselves. Amen
---------------------------------------
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XtwIT8JjddM
Matt Redman - 10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord)
www.youtube.com
Music video by Matt Redman performing 10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord). (P) (C) 2012 sixstepsrecords/Sparrow Records. All rights
Matt Redman - 10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord)
www.youtube.com
Music video by Matt Redman performing 10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord). (P) (C) 2012
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