365 Days of Praise
Praise to GOD Who is GREAT
“You are GREAT and do wondrous deeds; You alone are God.”
Are you hurting, struggling, or stressed? If so, are you crying out to God? That’s what David did; as recorded in Psalm 86. His accolade to God in which he praises Him for being great is not a mindless platitude. Rather, his words are framed in the midst of his afflictions and needs; of him crying out to God. When David states, “You are GREAT and do wondrous deeds;” David is professing his trust in God’s GREATNESS. He is looking at the heavens and saying, “You alone are God. I know nothing is too difficult for You. I know You can help me, so do it!” Do you need to affirm your faith in God’s GREATNESS today? Do you need to say those words?
LORD, You are GREAT and do wondrous deeds! We’re so thankful to have You in our life and look forward to seeing how You work things out.
Praise to God Who is Gracious
“Then the LORD passed by in front of him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and GRACIOUS, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth;”
God led the enslaved Israelites out of Egyptian bondage. Moses ascended the mountain where God wrote the Ten Commandments on tablets of stone. Moses came down the mountain to find the people playing like harlots. They danced around a golden calf and worshiped it. God’s anger burned. Moses’s anger burned. Moses threw the tablets; shattering them. Fast forward. The people repented. God called Moses to return to Him on the mountain top and to bring two more tablets of stone. Then the Lord passed in front of Moses and proclaimed His graciousness. Are you grateful for God’s graciousness toward you? If so, praise Him now.
Lord, You are GRACIOUS toward us; not holding our sins against us; but rather, giving us new days and new opportunities. We are thankful beyond words for You. Thank You, Lord God, for being so graciousness.
Thank You, GOOD SHEPHERD
“I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.”
David describes God as the Good Shepherd. In other words, we don’t have to be afraid of Him. We can trust ourselves to His care. Are you worried about your future? God is good. Jesus is the good shepherd. Feast your eyes on what He says in the Bible. Follow Jesus, the good shepherd. “Good” awaits you.
Christ Jesus, You are the GOOD SHEPHERD who has laid down Your life for us. Thank You! We love You.
Praise to GOD Who is GOOD
“O taste and see that the Lord is GOOD; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!”
Many people have never “tasted” the Lord. Some don’t even know about Jesus. They’ve been raised in homes where Sunday is just another day. They don’t own a Bible. Jesus’s name may only be a cuss word to them. They’ve never “tasted” and seen that God is good. Yet, they’re starving for something good in their lives. We can tell them. How? Following are resources to help you share Christ with others:
Discovering His Passion shows us how Christ opened conversations about Himself, the Spirit, and eternal life. By studying how He gently engaged others, we can learn to engage others in spiritual conversations.
Taste and See that the Lord is Good cookbook is filled with tried and true recipes. More importantly, it has a Bible verse on every recipe page, how someone can come to know Christ as Savior, and “Blessings and Graces” to say at mealtime. This is a great gift for Mother’s Day, Graduation, or just to say “I care;” an easy way to share God’s GOODNESS with others.
Know Jesus as Savior is a link you can copy and paste in an email or text message when talking with someone about Christ.
God is GOOD. Let’s share the good news of His GOODNESS with others.
LORD, You are GOOD! Help us share Your NAME and spread Your LOVE to those who don’t know You.
Praise to God Who SEES Our Tears
“…‘Thus says the Lord, the God of your father David, “I have heard your prayer, I have SEEN YOUR TEARS;”
One of the many things that amazes me in the Bible is that God SEES and addresses individuals. I suppose because God is enthroned in heaven, I sometimes forget that His eye is also on you and me. Are you crying? Are you sad? Are you grieved beyond the point of crying? God SEES YOUR TEARS. He hears your prayers.
Lord God, You who are enthroned on high are also compassionate toward us. You SEE OUR TEARS. You hear our prayers. Thank You for Your compassion.
Praise God of the COVENANT
“And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you; for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins.'”
Do you ever hurriedly read through familiar passages in the Bible? I often have to remind myself to slow down so I grasp the intensity of God’s words to me. Such is the case with Matthew 26:27-28; which is often read during Communion. When we slow down to read this passage, we realize that Jesus identifies Himself as the Covenant Maker. He makes a covenant with us and seals it with His blood. He literally dies for us, and His covenant with us is forever binding.
Lord Jesus, COVENANT MAKER, You not only made a covenant with us, but You sealed it with Your blood. We worship, praise, and adore You, our Lord and God.
Praise to the God of the Armies of Israel
“Then David said to the Philistine, ‘You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have taunted.’”
Are you familiar with the story of David and Goliath? Most people are. The Biblical account of a winsome lad using a slingshot to overpower a mean giant is something like a Disney movie. But, it isn’t fiction. It’s a powerful historical account with thousands of eyewitnesses. I encourage you to open your Bible and read 1 Samuel 17 as if it were your first time. Among numerous things, one jumped out at me when I reread the passage this morning. David’s confidence that he could prevail over the giant wasn’t a whimsical wish. His confidence was rooted on past experiences when God had been there for him. The giant before him was different from his past battles, but God was the same present help to him.
Are you facing a giant? Does it seem insurmountable? Are you afraid you can’t win? Those around us may offer us their “armor” – what’s worked for them, and it might help. But, in the end, nothing man offers us compares with reliance on the God of the Armies of Israel. God is present to empower you and ensure victory. Look to Him.
Heavenly Father, You are the God of the armies of Israel who leads angelic hosts to prevail against all who are against You. Win the battles in our lives as we stand in Your name against the enemies of our flesh, Satan, and fallen world.
Praise to the GOD of ORDER
“‘Thus says the Lord, Who gives the sun for light by day and the fixed ORDER of the moon and the stars for light by night, Who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar; The Lord of hosts is His name.’”
Have you ever thought about how “order” is important to God? If not, look around. Order is important to our Heavenly Father. On a grand scale, we see His order in days, nights, and seasons. On the most minute of scales, we see God’s order in protons, neutrons, and electrons making up atoms. And of protons and neutrons being made of three quarks each.
Have you ever thought about God ordering your day and maybe even turning to Him to order and organize the moments of your day? Do you think perhaps He might do a better job of it than we might? Beginning our day with a prayer to the God of Order is wise.
LORD, You are a GOD OF ORDER. Please order our day so that we live fully for You.
Praise to GOD of the LIVING
“…regarding the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God: I AM THE GOD OF ABRAHAM, AND THE GOD OF ISAAC, AND THE GOD OF JACOB”? He is not the God of the dead but of the living.”
Jesus is the one talking. He has just told those who were asking Him questions that they were mistaken about some things. Imagine that! That we might ever be mistaken. Then, Jesus used the Old Testament to correct their thinking. To those who consider the Old Testament irrelevant, please consider its importance. Jesus often quoted from it as the authority of His teachings. And what did He quote? That GOD IS NOT THE GOD OF THE DEAD, BUT OF THE LIVING. Do you have a loved one who is no longer alive on earth? If so, be assured on the basis of Jesus’s words – your loved one is alive.
GOD of the LIVING, we praise You for receiving our loved ones into Your presence. Thank You, that we too will be alive in Your presence one day.
Praise to GOD of the JEWS
“Or is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles also?”
“He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands” is an American spiritual that was first published in 1927. However, long before the song, God revealed Himself to Abraham, Moses, and others as the God of the Jews. It is with great praise that both Jews and Gentiles celebrate, “God is our God!”
GOD OF THE JEWS, we praise You for being the God of the world.