Continual Praise

Ps. 145:21

My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord, and let all flesh bless His holy name forever and ever.

 

What a glorious psalm of praise! Memorizing and praying this psalm has been a blessing this entire year.  After memorizing it last August, I have prayed it nightly before I fall asleep. My purpose was to  praise God no matter what the day had brought, sickness, complications, pain, etc. And this year has been full of sickness, pain, and complications! I know that all God has planned for me is for my good and for His glory, but some days are harder than others.

 

This psalm teaches so many things about God and His relationship to man:

• God and King
• Unsearchable greatness
• God is greatly to be praised
• Mighty awesome deeds
• abundant goodness
• righteous
• gracious and merciful
• slow to anger
• abounding in steadfast love
• good to all
• mercy over all creation
• glorious kingdom
• everlasting kingdom
• dominion endures through all generations
• faithful in His words
• kind in His works
• upholds all who are falling
• raises up all who are bowed down
• gives food in due season
• satisfies the desire of every living thing
• righteous in all His ways
• near to all who call on Him in truth
• fulfills the desire of those who fear Him, hears their cry and saves them
• preserves all who love Him
• the wicked He will destroy

Like David, I open my heart to God, extolling Him as my God and King. I bless His name every day and praise Him. Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised, and His greatness is unsearchable. Using this psalm has truly impacted my heart.

Several weeks ago, John and I were going to a worship conference in CA. Before the conference began I rushed John to the hospital with a GI bleed where he stayed the duration of the conference. I got the stomach flu and various other things and neither one of us were able to go to the conference at all. Amazingly, my heart was praising God. I did not even fall into a downcast pity party even though it was a costly trip. Still on our way home, we got kicked off the plane in Oakland and had to spend another night in a hotel, but this time with no luggage. My heart was still praising Him. I praise Him for this! It was all Him and the power of His word. I love this psalm and will keep it as my evening prayer.

Father,
Thank You for who You are and Your amazing works in my life. You are gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
In Him,
Amen