Praying Through Psalms of Praise with Hillsong CreativeSample

Introduction

We’re going to spend some time over the next week looking at the last six Psalms from the Bible. We’re going to pray, reflect, and invite God to speak to us about the power of true praise. Why don’t you ask the Holy Spirit now to guide you through this time? Ask that He would deepen your understanding and increase your passion to praise Him.

The word “praise” has so many meanings in the 21st century. What comes to your mind when you think about praise?

We can so easily limit the power of praise by reducing our understanding of it to something small and trivial. Have you minimised praise to be perhaps just an upbeat song? A genre of music? Or maybe praise to you represents polite applause or simply the appetiser of a spiritual degustation. Talk to God about that now.

The Hebrew word for “Psalms” literally means “praise”. That on it’s own shows us that praise is a huge thing! Praise encompasses every season and every feeling. From the darkness of deep lament to the brilliant glow of happiness found in Christ, praise is a choice to celebrate who God is and what He has done. Praise is a weapon of spiritual warfare, it involves action, words, music, singing and dancing. Praise is the pathway towards the presence of God.

With that in mind, why not close your eyes and listen now to Psalm 100. 

“Shout for Joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.”

As we continue this week praying through Psalms of praise, why not decide now to step boldly out of your comfort zone. Don’t just listen, but actively engage. Whatever season of life you might find yourself in, do as the Psalmists tell us and make a choice to praise our God.