PRAISE THE LORD

LET EVERYTHING WITHIN ME PRAISE THE LORD

Praise Him because He’s amazing!

Take a walk in the morning. Hear the birds sing. Feel the sun on your skin. Notice the details. He’s in them all. And they’re all singing “Praise the Lord” in their own unique way.

Take a walk at night. Look at the moon and the stars. Consider their distance and the vastness of it all. If you could see a million galaxies, each with a billion stars, you still wouldn’t be scratching the surface of what’s out there. He holds it all together, and it’s all singing “Praise the Lord” in its own unique way.

Praise Him for what He has done!

He died for us so that we could live. He bled for us so our debt could be paid. He was forsaken so we could be forgiven. He was rejected so we could be adopted into the family of the King of Kings. We stand in the victory that He has won. The story did not end on the cross, but it continues today and forevermore because HE IS ALIVE! The grave where He once lay is empty. Not because His body was moved, but because HE WALKED OUT OF IT! Death has lost its grip on us. Hell has no power over us. We are sons and daughters of the Most High because of the Cross and the empty grave.

Praise Him with all that is within you!

Let your life be a response to who He is and what He has done!

Let your desires be praise to Him! If they’re not, then redirect them. Let your dreams be praise to Him–your ambitions, passions, creativity, and motivations. Let them be a song of praise to God.

Let your thoughts be praise to Him! If they’re not, then redirect them. Think on things that bring Him glory and please His heart. The way you think about others and yourself. The way you think about material things and finances.

St. Augustine, in his book Confessions, wrote, “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You.”

Let your life be praise to God! Your relationships, obedience, faith, and trust. The way you act and the way you react to others. In your frustrations and fears. In your joys and laughter. In your highs and lows.

In light of all that He is, all that He’s done, all that He’s promised, all that He’s doing. Praise the Lord!

Key Questions:

1. Where has your attention and adoration—which was ultimately made to be directed at God—been directed this week?

2. What does it mean to praise God with your life and not just with song? What do you sense the Holy Spirit asking you to do to move more fully toward a life that is worship to Jesus?

3. How can you practically adjust your habits and priorities to give God praise? Worship on your commute? Prioritize gathering on Sundays with other believers? Start and end your day with gratitude?