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Devotions

How do we praise God? And when do we praise Him?

The angels and heavenly hosts, the mountains and hills, the rivers, rocks, and trees, all of God's creation praise Him! Those above the heavens and those below the heavens praise Him!

How do we praise God? I don't simply mean once a week when we worship Him, but in our everyday lives. Many of the psalms are praise psalms, and they are an inspiration to you and me as we search for ways to praise God. Go to the masters, the psalmists, who were inspired by God himself! We probably all have our favorite psalms. But please take time to read Psalm 148, a psalm that calls all of God's creation to praise Him.

Psalm 148
Praise the LORD.

Praise the LORD from the heavens,
    praise him in the heights above.
Praise him, all his angels,
    praise him, all his heavenly hosts.
Praise him sun and moon,
    praise him, all you shining stars.
Praise him, you highest heavens
    and you waters above the skies.
Let them praise the name of the LORD,
    for he commanded and they were created.
He set them in place for ever and ever;
    he gave a decree that will never pass away.

Praise the LORD from the earth,
    you great sea creatures and all ocean depths,
Lightening and hail, snow and clouds,
    stormy winds that do his bidding,
you mountains and all hills,
    fruit trees and all cedars,
wild animals and all cattle,
    small creatures and flying birds,
kings of the earth and all nations,
    you princes and all rulers on earth,
young men and maidens,
    old men and children.

Let them praise the name of the LORD,
    for his name alone is exalted;
    his splendor is above the earth and the heavens.
He has raised up for his people a horn,
    the praise of all his saints,
    of Israel, the people close to his heart.

Praise the LORD.

Last night at our Monday night ministry, where people with various disabilities come together to worship God in a Christian setting, one friend requested a couple of Dave Morstad's* songs. But it was getting late, and we needed to end the service. So, our worship leader, Pastor Don Kretzschmar, suggested that we do one verse from each of the songs.

Have you experienced this "problem"? Wouldn't we all love to have this "problem" in our churches?—Members asking for longer sermons, offering to come early and stay late, or pleading for more praise and worship music time!

Earlier in the service, Pastor Don led one of these requested songs in its entirety. Since we had some newcomers to the service, he stopped and encouraged everyone to put more action into this song as people were able. Usually, someone starts lifting their arm and waving it in the air and others follow suit, all the time their rhythm instruments are being played, smiles are radiating, and voices wherever possible are singing out. Can you picture it? For a little example of the praise music we were using, here is the second verse of Dave's song "I Will Lift Up My Hands".**

Refrain:
I will lift up my hands in praise to the King.
I will reach out to Him with the song that I sing.
Because I am His,
Jesus is my song!

Verse 2:
We can shout with our voices.
Make all kinds of noises.
A voice can do right
And a voice can do wrong.
We sing our praises in so many ways!
Oh, the Lord is my strength
And the Lord is my song!

But what about praising God in our daily lives apart from time in church or when we are with other Christians? What about when we are spending time with our families: giving baths to the children, eating a meal together or driving in the car? What about at work: when our team completed a project or when a co-worker tells us they got a raise? What about during our personal devotion or quiet time with God?

I don't know about you, but I could always use more time to praise God. Because when we do praise Him, we will be blessed! God not only wants us to praise Him, He helps us remember to do it and helps us know how!

Why not try it? Make a promise to yourself to do it just once. God will help you to do it again and again. When you do, your walk with God will be better than ever. And your Christian witness will be more spontaneous. Who knows what other ways God will bless you!

Dear Lord God,
we praise You and thank You for being our great God! We praise You for all Your creation and the way it works together for good. We praise You and thank You for our families and homes, our work and schools, our churches and pastors. And most of all we praise You and thank You for Your Son Jesus, our Savior. In His name we pray. Amen.