“Bless the Lord oh my soul – oooooooooo my soul and worship His holy name. Bless the Lord oh my soul, oh my soul and worship His holy name!” Those are some of the lyrics to a song written by Matt Redman called 10,000 Reasons.
I love waking up singing praise to the Father! I know He likes it too. The Psalms tell us that He inhabits the praises of His people, that means He lives within our praise. I love it – just love it. We all have reason to praise.
Yes, we do…
If God has been doing amazing things in our lives we have reason to praise. If we have been going through a particularly dry spell we have reason to praise and if we are living in a disaster zone right now, we have reason to praise.
If you are at a time when you are experiencing God’s overwhelming goodness these verses may reflect the gratitude you have in your heart. These are only a few verses from this chapter. The whole chapter is filled with so many wonderful reasons to praise the Lord.
“With all my heart I praise the Lord, and with all that I am I praise his holy name! 2 With all my heart I praise the Lord! I will never forget how kind he has been. 3 The Lord forgives our sins, heals us when we are sick, 4 and protects us from death. His kindness and love are a crown on our heads. 5 Each day that we live, he provides for our needs and gives us the strength of a young eagle.” Psalm 103:1-5 CEV
For those who think life has been dry and unproductive – nothing is happening, not good or bad, let these verses speak to you.
“The poor and needy look for water, but they cannot find any. Their tongues are dry with thirst. I, the Lord, will answer their prayers. I, the God of Israel, will not leave them to die. 18 I will make rivers flow on dry hills. I will make springs of water flow through the valleys. I will change the desert into a lake filled with water. There will be springs of water in that dry land. 19 I will make trees grow in the desert. There will be cedar, acacias, olive trees, cypress, fir trees, and pines.” Isaiah 41:17-19 ERV
And for those who have been going through some really rough stuff lately here are some instructions for praising the Lord that will bring you to a place of peace.
“Always be filled with joy in the Lord. I will say it again. Be filled with joy. 5 Let everyone see that you are gentle and kind. The Lord is coming soon. 6 Don’t worry about anything, but pray and ask God for everything you need, always giving thanks for what you have. 7 And because you belong to Christ Jesus, God’s peace will stand guard over all your thoughts and feelings. His peace can do this far better than our human minds.” Philippians 4:4-7 ERV
Now for anyone who doesn’t feel they’ve been included above, we have David’s instruction in Psalm 34.
“I will always praise the Lord. 2 With all my heart, I will praise the Lord. Let all who are helpless, listen and be glad. 3 Honor the Lord with me! Celebrate his great name.” Psalm 34:1-3 CEV
Praise brings strength to our lives. As I said at the beginning, the Lord inhabits the praise of His people. Almighty God comes to brings us life, joy and peace as we praise Him.
Want more joy – want more strength? Begin to praise the Father who created you – the Savior who died for you and the Holy Spirit who indwells you with power!