”Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!” (Psalm 150:6)
Recently, I’ve been reading through the Psalms, and it has been a great way to learn how to do something that most take for granted: Praising God. While there are many things to praise Him for, there is often little consideration for how to say it.
As seen throughout the Psalms, one of the most important times to praise God is when you don’t want to. The Psalmists are able to praise God in the midst of the worst of their sins and situations, and are able to do this by recalling God’s past faithfulness. ”Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.“ Psalm 51:1 is an example of this, as the Psalmist is asking for forgiveness while calling on God’s mercy.
Praising God is also a vital part of when life is going good, as it cultivates a grateful and humble heart, giving credit to God for His gifts.
”With a freewill offering I will sacrifice to you; I will give thanks to your name, O Lord, for it is good.“ (Psalm 54:6). In the good times, let your tongue be loosed with praise for God, genuinely giving Him thanks. If it helps, make a list beforehand and take some time to go through it, so you don’t have to rush or jump from thing to thing.
But remember, praising God doesn’t always have to be planned or while requesting something. You can praise God when you look at your family, and the love that exists between you and them, or when you see the sun set. You can praise God after a great time or a huge disappointment. The only wrong way is to not do it at all.
