Psalm 9:1
“I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will tell of all Your marvelous works.”
The dictionary defines the word ‘praise’ as ‘the expression of respect and gratitude’. Think of the last time you praised someone. It might have been a co-worker who solved a complicated issue, or a child who achieved something noteworthy. Their efforts might not have directly impacted you, but you still felt the need to praise them for it.
Some of our praise might be just lip service because it’s expected from us. But if we follow that pattern when we praise God, we disrespect Him. When we praise God, it has to be from a whole heart – genuinely overflowing with respect and gratitude to the One who gave us life and enough grace to survive another day.
Perhaps you feel God hasn’t done anything marvelous in your life in the recent past. What can you praise Him for? Well, if you could just take a few minutes to look up to Him with an attitude of gratitude, you’ll find that you can praise Him just for who He is – Your Creator, Provider, Father, Friend, Savior, Redeemer, Healer, Master, and King. When you’re able to whole-heartedly praise God for who He is, and not just for what He’s done, it will make a huge difference in how you perceive your life as it is now.
