Praise Him Every Day
Psalm 145 is an explosion of praise and thanksgiving, and it begins with a simple invitation and commitment to praise. Psalm 145:1-2 ESV says, “I will extol you, my God and King, and bless your name forever and ever. Every day I will bless you and praise your name forever and ever.”
Don’t let a day go by without praising the name of the Lord. Even in the times when you feel tired, discouraged, or stuck, praise him all the same.
Praising God every day means that some days, praise wells up within us like a bursting spring, but other times, I feel distant and empty. It’s hard to praise on empty, but when we are in lack, praise is the perfect remedy.
Praise reorients our attitude and status away from ourselves and onto something greater. When real gratitude stirs up, it completely takes over our view of the world around us. It’s hard to be grateful and worried at the same time.
The way the Bible talks about non-stop praise makes it seem a bit preemptive. Are we supposed to praise and thank God just because that’s what good Christians do? Doesn’t it seem a bit backward to praise before anything happens? We wouldn’t celebrate someone as a victor until they win the competition, even if we are sure they will win, so why would we praise God in all circumstances?
The truth is that there is already so much to thank God for that there’s never a moment where we can’t respond in praise and thanksgiving. Psalm 145 clearly lays out a number of ways that God is worthy of praise, but even just thinking back on our journey with God will bring to remembrance his faithfulness and goodness.
I don’t think that praising God in the low moments is about denying the challenges before us or pretending that everything is okay. The discipline of having contentment and joy in all circumstances is something different, I think.
Praise and thanksgiving are simply responses to who God is and what he has done. The beautiful thing is that when we remember what God has done and see his glory and beauty, we receive faith for what he will do. We don’t have to ignore the challenges before we step into thanksgiving because there are so many things in Christ Jesus to be grateful for.
This is why the discipline of praise matters. It keeps us under the flow of faith so that we can keep living in confidence. It’s totally appropriate to put your request before the Lord, unsure of how it will be resolved, and give God thanks for everything else you can think of. Maybe one day we will mature to the point of thanking God even for the suffering, but I think the practice of praise begins with learning to see the windows of gratitude every day.
So give him praise today and every day!
