In Psalm 34:1 David said: “I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.” David understood the importance of praising the Lord on a continuing basis. Praise is a form of worship and can be carried out in our daily life. Praise is acknowledging the Lord for who He is! Praise is recognizing the Lord for what He has done for us!

A life of praise must be cultivated. It is an act of the will. We choose to praise the Lord. Praise is not a feeling. It can and should involve our feelings, but even when we do not “feel” like praising the Lord, we can still praise Him!

The Word of God is filled with passages that declare and demonstrate genuine praise to the Lord. If you cannot think of anything to say, just pick one of the many passages of scripture (particularly in the Psalms) and make that your own expression of praise to the Lord. Pick any number of verses in the Psalms and speak them back to the Lord in praise. Make the words of scripture your own words! You will find that in doing this your heart will be filled with joy!

Praise invites the Presence of God (Psalm 22:3) to dwell in the midst of where we are! The Lord will always respond to a heart that genuinely praises Him!

James W. Black