O Most Holy God, my heart is filled with endless joy and praise while the world around me is filled with sadness and lamentations. I feel gratitude for the words you share with me and the kindness You show to me because they help me maintain a positive outlook regardless of what I am going through. Even during the worst times in my life, my inner peace and calm cannot be shaken and I am able to persevere. I know that, if I cling to You, my endurance will allow me to produce good with my life. Through all of the tumult and strife I go through, I am confident that You will stand with me and help me overcome the things that hold me back. Your words and promises enrich my soul … encouraging me to never give up and never look back. Your guiding light shows me the way that I am to go and teaches me how to live uprightly. It is Your strength that overpowers my enemies causing them to tremble and flee.
Fear, worry and death, my former companions, no longer cause me to waiver. They are set before me, like decoys set before wild birds, to draw me into a trap. However, with the wisdom that I’ve gained from You, I know to flee to the safety of Your arms. As Your truth takes root and is able to grow within me, I feel myself changing for the better and becoming more like You. As others see me change, they are able to rejoice and give glory for what You have done. To walk with You is to know peace … to confide in You is to experience trust … to love You is to feel loved … and, turning to You makes me turn away from evil. It is the confidence that I gain from building a relationship with You that enables me to praise You openly and serve You without reservation. Because of Your goodness, a fountain of joy and hope springs eternal from within me. Therefore, my soul rejoices and I lift up praises to Your name.
Holy are You, O Lord, and I willingly bow down in honor to You. The heavens and the earth are Yours and You gladly share them with me. In majesty, You will reign forever and all men will one day bow down in submission to You. In Your love, You offer peace, but evil comes quickly to sow seeds of division and hatred. If I tend to drift away from You, Your love and mercy draw me back. If worry and fear come to attack me, You build a hedge to keep them away. If doubt comes to steal my faith, Your words come quickly, like an invincible army, to rescue and protect me. I’ve come to realize that my praise is a sign of my faith in You. It is an expression of thanks for all that You have done for me. My service is an outward witness of my love and commitment to You. It is Your faithfulness that gives me feelings of perpetual joy and a reason for praising You. And it’s in Jesus’ name I pray. AMEN!!
Psalm 9:11 Sing praises to the Lord, proclaim among the nations what He has done.