Week 2
Psalm 111:1 (ESV)
Praise the Lord! I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart, in the company of the upright, in the congregation.
As we begin to pray through the Psalms, it is fitting that we start with thanksgiving. It’s easy to rush through prayer and quickly arrive at our needs and petitions. The Lord is ready to hear our prayers, and He answers them according to His will, but we should not take lightly the fact that we are speaking to Almighty God through Jesus Christ. When we take a moment at the beginning of our prayer to quiet ourselves and reflect on all that God has given us (everything!), we remind ourselves that He is faithful and provides for our needs. We also trust that He will supply our needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19).
It’s worth noting that the Psalms of thanksgiving and praise are almost always in the context of “the assembly,” that is, the people of God. Therefore, it is fitting that we give thanks to God when we gather together for worship with our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. That’s one reason we call it praise when we sing. There’s something powerful about singing together in unity with the saints and giving thanks for all that God has done for us and will do for us. Faith is meant to be lived out in community.
What will you give God thanks for this week? If you need a place to start, take a few moments on one of these beautiful fall evenings to gaze up at the night sky and consider the works of God’s hand, or go for a short walk around the neighborhood in the morning and look at the beauty of the landscape at sunrise. I’m certain you will find many reasons to be thankful and will agree with the Psalmist when he says, “His praise endures forever!”
For the week ahead, read the following Psalms of Thanksgiving: 9, 33, 100, 106.
As we begin to pray through the Psalms, it is fitting that we start with thanksgiving. It’s easy to rush through prayer and quickly arrive at our needs and petitions. The Lord is ready to hear our prayers, and He answers them according to His will, but we should not take lightly the fact that we are speaking to Almighty God through Jesus Christ. When we take a moment at the beginning of our prayer to quiet ourselves and reflect on all that God has given us (everything!), we remind ourselves that He is faithful and provides for our needs. We also trust that He will supply our needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19).
It’s worth noting that the Psalms of thanksgiving and praise are almost always in the context of “the assembly,” that is, the people of God. Therefore, it is fitting that we give thanks to God when we gather together for worship with our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. That’s one reason we call it praise when we sing. There’s something powerful about singing together in unity with the saints and giving thanks for all that God has done for us and will do for us. Faith is meant to be lived out in community.
What will you give God thanks for this week? If you need a place to start, take a few moments on one of these beautiful fall evenings to gaze up at the night sky and consider the works of God’s hand, or go for a short walk around the neighborhood in the morning and look at the beauty of the landscape at sunrise. I’m certain you will find many reasons to be thankful and will agree with the Psalmist when he says, “His praise endures forever!”
For the week ahead, read the following Psalms of Thanksgiving: 9, 33, 100, 106.
Join the group for some fantastic discussion!
Posted in Praying the Psalms