4 Praise & Thanksgiving
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About This Project

Psalm 145:7

Charles Haddon Spurgeon, a British pastor living in the 1800’s, is considered to be one of the greatest preachers in history. It is said that his weekly sermons literally sold by the ton. Among his writings is a book called The Practice of Praise: How to develop the habit of abundant, continual praise in your daily life. There he outlines three steps to practice praise from Psalm 145:7, “They shall eagerly utter the memory of Your abundant goodness, And will shout joyfully of Your righteousness” (NASV). When we learn how to praise God like this, our hearts will thrill as the Holy Spirit draws us into deeper communion with Jesus.

 

three steps for learning to praise

  1. Practice looking around me, “They shall eagerly utter the memory of Your abundant goodness.” To remember God’s great goodness means I first have to notice it. If I do not look around me to see God’s goodness, then I will have nothing to praise Him about. What can I see in the physical world that reminds me of His goodness? Have I taken time to observe the beauty of His creation? Have I noted the harmony of nature? What can I see in the spiritual world which makes me want to rejoice in Him? Have I observed the many blessings that my salvation has brought me or the steady development of the importance of prayer and grace among others? The more time I take to observe, the more I will see, and the more reasons I will have to praise my Father.
  2. Practice remembering what I have seen. Can I remember what God has done in the Bible? Can I remember when God has intervened throughout my life with His goodness—times spent with Him in nature, religious events, or providential meetings with people? Do I hold these things in my mind so they become permanent markers on my journey—to remind me of His purposes for my life?
  3. Practice talking about it, “They shall eagerly utter.” Like a bubbling stream or a fountain, I am called to let praise for the goodness of God flow unrestricted from my mouth. As I do so, I am encouraged, and so is everyone around me.

 

five reasons to share God’s goodness

Spurgeon adds five reasons why we should talk of God’s goodness:

  1. We should continually praise God because we cannot help it, for the truth of God’s goodness compels us to speak out.
  2. We should continually praise God because within our culture there are a myriad voices trying to drown out the praises of God. Therefore, the more society cries against God, the more we should speak out for Him.
  3. We should continually praise God as a witness to those who don’t know God. Praise is not primarily a private matter. It demands that someone is listening. Both God, to whom the praise is directed, and our neighbours, who need to know that our God is real and that the Christian life is worth embracing.
  4. We should continually praise God to encourage fellow Christians. Often, those who are struggling feel so alone and that there is no way out of their predicament. Praise encourages them.
  5. We should continually praise God to glorify God—for God is worthy of our honour and praise. Praise to God is an activity that the whole universe is involved in constantly. So how can we praise Him any less if we have been redeemed from eternal condemnation to live with Jesus forever?

Ellen White encourages this habit of praise,

Then let us educate our hearts and lips to speak the praise of God for His matchless love. Let us educate our souls to be hopeful and to abide in the light shining from the cross of Calvary. Never should we forget that we are children of the heavenly King, sons and daughters of the Lord of hosts. It is our privilege to maintain a calm repose in God. (Ministry of Healing, 253)

 

using your journal

In the fourth column of your prayer journal, you can practice educating your heart by daily listing your reasons for giving God thanks and praise. While these two terms are sometimes used interchangeably, thanks normally relates to the acts of God in our lives—both physically and spiritually, while praise often focuses on who God is. As this is a spiritual exercise, ask the Holy Spirit to open your spiritual eyes to record the goodness and love of God in your life. You may even want to spend time to sing your praises to God!

Category
Communion with God, Prayer