PRAISING OUR HOLY GOD THROUGH THE PSALMS

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“I will exalt You, my God and King, and praise Your name forever and ever. I will praise You every day; yes, I will praise You forever.” – Psalm 145:1-2 –

Joyful voices lifted high in praise resound in the company of worshipers, ascending into the heavenly realms. Hymns of praise and thanksgiving, complemented by the sounds of lyres, tambourines and timbrels, glorify the Lord of Hosts, the God of all.

In biblical times, psalms were sung as hymns or songs of praise to Jehovah God, accompanied by musical instruments of the time. Together the people worshiped God through the musical works of the psalmists. Having no hymn books or praise music, the psalms were their source for heavenly praise to God.

God created us for Himself. Our heart longs to worship and praise Him. It is the way He created us. We praise God not just in times of blessing when all is going well. We praise Him in our times of sadness and suffering. For when our spirits glorify God in praise, our faith soars. He is the only One worthy of our heartfelt praise.

Do you desire to lift up holy praise to God… yet are unsure of just the right words worthy of Him?

What better way to praise our Almighty Creator than with words from His Holy Book. The Book of Psalms in the Bible is our divine resource for songs of praise today. In its pages is a wealth of beautiful, heartfelt, soul-stirring words divinely inspired by men of God. The words are rich, the emotions deep, the language compelling. It is a wellspring of words to praise, honor and thank our holy God.

There are many psalms that focus on praising God. Praise psalms can be for individual worship… or voices can join in exalting the Lord together in corporate worship. Although the psalmists wrote in differing times and places, their psalms of praise often share these similarities…

  • Praises are lifted to God and all are invited to participate
    • “Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs.” – Psalm 100:1-2
    • “Sing to Him, sing praise to Him; tell of all His wonderful acts. Glory in His holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.” – Psalm 105:2-3
  • God is exalted for who He is and acclaimed for His holy attributes… His omnipotence, sovereignty and righteousness… His love, goodness, mercy and grace… His justice, forgiveness and faithfulness
    • “The Lord reigns, He is robed in majesty; the Lord is robed in majesty and armed with strength.” – Psalm 93:1
    • “The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. The Lord is good to all; He has compassion on all He has made.” – Psalm 145:8-9
    • “Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens, Your faithfulness to the skies. Your righteousness is like the highest mountains, Your justice like the great deep.” – Psalm 36:5-6
  • God is worshiped and thanked for what He has done and will do… His miracles, victories and blessings in the lives of His chosen ones
    • “For You, Lord, have delivered me from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before the Lord in the land of the living.” – Psalm 116:8-9
    • “He reached down from on high and took hold of me; He drew me out of deep waters. He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me.” – Psalm 18:16-17
    • “The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; He delivers them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” – Psalm 34:17-18
  • A new view of God or a lesson learned by the psalmist is shared
    • “You are my hiding place; You will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.” – Psalm 32:7
    • “If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened; but God has surely listened and has heard my prayer.” – Psalm 66:18-19
    • “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow His precepts have good understanding. To Him belongs eternal praise.” – Psalm 111:10
  • A repeated declaration of praise may bookend the psalm at its beginning and end
    • “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His love endures forever.” – Psalm 136:1
    • “Give thanks to the God of Heaven. His love endures forever.” – Psalm 136:26

Let us become givers of praise to our Holy God. Here is a sampling of praise psalms from God’s Word… Psalm 18, 30, 34, 66, 96, 98, 100, 103, 111, 145, 148, 150.

Let these psalms inspire you to express your love and thanksgiving to the Lover of your soul. Or delve into the book of Psalms and discover ones of your own that speak to your spirit… that share your heart’s true feelings.

Proclaim your joys and triumphs with psalms of praise to the One who has blessed you amazingly. Turn your worries, your sorrows, your fears into praise to the One who loves you absolutely. Lift up holy praise to your Lord and King.