God places great importance on worship, praise, and thanksgiving. He does so not because He is an egoist with selfish desires, but because He has our best interests at heart. Praise and thanksgiving help us rise above self-centeredness to Christ-centeredness. They focus our hearts and minds on the Lord and make us more like Him. We cheat ourselves when we neglect them, for they are a tonic that promotes joy and spiritual vigor. (Ruth Myers)
I will sing praises to You for You are my stronghold, my defense, the God who shows me loving-kindness (Psalm 59:17). You, O God, turn my wailing into dancing. You remove my sackcloth and clothe me with joy that my heart may sing to You and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give You thanks and praise forever (Psalm 30:11-12).
My soul, praise the Lord, and all that is within me, praise His holy name. My soul, praise the Lord, and do not forget all His benefits. He forgives all your sins; He heals all your diseases. He redeems your life from the pit; He crowns you with faithful love and compassion. He satisfies you with goodness; your youth is renewed like the eagle’s (Psalm 103:1-5).
He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along. He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what He has done and be astounded. They will put their trust in the Lord (Psalm 40:2-3).
I love You, O Lord, my strength! You are my [unmoving] Rock, my [surrounding] fortress, and my [ever-present] deliverer. You, my God, are my rock in whom I take refuge [from all my weariness]. You are my shield [from all unpleasantness] and the horn of my salvation [from all my difficulties], my [glorious] stronghold. I call to You, O Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies (Psalm 18:1-3).
Praise, as the Catechism explains, “lauds God for His own sake and gives Him glory, quite beyond what He does, but simply because He is.” So not only what God has done for us, but what He can do and promises to do – all gives us grounds to praise Him.
Lord, there is no one like You! For You are great, and Your name is full of power. Who would not fear you, O King of nations. That title belongs to You alone! Among all the wise people on the earth and in all the kingdoms of the world, there is no one like You (Jeremiah 10:6-7). The Lord is the only true God, the living God. He is the everlasting King! The whole earth trembles at His anger .The nations hide before His wrath (Jeremiah 10:10).
May You be praised, Lord God of Israel, our Father forever and ever! Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is Yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and You are exalted as head over all things. In Your hand is power and might, and in Your hand it is to make great and to give strength unto all. Now therefore, my God, I thank You and I praise Your glorious name (1 Chronicles 29:10-13).
For since the world began, no ear has heard, and no eye has seen a God like You who works for those who wait for Him (Isaiah 64:4). The unfailing love of the Lord never ends! By His mercies we have been kept from complete destruction. Great is His faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each day. I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in Him!” (Lamentations 3:22-24)
No man enjoys more the riches of divine grace and performs the Lord’s will to a higher degree than the man who walks with God in continuous worship. (Smith Wigglesworth)
I am of a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a “peculiar” person belonging to God, that I may declare the praises of Him who called me out of my darkness into His marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9). I will praise the name of my wondrous God who has dealt wondrously with me (Joel 2:26).
I will bless the Lord at all times. His praise shall continually be in my mouth (Psalm 34:1). May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be pleasing in Your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer (Psalm 19:14). May my meditations be pleasing to You as I rejoice in You, O my loving Lord (Psalm 104:38).
I will praise You, O Lord my God, with all my heart. I will glorify Your name forever (Psalm 86:12). I will praise Your name in song and glorify You with thanksgiving (Psalm 69:30). I will celebrate Your abundant goodness, O God, and joyfully sing of Your righteousness (Psalm 145:7). For You, O Lord, have made me glad by what You have done. I will sing for joy at the work of Your hands (Psalm 92:4).
Because Your love is better than life, my lips will glorify You, O Lord my Redeemer. I will praise You as long as I live, and in Your name I will lift up my hands. My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods, and with singing lips my mouth will praise You. (Psalm 63:3-5)
I will sing to the Lord a new song for He has done marvelous things (Psalm 98:1). Since my youth, O God, You have taught me, and today I will declare Your marvelous deeds (Psalm 71:17). It is good to praise the Lord and make music to Your name, O Most High; to proclaim Your love in the morning and Your faithfulness every night (Psalm 92:1-2). You are my God; I will exalt You. I will praise Your name, for You have done wonderful things — even purposes planned of old [and now fulfilled] in faithfulness and truth (Isaiah 25:1). Let men everywhere give thanks to the Lord for His faithful love and His wonderful works for the human race (Psalm 107:8, 31).
You, Father, faithful Lord, are gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. You, my loving Lord, are good to all; You have compassion on all You have made. All You have made will praise You, O Lord; Your saints will extol You. (Psalm 145:8-10)
