Praise the Lord... O my soul!

"I pray for the desire to pray and meditate.  I pray to abstain from anger, shame, anxiety, discouragement and compulsive behaviour.  I ask for patience, tolerance, gentleness, compassion and empathy.  I pray to know Jesus more intimately, to love him more deeply and follow him more closely.  I pray to know myself and others as Christ knows us, as made in the image an likeness of God."

Psalm 146

Praise for God’s Help

¹ Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
² I will praise the Lord as long as I live;
   I will sing praises to my God all my life long.

³ Do not put your trust in princes,
   in mortals, in whom there is no help.
⁴ When their breath departs, they return to the earth;
   on that very day their plans perish.


1) "Praise the Lord!" "...as long as I live;" "...all my life long;" "...mortals;" "...in mortals... there is no help;" "...their plans perish" "...O my soul!"


2) What plans do I have?  What plans do we have as a congregation?  Plans that will perish when our breath stops.  Which plans are God's?  How does our life praise God our whole life long, as long as we live?  We have so may projects, so many "ministries," so many "good works."  But when are we actually praising God?  Certainly not when doing our "good works" we become bitter, angry, and resentful, or when we come to our "works" with anger, shame, anxiety, and discouragement.  If we remembered to "Praise God" or that we are "Praising God" with our works we would be less discouraged and lighter of heart.  But that means getting ego out of the way.  And it is from the depths of the souls... not just in our minds or on our lips or from our hands... "O my soul!"


3) What is the invitation in all this?  to return to praising God with our works instead of putting our trust in our own works.  To remember that the "works" aren't ours.  And if we can't do them the way we used to, then perhaps God is calling us to something new.  There is something about letting go of outcome in there.  Our actions must praise God.  That is the only outcome that matters.  We praise God by raising one another up, not bearing one another down, by seeking justice, loving kindness, and walking humbly.


"Holy One, help us to praise you in word, thought, and action.  Let that praise rise up from the depths of our souls in gratitude for all we have received and for all that we can do.  Let us proclaim your glory throughout creation.  This day, may others know through my words and actions that I find glory in your from the depth of my soul.  Amen."


Breathprayer: "Praise the Lord... O my soul!"