Rote Praises

Rote praises sometimes jump to my lips without a lot of conscious thought.

What a beautiful day! Thank You, Lord.

I got a raise! Praise the Lord.

My son graduated! Hallelujah.  

How often do I utter these one-second rote praises? And do I really think about them? Or are they the automatic phrases Christians spout? This morning, as I thanked God for another day, I stopped and asked myself these questions. 

What does praise mean? Are my quick praises glorifying God? Do I appreciate all His marvelous perfections? Do my words convey all my reverence? I think the answer is yes and no. 

No, these quick affirmations can’t possibly express my complete praise. But they do express praise, and I do mean them. I am glad these phrases come quickly to mind and mouth as I go through my day. We are to keep His praise continually in our mouths, and short bursts of praise are one way of doing just that. 

I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

~Psalms 34:1 NASB

Deeper Praises

But this one morning, I hungered to dig deeper, to commune with a holy God in heartfelt praise, to rehearse my utter joy of being in the presence of a loving God. He is worthy. I am blessed to praise Him. The joy of the Lord filled me with praise.

Lord, open my lips so that my mouth may declare Your praise.

~Psalms 51:15 NASB

It was so much more than a mere Hallelujah. It went beyond Thank You, Lord. This praise jam was meat for my hungry soul and brought me into God’s presence in humility.

I rejoice in the quick praise phrases. They help keep my mind and heart focused on God. But the praise jams are a must, as well. My soul yearns to praise Him more. I desire to never forget to stop and spend intentional time praising God.

Think of some ways you can spend time in praise daily. 

Lord, I praise You with all of me. You are worthy of all praise. May my lips continually praise You. In Jesus’ name, amen. 

 

Genre: Non-fiction

Copyright 2024: Rote Praises: Sharon Davis: All Rights Reserved