31 Days of Praise {Day 4} – Singing a New Song for 2011

I’ll be the first to admit that my thoughts are not always focused on ways I can praise God. What?! You’re not surprised about that?

As women, we sometimes tend to every other area  in our lives (husbands, children, work, home, church…the list goes on) before we make time for what’s important to us — I know that my Bible reading is sporadic, as my daily schedule is full with homeschooling, work, and just life in general.

If we are truly honest with each other, very little of our daily schedules are comprised of thoughts about God, much less how we can find ways to honor Him and offer the sacrifice of praise compared to how many hours there are in the day. We are usually good at showing our thanks, no doubt! If you’re anything like me and you happen upon a good parking spot at Wal-Mart, that’s always something to give some thanks for.

However, there’s a difference between ‘thanks’ and ‘praise’. Thanksgiving describes our attitude toward what God has done, while praise is offered for who God is. Praise originates in a pure heart, one full of love and born from a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Praise is an important act of Christian worship. The Bible even states we are to continually find ways to praise God! {Psalm 34:1}

So how can we make it an integral part of our daily life, especially when we are running 90 to nothing on a slow day?

Praise can be expressed in song, in verse, or in prayer. We may not always be able to pick up our Bible or go to our prayer closet, but we can always have a song in our heart! One of my absolute favorite songs {and one that is frequently in my heart} is “Come Thou Fount”:

Come, thou Fount of every blessing, tune my heart to sing thy grace; streams of mercy, never ceasing, call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet, sung by flaming tongues above. Praise the mount! I’m fixed upon it, mount of thy redeeming love.

Here I raise mine Ebenezer; hither by thy help I’m come; and I hope, by thy good pleasure, safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger, wandering from the fold of God; he, to rescue me from danger, interposed his precious blood.

O to grace how great a debtor daily I’m constrained to be! Let thy goodness, like a fetter, bind my wandering heart to thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love; here’s my heart, O take and seal it, seal it for thy courts above.

I challenge you to sing a new song in 2011 with me – a song of praise.

Is there a song in your heart today?

Visit other participants:

Amy Bayliss {Cajun Inspired} : 31 Days of Heart Matters
{A Martha Heart} : 31 Days of Prayer
Karin {Mommy Matters} : 31 Days of Intentional Parenting
Jenny {867-53oh9} : 31 Days of Social Media
Dawn {My Home Sweet Home} : 31 Days of Encouragement
Lisa Boyd : 31 Days of WordPress

*Links to all posts on this subject can be found here.