QUESTIONS OF PRAISE
Opening Prayer
Mighty God, everything in heaven and on earth belongs to you; yours is the greatness and the power, the glory, majesty, and splendor— you are the ruler of all things. All praise to you, Lord of all (from I Chronicles 29:11).
Read PSALM 108
For additional translations of the passage, use this link to Bible Gateway.
A song. A psalm of David.
1 My heart, O God, is steadfast;
I will sing and make music with all my soul.
2 Awake, harp and lyre!
I will awaken the dawn.
3 I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;
I will sing of you among the peoples.
4 For great is your love, higher than the heavens;
your faithfulness reaches to the skies.
5 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
let your glory be over all the earth.
6 Save us and help us with your right hand,
that those you love may be delivered.
7 God has spoken from his sanctuary:
“In triumph I will parcel out Shechem
and measure off the Valley of Sukkoth.
8 Gilead is mine, Manasseh is mine;
Ephraim is my helmet,
Judah is my scepter.
9 Moab is my washbasin,
on Edom I toss my sandal;
over Philistia I shout in triumph.”
10 Who will bring me to the fortified city?
Who will lead me to Edom?
11 Is it not you, God, you who have rejected us
and no longer go out with our armies?
12 Give us aid against the enemy,
for human help is worthless.
13 With God we will gain the victory,
and he will trample down our enemies.
Footnotes
- Psalm 108:1 In Hebrew texts 108:1-13 is numbered 108:2-14.
New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
Start with a song of praise, such as ‘Great is thy faithfulness’* or ‘To God be the glory.’**Psalm 108 answers some key questions about praise:
How should we praise? We are to be determined, unwavering, and wholehearted (v. 1) in praise. That means that we can praise God for who he is and what he has done even when we are sad or hard-pressed.
When should we praise? At the beginning of every new day (v. 2) before we do anything else, we should offer God praise—and we should praise him when we face trouble (vv. 6, 12) and uncertainty (v. 11). Notice how David was plagued with doubt about whether God would go with him into battle (v. 11), but he reacted to uncertainty by praising God.
Where should we praise? David praised God among people who didn’t know or acknowledge the Lord (v. 3). There’s a challenge for us! Singing worship songs at work may not be appropriate, but honoring God and speaking warmly of what he means to us definitely is!
Why should we praise? We praise him because God’s love is boundless. He is committed to saving, helping, and blessing us (vv. 4, 6). And he is in control. Everything and everyone is under his rule (vv. 8, 9). That includes those who acknowledge him (Gilead, Manasseh, Ephraim, and Judah) and those who don’t (Moab, Edom and Philistia).
Apply
Whatever doubt or difficulty you are facing, hold on to God. Call out to him. Praise him, because with him, there is always hope (v. 13).
Closing prayer
Mighty God, may my life be a constant expression of praise to you – a life that others will witness and see how great you are.
*‘Great is thy faithfulness O God my Father’, Thomas O. Chisholm 1923
**‘To God be the glory, great things he hath done’, Fanny Crosby 1875
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