Praise.

It is an important sort of prayer.

Lament is also important – giving voice to our sadness, our despair, our anger and frustration.

Intercession, too, matters – praying for others (or ourselves) when help is needed.

Thanksgiving is definitely connected to praise but is rooted, I think, more in gratitude for what we have received.

Praise is joy and glory and honour given to God. It is experiencing, telling out our souls to God about God’s goodness, telling God what God is like. It is hard to put into words sometimes, which is why I think we so often sing our praises. The music, often more than the words, helps lift our hearts to God in praise.

Summer is a particularly good time for praise – for those prayers that are hard to put into words, but that move and lift our hearts.

Praise is jumping into a lake on a hot summer’s day.

Praise is welcoming home a loved one after a long time away.

Praise is eating the sweet, wild berry found on a hike.

Praise is reading a book in the dappled shade of a tree.

This summer, in all that we do, let us give joy and glory and honour to God. Let us lift our hearts and sing praises to our Maker!

Thanks be to God!

 

 

 

 

CG+