Praise Today

Enter into His . . . courts with praise.

Psalm 100:4

Is there a sequence to follow in prayer? Prayer should be a natural conversation between us and our Father, and no specific order is required. On the other hand, prayer is our highest activity, and we shouldn’t do it thoughtlessly. Would you enter the presence of a king and just start babbling?

Isaac Watts, the father of English hymnody, once wrote a little poem about the order of prayer:

Call upon God, adore, confess,

Petition, plead, and then declare

You are the Lord’s, give thanks and bless,

And let Amen confirm the prayer.

Begin prayer with adoration and praise. Some people use a hymnbook and begin their time with the Lord by singing. Others keep a “praise list” in their prayer journal.

You might develop the habit of pausing as you leave your house to gaze into the sky and thank God for the beauty of that day. How often do you see the blue sky, the gentle rain, or the rising sun without acknowledging His creative genius? Other people begin the day by reciting: “This is the day the LORD has made; [I] will rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24).

However you do it, praise God today.