1 I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever. 2 Every day I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever. 3 Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom. (Psalm 145:1 – 3, New International Version)
You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand. (Psalm 16:11, New International Version)
11You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, 12that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent. Lord my God, I will praise you forever. (Psalm 30:11-12, New International Version)
Theme: Rejoicing and Thanksgiving
Context:
This week we will focus on Prayer and Fasting. We will continue our tradition of jointly participating in a day of fasting this Friday (March 10th).
We start the week though, considering the discipline of Prayer. 1 Thessalonians 5:16 – 18 links Prayer with Rejoicing and Thanksgiving (16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances…). In effect, a habitual life of prayer and a perpetual attitude of rejoicing and gratitude are inextricably linked.
There are many things that we can prayerfully rejoice and give thanks for. Over the next three days we will focus on three. Today we will focus on the most important reason to rejoice and give thanks – God. He is both the inspiration for and the primary subject of our rejoicing and thanksgiving.
Bible Passages:
There is something about Psalms of praise that inspire believers to rejoice and give thanks. Our passages today demonstrate how David talked to God about God and about rejoicing in Him. Please study the passages and answer the question below.
Question:
In your prayer life, does rejoicing in God and thanking God for who He is and what He does feature extensively?
Please leave a comment. We would love to hear from you.