More Praise and Less “Please” (09/16/2025)

Last night we were finishing up our study of the Letter of James, and as we read James 5:13b, “Is anyone in good spirits? He should sing praise.” I commented that I have realized lately myself that I need to utter more praise than “please.” I was being sincere. At times, my prayer can sound more like a catalog order than a conversation of awe and praise and thanksgiving.

We are called to pray to the LORD for our needs, to bring them to the LORD, knowing the LORD hears our prayer and cares, knowing that the LORD has compassion for us and our sufferings and needs. And this is true. This has always been true. This will always be true. But it is also true that all the good we know, all the good we experience, all the good we are we owe to our all-loving and ever-present LORD. And I’m not sure I acknowledge that as often as I should.

And so, I’m going to start monitoring myself. Truly I am. I’m going to start paying attention to how often I articulate my wonder, my joy in the LORD, my praises for all the LORD is and all that is because the LORD is. I will include thanksgiving, but I want to start measuring how often I praise the LORD.

It is a fact that gratitude practiced makes for a better life and that it actually accelerates a person’s ability to see goodness around them. And there is a similar truth about praise. The more we stop to offer praise the more aware we become of the LORD who deserves this praise, the more wonder visits us, the more peace visits us and the longer it stays. Uttering praise and acknowledging wonder and awe put our lives in perspective. In the scope of all things I am so inconsequential and yet the LORD is my LORD, the LORD knows me, the LORD loves me, and the LORD knows where I am at all times.

Today I begin measuring my moments of praise. I will continue to ask “please.” I know I need to bring my needs to the LORD, He hears, He cares, He helps. I will still do that. But, there must be more to my relationship with my LORD than “please.” Today I am going to start working on praising the LORD who has clearly earned it a million, zillion times over.

Will you join me? Will you consider adding praise to your conversations with the LORD more regularly?

Until tomorrow, let us all love well.