My friend, Bob, is someone who had one comeback for just about anything said. If you told him something good, he would reply “Praise God.” Likewise, if you told him something bad, he would reply “Praise God.” Some people who hear that may feel he was mocking God, but in reality, he was doing what we are all called to do at all times in all situations. We are called to praise God.
In the movie, Facing the Giants, there is a scene where the football team is gathered together getting ready to play a game and the coach is giving his last few words of wisdom before they go. He tells them, “If we win, we praise Him and if we loose, we praise Him.”
What does it mean to praise God? According to Webster’s praise means “to express a favorable judgment, commend, to glorify.” If you look in the Word of God, the word “praise” is found 292 times. One commentary for in the NIV study Bible says “Praising God means remembering all He has done for us, fearing Him and obeying His commands, and doing His will.”
So often we go to God in prayer to give Him our wish list or to complain to Him. Don’t get me wrong, He wants to hear our desires and our concerns, but we should always take time to praise Him for who He is, for what He’s done and because He is God.
I want to encourage you to take a few minutes each and every day to praise God. I would be willing to bet you’ll come away from the experience with a positive attitude and a deeper love for your God.
I end my day the same way everyday. My head hits the pillow and I praise God for all that happened in my day. Good or bad, I praise the Lord for all that happened to me that day. Every thing that has breath praise the Lord. That is a line from one of my favorite praise songs. We need to realize that even the bad stuff has purpose in our lives and praising God for them will help us to understand them. Praising God should just be a part of lives, much like prayer and reading our bibles. So, Praise God, it’s a wonderful day.