A favourite hymn of mine is The day Thou gavest, Lord, is ended, and the fourth verse never fails to move me:

The sun that bids us rest is waking
Our brethren 'neath the western sky,
And hour by hour fresh lips are making
Thy wondrous doings heard on high.
       – John Ellerton, 1826-1893

To think that mankind never stops praising God! As the sun rolls on, new morning prayers are always being lifted up to the Lord globally!

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 – Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. (NIV 2011)

Why did God create us? For reasons best known to Himself, He wanted us, and we were always part of His grand plan of salvation for mankind.

Jeremiah 31:3 – The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying: "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness." (NIV 2011)

2 Corinthians 5:18-19 – All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. (NIV 2011)

How much praise do we owe our Lord and Creator? King David, whom the Lord describes as "a man after His own heart" (1 Samuel 13:14 NKJV), was constantly in touch with God. That's not to say that he didn't sin, but he did acknowledge his sins before God and asked for forgiveness. David danced before the Lord, played music for Him, and was frequently in direct communication with God through prayer. I submit that the reason that David was such a special person to God was because he opened his heart to God and was transparent before Him.

The principle would be the same for us. If we genuinely confess our sins and go before the Lord in humility to worship Him, we, too, will have a living relationship with God. This poor, broken world needs all the prayers that we can raise and all the souls that can be transformed through our prayers and loving example, with God's help.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, You have loved us eternally. Teach us that our prayers and praises are important to You. Not only do we owe You our devotion, but through it, we can be more fully in relationship with You, and Your grace and Your Holy Spirit alive in us can transform the world around us. Amen.

Forward this devotional     Share on Facebook

About the author:

Karen Abbott <kkabbott47@gmail.com>
Renfrew, Ontario, Canada
Send your feedback to the author