Praise Is Always Appropriate

We praise you, God, 

     we praise you, for your Name is near; 

     people tell of your wonderful deeds.

(Psalm 75:1)

It is good and right, O Lord,

that praise should flow from our hearts

and over our lips

every day.

For you are good beyond measure,

your blessings falling upon us faster than we can count.

Praise is not reserved

only for those times when life is good;

for even in times of trouble,

your goodness far exceeds our trials.

We awoke this day with the rising of the sun – 

   which, by the way, is amazing to witness,

   a gift you paint for us every day on the horizon.

And you have breathed into us the breath of life,

and given us this day – 

   also, as a beautiful gift.

Indeed, there is beauty everywhere;

open our eyes, that we may behold your goodness.

We praise you, O God,

     we praise you, for your Name is near.

There may be fearful things in our lives:

    sickness

            economic cHaos

      jobs put on p-a-u-s-e

  more sickness (it is a pandemic, after all)

     social ------ distancing

isolation

loneliness

But your love casts out fear.

In our distancing, our isolation, our loneliness,

you have come near,

to dwell with us.

In your Presence there is peace.

We praise you, O God,

     we praise you, for your Name is near;

     people tell of your wonderful deeds.

Let it be said of us, O God,

that we are among those 

who tell of your wonderful deeds.

For our world can use good news today.

As we experience your goodness,

open our mouths to sing your praise;

and inspire us in the depths of our hearts

to show your grace and compassion and mercy,

so that even more people

will tell of your wonderful deeds.

We praise you, O God, we praise you.

Amen.

During the season of Lent, I am "Praying with David," using prayers found in the psalms as inspiration for personal prayers.