Prayer: Praise

Then King David went in and sat before the Lord, and said, “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far? And yet this was a small thing in your eyes, O Lord God; you have spoken also of your servant’s house for a great while to come. May this be instruction for the people, O Lord God! ~ 2 Samuel 7:18-19

And Mary said: "I am bursting with God-news! I'm dancing the song of my savior God! God took one look at me and look what happened - I'm the most fortunate woman on earth!
~ Luke 1:46-49 (The Message)

 “When we are stunned to the place beyond words, we’re finally starting to get somewhere… when an aspect of life takes us away from being able to chip away at something until it’s down to a manageable size and then to file it nicely away, when all we can say in response is ‘Wow,’ that’s a prayer.” ~ Anne Lamott

O my God, what must a soul be like when it is in this state! It longs to be all one tongue with which to praise the Lord. It utters a thousand pious follies, in a continuous endeavor to please Him who thus possesses it. ~ St. Teresa of Avila

 For all that has been, Thanks! For all that will be, Yes! ~ Das Hammarskjold

Many of the great prayers we find in scripture are simply praise.

 The standard format of the Catholic prayer begins with "Adoration."

 In her book, Help, Thanks, Wow, author Anne Lamott gives as lovely and helpful treatise on prayer that I've ever read. And two parts of her title - so 2/3 of her description of prayer - come from a place of praise. (I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about prayer).

 Praise for what we are grateful for in our lives: our family, our friends, our health, our church community.

 Praise for that which blows us away with amazement or wonder: the feeling of God's overwhelming grace filling your heart when you most need it, the beauty and grandeur of creation. Have you been awed by the Grand Canyon or a spectacular sunset? Wondered at how many stars filled the sky on a clear night? Seen the autumn leaves burst forth overnight? Smelled bread baking when you are hungry?

 Sometimes simply say "Wow" or "Thank you" for that which catches in your throat with joy is prayer itself: being present and thankful for God's presence in your life, in your community, your world; taking the beauty before you as a gift itself.

 Simply saying "yes" to God is itself praise. Looking up, looking around, and looking forward to see the spectacular brings us nearer to the divine than we can possibly imagine.

 Prayer: What is it that fills your heart with gratitude today? What is it that brings you awe or joy? Say thanks and wow to the creator who made that all possible.




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