Practice



Psalm 29
1Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
2Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness.
3The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the Lord, over many waters.
4The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.
5The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars; the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon.
6He makes Lebanon to skip like a calf, and Sirion like a young wild ox.
7The voice of the Lord flashes forth flames of fire.
8The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness; the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
9The voice of the Lord makes the deer give birth and strips the forests bare, and in his temple all cry, “Glory!”
10The Lord sits enthroned over the flood; the Lord sits enthroned as king forever.
11May the Lord give strength to his people! May the Lord bless his people with peace!

Have you ever sat down to spend some time with God and really didn’t know what to talk about? Or maybe you realize you spend a great deal of time asking God for stuff rather than just praising Him for His greatness. This is the perfect Psalm to help cure a case of the “gimmes”. There isn’t one word of request in these verses. David simply spends time remembering the greatness and strength of His God. It is an incredibly valuable practice and one that we leave off way too often.

Spending time just thinking about the glory of God demands my full attention and I confess that my mind can wander when I’m focusing on simple praise. But it’s worth the time. The best tool to assist in this for me is music. Song lyrics that declare the goodness of God grab my heart and hold my attention. David was his own best friend when it came to songs because he was a musician. Right now, I’m moved deeply by a song called “Touch the Sky” by Hillsong United.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1RQciil7B0

Whatever method you choose, spend some time in pure praise. Let all of the requests drop away for a time and let the Spirit enjoy your praise. It is an exercise in pure peace. For those moments when you are focused on His greatness, your troubles fall away. It’s a part of being one with a miraculous God.

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