By Carol Round – “And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise”—Philippians 4:8 (NLT).
“Praise God, from whom all blessings flow” is a hymn that when I sing it, springs up in my soul and brings comfort. I feel His holy presence, wrapping me in His love. Reflecting on all He’s done for me, my heart bursts with joy.
In my quiet time each morning, I thank Him for never giving up on me. Without fail, my bottom lip trembles, and tears of awe threaten to spill down my cheeks. Before I reached out to Him 22 years ago, I could say I knew of Him, but I didn’t know Him.
But since that day on a Fall afternoon when I reached out to God in my despair, I have desired to grow in His grace and to praise Him each day. But then there are days when, even after I’ve thanked Him during my morning time, I find myself complaining like a “Grumpy Gus.”
Don’t Be a “Grumpy Gus”
Have you ever met a “Grumpy Gus?” Someone grumpy, according to Dictionary.com, is ill-tempered, discontented, irritable, grouchy, and critical. There is a long list of synonyms to describe a grumpy person, and they aren’t positive.
I think any of us, on any given day of the week, can be a bit grumpy. With the state of our world, it’s sometimes difficult to find things for which to be grateful.
For me, however, it has become easier to snap out of a grumpy mood if I start my day with His Word. When something interferes with my morning time—which doesn’t happen often—I find it more difficult to focus on finding things for which to praise Him.
Ten Reasons to Praise God
In Philippians 4:8, the Apostle Paul encourages the Philippians to fix their “thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable.”
On those days when life has you down and you’re struggling to praise God, consider the following 10 reasons to lift your “thank you” to Him in prayer.
- His love endures forever! (See Psalm 136:26)
- His grace is amazing! (See Ephesians 2:4-5)
- He is sovereign over all! (See Psalm 103:19 and Isaiah 40:28)
- God is the Original Creator! ( See Colossians 1:16)
- Nothing is impossible for Him. (See Matthew 19:26)
- He is faithful, always. (See Lamentations 3:22-23)
- He’s the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow! (See Isaiah 40:8 and Numbers 23:19)
- His Creation is awe-inspiring! (See Psalm 19:1 and Psalm 104:24-25)
- We are made in His image! (See Genesis 1:26-27 and Psalm 139:14)
- God’s timing is always perfect! (See 2 Peter 3:8-9 and Ecclesiastes 3:1)
Praise is a perfect prayer as it comes from the heart. Regardless of our circumstances in life, we can turn to God and give Him all the glory.
