A PRAYER OF PRAISE

By: Madeleine D. Macutay

“Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits –
who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion,
who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” (Psalm 103:1-5)

As I ponder upon your love and your mercy, Oh, God, my heart is overwhelmed. In
all life’s circumstances, I know you are ever before me. Whom shall I have in heaven but
You?
They say, and I agree, it is really very easy to praise you in times of abundance…
in times of victory… in times of blessings… in times of joy… in times of peace… in times
when everything in our lives are in the way we wanted it to be… But how about when
things are not the way I expected it to be? Do you still deserve my praise? Can I still lift
your name on high and give you all the praises and honor that you deserve? Oh! Mighty,
Awesome and Wonderful God, cause my heart to ever PRAISE YOU …IN SPITE OF…
Whenever I AM HURTING, I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore, I
will wait for him.” (Lamentations 3:24). He said in His Word that “I should cast all my
anxieties on HIM because He cares for me. (1 Peter 5:7-paraphrased). I know for sure
that “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” (Psalm 147:3). Therefore,
no matter how hurt I maybe today, it does not change the fact that He is my HEALER- be
it emotionally, mentally, physically and spiritually. He is also my COMFORTER. He knows
exactly what I feel and why I feel that way and He understands. What a great comfort to
know that there is someone out there who UNDERSTANDS… who really understands…
Oh! My greatest Healer and one true friend, you deserve the highest PRAISE one could
ever give.
Whenever TRIALS AND CHANGES OVERWHELM ME, I praise you, Lord Jesus, for
I know that no matter how many ups and downs I would have… No matter how many
falls I would make... No matter how many starts I would do… I believe I would
overcome and emerge victoriously. “For I am confident of this very thing: He who began
a good work in me shall finish it until the day of Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1:6-
paraphrased)
Whenever I AM IN NEED AND CIRCUMSTANCES TELL ME THAT MY GOD HAS
FORGOTTEN ME, still I will trust in Him for HE IS MY JEHOVAH JIREH- MY PROVIDER. His
Word tells me this: “I am sending you grain, new wine and oil, enough to satisfy you
fully; never again will I make you an object of scorn to the nations.”(Joel 1:19). “Be glad,
O people of Zion, rejoice in the Lord your God, for he has given you the autumn rains of
righteousness. He sends you abundant showers, both autumn and spring rains, as
before. The threshing floors will be filled with grain; the vats will overflow with new wine
and oil. “I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten… You will have plenty to
eat, until you are full, and you will praise the name of the Lord your God, who has
worked wonders for you; never again will my people be shamed.” (Joel 1:23-26)
Whenever I FEEL UNLOVED AND UNACCEPTED, I will still praise you for though I
may not have the love of the people I hold closely in my heart, I know for sure, I am
loved and accepted by you. “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in
my mother’s womb, I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your
works are wonderful. I know that full well.” (Psalm 139:13-14) Your love overflows into
my very being. Come and fill my heart with so much love that I will never run out of love
for others.
Whenever I FEEL FORSAKEN AND FORGOTTEN, You comfort me with your
WORD as you tell me: “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no
compassion on the child she has born? Though she may forget, I will not forget
you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before
me.” (Isaiah 49:13-16). Oh, My Lord and My God! How awesome it is to know that you
are ever before me and with that, I have all the reasons to rejoice and to praise you!
Whenever I FEEL CONDEMNED, I rejoice in the fact that: “There is now no
condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus because through Christ Jesus, the law of
the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:1-2). No matter
what the enemy would place into my mind, I will again push myself in the presence of
the Most High God, for as I repent and come boldly once more into His throne of Grace, I
know that He would accept me for His blood had already washed away all my sins.
Regardless of what I feel and the circumstances that I may be into, Lord Jesus, still I
will trust in You… I will ever PRAISE YOU for you are ETERNAL… UNCHANGING… You
promised to do good things to me and I know you will what you have said YOU will do for
all of your promises are “YES” and “AMEN”. In spite of everything, I will rejoice in God my
Savior. For “though the fig trees does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in
the pen and no cattles in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord. I will be joyful in God my
Savior.” (Habakkuk 3:17-18)
I praise you, Oh, Lord, My God, for YOU ARE WHO YOU ARE! I enjoin the famous
worshippers in saying: I WILL SING… I WILL PRAISE… even in my darkest hours… through
the sorrow and the pain… Even though my heart is torn, I will praise You in this storm.
“I will exalt You, my God the King:
I will praise your name for ever and ever.
Everyday, I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever.
GREAT IS THE LORD AND MOST WORTHY OF PRAISE;
HIS GREATNESS NO ONE CAN FATHOM.” (Psalms 145:1-3)