Psalm 33

Scripture: Psalm 33

Observation: This is a verse about praising the Lord. All righteous people should praise the Lord. Who is righteous though? Romans 3:22-23 says it is those who have put their faith in Jesus. This is comforting to me, because some days I sure don't feel very righteous. I guess I never do if it means feeling like God owes me something.

The days that are especially hard to praise the Lord are those days when you know you've screwed up and it's just hard to imagine that God wants anything to do with you today. The good news is that while God is determined to raise us well (so to speak) just as we try to raise our kids well, His love for us doesn't change. If you have kids, you know what I mean. They can really tick you off sometimes, but that doesn't change your love for them. That's good news because I know when I'm feeling like I've failed it's easy to quit trying. That's true for me in relationships and other goals I set for myself.

Aside from those days where I'm already frustrated for whatever reason, the good days are still filled with plenty of distractions. We're supposed to be constantly in prayer 1 Thess 5:17 and that can be hard just because of all the things fighting for our attention. To pray is to praise God just because you're letting Him know you can't do life without Him. I know He's praised when we ask Him to be a part of our lives daily. I know people who think it's silly to bother Him with our day to day needs though. I'm not in that camp although my actions say otherwise more often than not.

So, all those great words, but I struggle praying constantly for the same reasons I listed above. I suspect everybody does at least at first. I hope to one day have constant prayer/praise as a way of life, but for now I'll be praying that is granted to me.

Lord, please remind me of Your presence in my life constantly so I'll remember to be constantly in prayer. Remind me that I can't do life without You, especially when I start acting like I can.

In Jesus' Name...