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“Words of praise reflect a God-focused heart.”

A thought by Nelson Searcy from his book, Tongue Pierced: How the Words You Speak Transform the Life You Live (p. 42). David C. Cook. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)

We all love words of praise, don’t we?  But it many times is not the words we give especially to God.

Nelson says, “Praise sounds like a lofty endeavor, doesn’t it? Really, it’s simply thanking God for who he is. Words of praise reflect a God-focused heart. They demand a shift of attention away from selfishness and toward God’s goodness and love, which will automatically influence everything that comes out of your mouth. Too often, you and I fall into the trap of only praising God when we’re inside a church building on Sunday morning. But if we are going to win the battle over the tongue, we need to make a practice of praising him every day. David wrote in Psalm 145:2, ‘I will praise you every day; yes, I will praise you forever.’

“One of the most practical ways to do this is to create a habit of starting your day with praise. The first hour of your day is similar to the bit in a horse’s mouth or the rudder on a ship. If you choose to begin your day with positive words of praise to God, the rest of your day will be better for it. You’ll be in a better place when evening comes. So, think about it: What are the first words that come out of your mouth when you wake up? Are you willing to start replacing those words with words of gratitude and thanksgiving?”

Nelson goes on, “Begin by thanking God for who he is. Think about his attributes and how they affect your life. Thank him for his love, his blessings, his direction, his forgiveness, and his peace. Let those words settle into your heart and become part of the wellspring you’ll speak from for the rest of the day. Bringing your tongue—and thereby your life—under control begins with the simple habit of praise.”

I know we start our day by asking but let's also start by praising. Praising has a way of taking our eyes off of our self.  God is a great God of love.  Let’s praise Him for being a God love.  Would you do that?


Yes, yes!
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