Praise be to you, my Lord: King, General, Warrior, Judge and Shield.  I praise you that you are actively, lovingly engaged in the lives of all people on earth.  (“From heaven the LORD looks down and sees all mankind….he who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do.” Ps 33:13,15)

I praise you that you hear prayer, and answer prayer in wisdom and strength.  I praise you that you are powerfully at work in the lives of those we intercede for regularly, bringing deep, godly change.  Praise be to you for your rich, ever flowing love, coming from the deep spring of your essence, for you are love itself.  It is your nature to love, to desire the best for those you have created: “The Lord is faithful to all His promises and loving towards all he has made.” (Ps 145:13b)

Praise you that our ugly attitudes of selfishness, rebellion and unbelief cannot quench your love.  Praise you that your justice did not overwhelm your mercy, but that mercy triumphs over justice.

Praise you that you are persistent in your passionate pursuit of providing possibilities of salvation to those who are naturally uninterested. As you pursued Paul, as you provided for Cornelius, as you prepared Lydia, and as you pointed to Timothy, so you work in every heart (as the Holy Spirit convicts the world of their guilt because of unbelief, righteousness and judgment John 16:8-11).  I praise you, Lord God, for how fully, marvelously, majestically you have offered your love to every creature,  in spite of knowing full well that only some will accept and many will reject it.

I praise you for how willingly and wholeheartedly you suffer the pangs of sadness as  we, your professed children, so often grieve and quench your Spirit in rebellion and unbelief. Your grace and goodness, your forgiveness and kindness are overwhelming.

Praise you that you are the God of the long term, the big picture, the eternal view.   Praise you that you don’t give up on us, but persist to the end. You are the perfect High Priest, Lord Jesus, for you ever live to intercede for us!  You are the God who is worthy of worship, worthy of honor and praise and glory and exaltation.  You, the holy, pure, sinless and perfect One, completely other and independent of your creation, under no obligation to love and save, yet loving to the end the unlovely, redeeming the rebels at an outrageous rate, constantly continuing in the care of your children, providing power and provision through prayer. You are constantly teaching, transforming, taking us toward the target of becoming like Jesus.

You are a wonder, Lord God: Triune, Totally Good, Totally Trustable, Worthy of all Worship.  I bow before you this day, I give you honor in surrender to your will, praising you for all you will do in your goodness and love,  and rise up to obey you in returned love. 1Jn 2:6  “Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.”  Knowing Jesus is Enough for Praise!  To you be glory in my life today!