In Psalm 135, David praised God for His past blessings. As we praise God for what He has done in the past, we come to thank God that He will be faithful to us in the future. We may sing of our problems, but the heart of our music will be praise to God for who He is and what He is doing in our lives.

Our present circumstances do not hinder our relationships with God; instead, our circumstances may push us to God. You may not be inclined to sing. You may never have sung in your life, but as a Christian, you can sing – if only in private or with your spouse. Try this: choose a psalm to God. Melody, pitch, and rhythm are unimportant. What’s important is that you are expressing praise to God through the words of others who have walked through difficulty.

Take time to pray. If you’re comfortable with the idea, sing your praises instead of speaking them. Choose a favorite hymn or praise song, one that communicates what you are feeling, to use as your prayer to God. You might even consider singing together.

Take time to reflect on these questions:

What are your favorite praise songs?

Why do those particular songs appeal to you?

How often do you sing praise songs when you’re alone?

What would the reaction be if you tried to get your spouse and family to sing with you?

Consider these passages for further study on Worship:

1 Chronicles 16:8-13

Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim his greatness. Let the whole world know what he has done.

Sing to him; yes, sing his praises. Tell everyone about his wonderful deeds.

Exult in his holy name; rejoice, you who worship the Lord.

Search for the Lord and for his strength; continually seek him.

Remember the wonders he has performed, his miracles, and the rulings he has given, you descendants of Jacob, his chosen ones.

Psalm 68:4 Sing praises to God and to his name! Sing loud praises to him who rides the clouds. His name is the Lord- rejoice in his presence!

Ephesians 5:19 singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts.

Psalm 135:1-21 Praise the Lord!

Praise the name of the Lord! Praise him, you who serve the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God.

Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good; celebrate his lovely name with music.

For the Lord has chosen Jacob for himself, Israel for his own special treasure.

I know the greatness of the Lord – that our Lord is greater than any other god.

The Lord does whatever pleases him throughout all heaven and earth, and on the seas in their depths.

He causes the clouds to rise over the whole earth. He sends the lightning with the rain and releases the wind from his storehouses.

He destroyed the firstborn in each Egyptian home, both people and animals.

He performed miraculous signs and wonders in Egypt against Pharaoh and all his people.

He struck down great nations and slaughtered mighty kings-

Sihon king of the Amorites, Og king of Bashan, and all the kings of Canaan.

He gave their land as an inheritance, a special possession to his people Israel.

Your name, O Lord, endures forever; your fame, O Lord, is known to every generation.

For the Lord will give justice to his people and have compassion on his servants.

The idols of the nations are merely things of silver and gold, shaped by human hands.

They have mouths but cannot speak, and eyes but cannot smell.

And those who make idols are just like them, as are all who trust in them.

O Israel, praise the Lord! O priest – descendants of Aaron – praise the Lord!

O Levites, praise the Lord! All you who fear the Lord, praise the Lord!

The Lord be praised from Zion, for he lives here in Jerusalem.

Praise the Lord!

Noticing how we take our lives to worship and respect the Lord as we go about our daily lives. Sing more, pray more, talk about the Lord more… we find more opportunities to share our heart for the Lord.

Great thoughts of Gary Chapman.