DAY 22 | God of My Praise

O Elohei Tehillati (God of My Praise), don’t stand silent and aloof.
Psalm 109:1

photography by Andy Holmes / calligraphy by Rita Ip

MUSIC

PRAYER

God of my Praise, I adore You with all that I am. Your beauty captivates my heart, and Your loving gaze melts my pride. You are worthy of my utmost devotion.

Thank You for filling me with unspeakable joy and deep satisfaction when I offer You my heartfelt praises. Thank You for every divine encounter that makes me thirst for more of You.

Forgive me when I give You half-hearted, distracted, or convenient worship. Forgive me when impure motives taint my worship or when it is weather-dependent.

Teach me to worship You in spirit and truth. Only You can make me the true worshiper You are looking for.

Because You are God of My Praise, I am created to offer You ceaseless worship from the core of my being, my life-long response to Your unchanging greatness.

A few facts…

When David called God Elohei Tehillati (God of My Praise) in Psalm 109, he was crying desperately for deliverance from his adversaries. David called God by this title even when God seemed silent, when he was unjustly accused, and when the people repaid him evil for good.
The Hebrew word tehillati comes from halal, the word for praise, it indicates a deep sense of thankfulness.
The Book of Psalms is called Tehillim in Hebrew, it means “songs of praise”.

Exercise 1:

TWO-WAY JOURNALING

In a quiet space, sit comfortably and relax your neck and shoulders.

Smile and breathe. Smile, He delights and dwells in your praises. Gently and deeply breathe in His beauty and fullness, and let the air in towards your lower belly. Pause and hold your breath for a few seconds, acknowledging that His goodness never changes. Exhale a bit longer than you inhale, and release to Him the burden of your heart. Repeat as many times as you need.

I honor you for carving out time to magnify His name with me. I hope you already realize that a good journaling experience doesn’t require too much of your time. Even a few minutes of journaling with God can be soul-nourishing and rewarding.

On a new page of your journal, write to God of Your Praise. Let’s pray and see where the Holy Spirit is leading you today. Write down your conversation with Him.

[Part 1]
Dear Father / God of My Praise, …
[Part 2]
Dear child / (your name), …

• Dedicate this journal entry solely to praising Him

• Describe to Him one of your memorable worship experiences

• Tell Him about your struggles with praising Him

• Ask Him about the kind of praises He wants from you

• Have you ever asked Him about His favorite worship song or music of all time?

Check out Appendix 2 for more.

Exercise 2:

DECLARATION

He is the God of Your Praise. Our circumstances and feelings don’t change His worth, He is always and forever worthy of our praise. How does this relate to the way you live? Write a simple declaration that is relevant to you.

Because You are God of My Praise, I declare I can / I will / I am…

Read your declaration out loud to Him and to yourself. Repeat a few times, with certainty and power. A faith-filled declaration can give you chills. You may read it every morning or before bed to keep it at the forefront of your thoughts. It can help reset your mind and cultivate a heart that aligns with God’s reality.

This completes Day 22 of HE. Today, I pray that in the highs and lows of life, He always fills your heart with songs of praise.

BONUS

Personal remarks. About 10 years ago, I came out of depression and I did so by persistently praising God. I understand it’s all by His love and grace that I am still alive and writing to you now. If you want to know how beautifully He carried me through my valley experience and what I got out of it, check out the following links: