Tag: praise

Psalm 121: Lifting My Spirits with Praise

Posted on by Staci Mauney

I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. (Psalm 121:1-2 ESV)

I don’t remember when I first read Psalm 121. I was probably a teenager, reading through the Book of Psalms for the first time. The psalms have always brought comfort, especially as I learned the meaning behind many of them. They are full of emotion, praise, hope, lament, requests for vengeance, and longing for a better tomorrow. Continue reading “Psalm 121: Lifting My Spirits with Praise” →

Offering a Sacrifice of Praise

Posted on by Staci Mauney

This excerpt is from my devotional, Echoes of Joy: A Thankful Heart.

Day 10
Offering a Sacrifice of Praise

“Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.” (Heb. 13:15)

For most of us, being carefree comes easily when we’re kids. But as adults, we face adult problems, such as difficult bosses, paying the bills, and raising kids or taking care of aging parents. We deal with devastating health diagnoses, job losses, estrangements, and pandemics. Those problems steal our joy and make giving thanks more difficult.

Even Jesus struggled to accept God’s plan for him. When he prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, he poured out his pain to God. And yet, he still prayed for God’s will to be done.

Jesus’s example shows us that it’s possible to be thankful even when facing the most difficult circumstances. It doesn’t mean we’re thankful for the situation, but that we’re thankful in spite of it. When we open our hearts to let in gratitude, we let go of stress and striving.

Offering up praise when you don’t feel like it is a choice. Praising God in good times is easy; praising him during difficult times is a sacrifice. This sacrifice of praise comes from a humble heart that has decided to praise God no matter the circumstances. Real praise flows continuously, in both good times and in bad.

When we offer a sacrifice of praise, we choose to believe God is still good even when life isn’t. When we praise God in spite of the storms, we choose to honor him, and our faith grows deeper.

Dear Jesus, thank you for providing an example of how to praise God even when things are not going my way. Help me offer praise and thanksgiving to you no matter how difficult my situation is. Amen.

Top 10 Posts in 2020

Posted on by Staci Mauney

As 2020 comes to an end (finally!), I wanted to share my top ten blog posts for the year. COVID-19 was, of course, a major theme running throughout my blog posts this year. On the whole, I looked for positive things to share in my posts. The following posts have resonated most strongly with you, my readers, over the last eleven months: Continue reading “Top 10 Posts in 2020” →

Praise Him with a Thankful Heart

Posted on by Staci Mauney

This post was originally published on November 16, 2017.

“Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods” (Ps 95:2-3).

Each weekend, I gather with other believers to participate in our praise and worship service at church. On a few occasions, I’ve gone to special services that have been set up outside of the traditional service times and are just music and songs. I enjoy both traditional and contemporary music. Years ago, I attended a church with a wonderful blend of both old and new songs. There’s something to be said for traditional songs that were borne out of hardship and persecution. But I believe contemporary songs that built upon Scripture help reinforce God’s word through song have their own place as well. Continue reading “Praise Him with a Thankful Heart” →

Practicing Gratitude

Posted on by Staci Mauney

This blog post was originally published on November 11, 2018.

“Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods.” (Ps 95:2-3)

Being grateful isn’t something that comes naturally. We’re inherently selfish and focused on ourselves. We don’t always feel thankful. There are a lot of bad things happening in this world, and it’s sometimes hard to figure out how to be thankful in the midst of them.

Learning to be grateful takes practice. When faced with a trial or an unexpected bump in the road, my first thought is never how thankful I am for the difficulty or inconvenience. How I wish it were! Turning my mind from my struggles and onto the things for which I’m thankful allows me to grow closer to God and to receive physical and psychological benefits. Continue reading “Practicing Gratitude” →