July 31

Psalm 145

The Lord is extolled for the goodness of who He is and what He has done.

INSIGHT

There has never been a generation that did not praise God. Since the beginning of time, salvation and praise have been passed down in unbroken succession. David writes, “One generation shall praise Your works to another, and shall declare Your mighty acts” (v. 4). That praise is directed to God for who He is (His character) and what He has done. Of God´s character, David writes: “The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and great in mercy” (v. 8). The Lord is good. Writing of God´s work, he says, “The Lord upholds all who fall, and raises up those who are bowed down” (v. 14); “is near to all who call upon Him” (v. 18); and “will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him” (v. 19). “The Lord preserves all who love Him” (v. 20). For these reasons, we praise Him along with David.

PRAYER

All the earth will one day praise the Lord. We can begin now in the words of this psalm:
Praise the Lord!
Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty firmament!
Praise Him for His mighty acts;
Praise Him according to His excellent greatness!…
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 150:1-2, 6).

As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession:
You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;
You do not delight in burnt offering.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart—
These, O God, You will not despise (Psalm 51:16-17).

Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.

Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God (Romans 8:16).

As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:

• Faithfulness in sharing Christ
• The Lord´s work in world affairs
• Your activities for the day

Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
“The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace” (Numbers 6:24-26).