Devotion of the day: your prayer of January 17, 2021

“I will sing to the Lord all my life; I'll sing hymns to my God as long as I live. May my meditation please him, while I rejoice in the Lord “. - Psalm 104: 33-34

At first, I was so overjoyed with my new job that I didn't care about the long commute, but by the third week, the stress of navigating heavy traffic began to wear me down. Even though I knew my dream job was worth it and we were planning to get closer in 6 months, I was afraid to get in the car. Until one day I discovered a simple trick that transformed my attitude.

Just turning on the cult music raised my spirits and made driving much more enjoyable. When I joined and sang aloud, I remembered once again how grateful I was for my work. My entire outlook on life lit up on my commute.

If you are like me, your gratitude and joy can quickly lead to a downward spiral towards complaining and a poor "woe to me" mentality. When we dwell on everything that goes wrong in our life, the burdens become heavier and the challenges seem greater.

Taking a few minutes to worship God reminds us of the many reasons we need to praise him. We cannot help but rejoice when we remember His faithful love, power, and unchanging character. Psalm 104: 33-34 reminds us that if we chanted for a long life, we would not be short of reasons to praise God. We remember his goodness and take care of us.

Worship defeats the downward cycle of grievances. Renew our minds, so that our thoughts - the Psalmist refers to our "meditation" here - will please the Lord. If you take the time to praise God in the midst of whatever maddening, stressful, or just plain depressing situation you find yourself in today, God will transform your attitude and strengthen your faith.

Worship honors God and renews our mind. How about reading a psalm of worship today or turning on some Christian music? You can turn your commute, or time spent doing housework, cooking, or rocking a baby, into an uplifting time instead of a hassle.

It doesn't matter if you praise Him in words, sing out loud or in your thoughts, God will be pleased with your heart's meditation as you rejoice in Him.

What if we start now? Let's pray:

Lord, right now I will choose to praise you for your great kindness and loving kindness. You know my circumstances and I thank you that I can remain in your power and worry about every aspect of my life.

God, I praise you for your wisdom, which designed my circumstances to mold me for your glory and help me get to know you better. I praise you for your constant love, which surrounds me every minute of the day. Thanks for being with me.

Thank you, Jesus, for showing your love by dying on the cross for me. I praise you for the power of your blood that saves me from sin and death. I remember the power that raised Jesus from the dead and lives in me to make me a winner.

Lord, thank you for the blessings and grace you give so freely. Forgive me if I complain about my circumstances. May my meditation today be pleasing to you as I praise you and remember your goodness for me.

In the name of Jesus, amen.