Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise him in the heights above. Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his heavenly hosts. Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, all you shining stars. Praise him, you highest heavens and you waters above the skies. Let them praise the name of the Lord, for at his command they were created, and he established them for ever and ever— he issued a decree that will never pass away. Praise the Lord from the earth, you great sea creatures and all ocean depths, lightning and hail, snow and clouds, stormy winds that do his bidding, you mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars, wild animals and all cattle, small creatures and flying birds, kings of the earth and all nations, you princes and all rulers on earth, young men and women, old men and children. Let them praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is exalted; his splendor is above the earth and the heavens. And he has raised up for his people a horn, the praise of all his faithful servants, of Israel, the people close to his heart. Praise the Lord.

The Psalmist praises the Lord over and over again in this Psalm. The Lord is specifically praised from all different levels, from all different beings, and from all of the elements and governing forces of the earth. Thirty-one distinct groups of people or created things are called on to praise the Lord.

Do you at times have a hard time praising God? I sometimes do. But our ability to praise has nothing to do with our circumstances or the presence of evil forces impacting us. We can praise him in all circumstances. Why? Because he is worthy. How? By tuning our hearts to his heart and submitting our selfish priorities and desires to his sovereignty.

Praise is a discipline, and it can change the attitude of our heart. It is also contagious and when others see us praise, their whole outlook on the day can change.

So what do you say we list out our praises today and start with all of the ways we have been blessed by God?

Lord, thank you for this reminder to praise you. You are the Creator and Sustainer of life! You deserve my praise first thing each day! Teach me to be more disciplined about praising you. Then I will be thankful, and operate from a place of blessing, instead of letting this world’s ways determine my moods and attitudes.