In Colossians 3:16-17 The Apostle Paul encourages people to “sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God” with hearts that are filled with gratitude . . . “whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

If you look to the Book of Psalms in the Bible you can see that many of them are filled with phrases expressing gratitude. Sure, there are some that might start out sounding rather negative, the writer is frustrated, perhaps angry, yet continuing to read you see a change of heart and soon comes the expression of a grateful heart.

Love does that to our hearts and minds. When we believe we are loved, when we believe we are heard, when we believe help is coming we are grateful.

Have you ever thought or wondered what makes God grateful? What fills God’s heart with gratitude?

We are so often asking God to please us, when do we ask God how we can please him?

We are coming near to Thanksgiving Day and after that Christmas comes. I love the example we have in Mary and Joseph who dared to say – Lord, let it be according to your will. We will not fear to please you with our lives.

And how wonderful the Song of Mary . . . A beautiful song of gratitude. Today, in this generation, people are still writing and singing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. And as far as our attitude about singing and the dislike most people have for their own voices . . . we don’t all have to be in the choir or singing solos or marvelously gifted singers to sing to God, he already knows what your voice is. Think about how pleased you are when your little children sing to you, regardless of whether or not they are gifted. That’s how God must feel when you sing to him. Go in your closet or sing in the shower with a grateful heart because God has given you life and a voice to sing to him.

I remember the first time I was overwhelmed by God’s love as an adult. It was after my father had died, I had been overwhelmed with grief. After a weekend of healing I went to church and heard the words in one of the prayers during the preparation of Holy Communion. “You have made us worthy to stand before you.” I began weeping and weeping as I rose from my knees. The next morning I was in my kitchen and new song came spilling out of my mouth a song of praise expressing thanksgiving for his raising me up above darkness. I haven’t included it in this book but there are others in the book.

Another time when I asked God what he wanted me to do it seemed the answer was that I was suppose to give his people a message. I remember asking if it could be simple and in the form of a melody because songs tend to stick in our hearts and minds better. I immediately began singing the summary of the two commandments in a melody I had never heard before. That is included in the book and we did sing in church a few times. It is truly amazing that God considers us, saints and sinners, worthy enough to stand and sing praises to him.

There are few other new songs in the book Praying Our Way Through Stress: Drawing Wisdom from the Lord’s Life of Prayer. They were written with a heart full of gratitude. Each one written after spending some time focusing on the Word of God and our relationship with God through the life of Jesus Christ. They are included in this book to encourage you to spend time with God, to risk asking him what he would like you to do to please him. Perhaps, he will give you a new song, psalm, or hymn, or perhaps he will ask you to use your voice to sing those written by other people. Perhaps he will ask you to bring hope in the knowledge of His Love to other people who have never heard, or who have forgotten, or who may be beginning to doubt.

Let us Pray,

Lord God, we give thanks to you for the gift of Love, for the life of Jesus and for our lives. Forgive us for the times when we have lived selfishly, asking only what you will do for us. You did teach us that we would have some trouble in this world, you told us that with you we could overcome trouble instead of being overwhelmed by it. Please give us courage to ask and the will to do what you want us to do for you in this generation. May your Holy Spirit fill the peoples of the earth with your love and your light, your wisdom and your grace, that we may live together in Peace as you have longed for us to do throughout all time. AMEN