An important way to ‘prepare our prayers as incense’ is by expressing heartfelt praise and gratitude to God. King David offered such a prayer when he and the people of Israel contributed toward the construction of Jehovah’s temple. David prayed: “Blessed may you be, O Jehovah the God of Israel our father, from time indefinite even to time indefinite. Yours, O Jehovah, are the greatness and the mightiness and the beauty and the excellency and the dignity; for everything in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Jehovah, the One also lifting yourself up as head over all.
The riches and the glory are on account of you, and you are dominating everything; and in your hand there are power and mightiness, and in your hand is ability to make great and to give strength to all. And now, O our God, we are thanking you and praising your beauteous name.”—1 Chronicles 29:10-13.
What beautiful expressions of praise and thankfulness! Our prayers may not be as eloquent, but they can be just as heartfelt. The book of Psalms is filled with prayers of thanks and praise. Choice words of praise are found in Psalms 148 to 150. Gratitude to God is expressed in many psalms. “One thing I have asked from Jehovah,” sang David. “It is what I shall look for, that I may dwell in the house of Jehovah all the days of my life, to behold the pleasantness of Jehovah and to look with appreciation upon his temple.” (Psalm 27:4)
Let us act in harmony with such prayers by participating zealously in all the activities of Jehovah’s congregated throngs. (Psalm 26:12) Doing this and meditating on God’s Word daily will give us many reasons to approach Jehovah with heartfelt praise and gratitude.
No comments:
Post a Comment