Ready:
“I exalt you, my God the King, and bless your name forever and ever. I will bless you every day; I will praise your name forever and ever.” – Psalm 145:1-2
Set:
To get better at your sport, there are specific fundamentals that you or the athletes you coach consistently practice. The same is true when it comes to our relationship with Jesus. To keep growing in following Christ and competing for His honor, an area we must consistently practice is prayer. One essential dimension in a “practice plan for prayer” is praise.
Psalm 145 is an example of a prayer of praise. The psalmist opens by praying, “I will exalt you, my God and King, and bless your name forever and ever.” As the psalm continues, we see more of why practicing prayers of praise to God are so important. Here’s a key reason: Prayers of praise keep our focus on God and His rightful place in our life and our sport.
Athletes who rise above others with their skill, effort, or attitude catch our eye. We praise them because we’re impressed with them. God is exalted above all else in His being, character and work. He is supremely worthy of “catching our eye” and receiving our praise! As the psalmist says in v. 3, “The Lord is great and is highly praised.” The psalmist goes on to praise God for His “splendor and glorious majesty” (v. 5), “awe-inspiring acts” (v. 6), “great goodness” and “righteousness” (v. 7), “faithful love” (v. 8), and many other truths of who God is.
The world pressures us to give our devotion to things that won’t truly satisfy and instead will ultimately be destructive to us and others. Praising God reminds us of why He alone is worthy of our primary focus and devotion. Consistently practicing prayers of praise help us keep God in His rightful place of being first in our mind, heart, and life.
When we make the Lord our primary focus through praising Him, this helps us have the right perspective on our sport. With so many things demanding our attention as athletes and coaches, it’s tempting to get distracted, stressed, or overwhelmed. As we praise God, though, we’re reminded that He is sovereign over all—including whatever is currently competing for our attention. We can trust Him with every single thing.
Make it your regular practice to praise God as you pray. Use Psalm 145 and other psalms—as well as the truths we see about God throughout Scripture—to direct and inspire you to exalt the Lord.
Go:
What steps can you take to more consistently practice prayers of praise to God in your daily life?
In what ways do you need to refocus on the Lord and His greatness rather than giving your attention to things that distract or cause stress?
Workout:
Overtime:
“My God and King, I exalt You and bless Your name. I will praise You forever and ever. I praise You because You are great and You are glorious. I worship You because You are gracious, compassionate and abounding in love. Amen.”