Praise More!

Recently while my husband was out running, he received a phone call that he had to take.  Slowing his pace to a walk, he hit the “answer” button, then proceeded to explain to the caller the reason for his hard breathing.  The caller said, “I knew you were running the second you answered; I heard it in your breath!”

As he relayed that story to me, I wondered, “what do people hear when I speak?”

Psalm 150:6 says,

“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!”

When I pick up the phone and talk to my husband, does he hear praise to the Lord coming from my lips?

When I talk to my children, are they hearing praise?

What does the cashier,

the waitress, or

my neighbor hear when I speak?

Is my breath consistently praising the Lord?

No, not always.  Sometimes those I speak to hear criticism, worry, fear or complaint instead.  I was convicted.

The God Who created you and me gives us every breath we breathe.  Why do we not use that breath to praise Him? I’ve come to this conclusion –

I need to praise more and criticize less.
I must bless the Lord more and complain less.
I have to praise more and worry less.

How would you fill in this blank?

I need to praise more and _______________ less.

Now, turn that phrase into a prayer.

“Lord, thank you for every breath you give me.  Help me to praise you more and _______ less!”

What could you praise the Lord for today?

With praise to my God,