“Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth’s sake.”

When you praise God, you’re acknowledging His victories.In Psalm 115, the people of Israel had just won a momentous battle. Before this triumph, they had been mocked, ridiculed, and under their enemy’s thumb. When they had the victory, praise poured out from this psalm writer when he said: “O Israel, trust thou in the Lord: he is their help and their shield” (Psalm 115:9).When prayers are rooted in praise, we are considerably more likely to request things that are in His will and not from our selfish desires. Of course, there will be times in our lives when our prayers are desperate for Him to change something. But we also need to remember to thank Him for what He’s already done, and the victories won.Albert B. Simpson’s Hymn speaks to this heart posture perfectly; “Not I, but Christ, be honored, loved, exalted; Not I, but Christ, be seen, be known, be heard.” So let’s worship Him today for who He is and what He’s accomplished in our lives and on the cross.

Lord, I am so thankful for all you’ve done in my life. Please speak to me and remind me of the victories you’ve won and to give You praise for them. You are so faithful to me; I want to be faithful to You in return. In Jesus’ name, amen.