Praise the LORD!

Sing to the LORD

     a new song,

His praise

in the assembly

         of the godly.

         Psalm 149. 1

(How different

would our days,

our lives

    and our hearts be,

if we started the day

with praise

and gratefulness

and recognition of God?

To seek Him first in it,

instead of stumbling

   and grumbling through,

to respond to His voice

and to His Word,

instead of reacting to

   circumstances,

to be known as His

and recognized by

  His grace in our hearts

and His praise

        and kindness

        on our lips.

Praise is not just

   something we do,

but profoundly

and unalterably doing

   something to us.

Praising God

expresses our love

for Him

and simultaneously

   changes our hearts

and vision into the day.)

O LORD,

Guide us in our way today,

open our eyes

    to how to serve You,

open our hands

    to restore and build

    and rebuild and love,

empower us to

   leave bitterness behind

   and fill us over the brim

   with compassion,

redeem what we have

   only seen as the

   hard and rough places,

train us in godliness,

renew Your Spirit in us,

help us to walk with You

     right here,

     right now,

     even in this,

above all, O LORD,

align our hearts

            with Yours.