June 23, 2020
The Praise Closet
Arlene Pellicane
Today’s Truth
As for me, I will always have hope; I will praise You more and more (Psalm 71:14, NIV).
Friend to Friend
My family leads an afterschool Bible club on Fridays at my daughter’s elementary school. We sing songs, play games, study the Bible, and give away prizes. I’m always storing up prizes from the dollar store in my “magic closet,” also known as my laundry room.
One of my friend’s dubbed it the magic closet because I could magically find presents for kids in that closet. If someone came over and mentioned it was her child’s birthday, I’d walk into that closet and come out with a birthday gift to go!
You may not have a magic closet of kids’ gifts but there’s another type of closet you can always tap in to. You might call it a “praise closet.”
As you store up praise in your life (picture your praises filling a closet), it will produce gifts in your life both for you to enjoy and for others. Hope is something in short supply in this world we live in. But today’s truth tells us how to have hope for every day, “As for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more.”
Praise paves the way for hope, and hope is a gift we desperately need today.
The psalmist David proclaims, “For you have been my hope, Sovereign Lord, my confidence since my youth. From birth I have relied on you; you brought me forth from my mother’s womb. I will every praise you. I have become a sign to many; you are my strong refuge. My mouth is filled with your praise, declaring your splendor all day long.” (Psalm 71:5-8, NIV)
David is professing his confidence in God. He is looking to the all-sufficiency of God instead of his problems or his enemies. He is remembering what God has done for him in the past, using his experience as a launching pad to praise.
We are to declare God’s praise all day long – storing up praise everyday which carries us through when hard days come.
How might you make deposits into your praise closet today? Psalm 71 says you can:
Praise with music – I will praise you with the harp (v. 22)
Praise with singing – I will sing praise to you (v. 22)
Praise with shouting – My lips will shout for joy (v. 23)
Praise with spoken words – My tongue will tell of your righteous acts (v. 24)
Fill your home with worship music. When you are alone, speak out sentences of praise to God. Feel free to get creative in your praise. My girls and I have been doing exercise videos at home together. Toward the end as we cool down, I’ll say, “Let’s speak out some praise to God. God, you are faithful.” My oldest daughter Noelle chimes in, “You are kind.” Then Lucy says, “You are powerful.” We go around once or twice speaking out praise to God. You can even accumulate praise while exercising!
If you have family member living at home (or visiting), an atmosphere of praise in your home will be a gift for everyone who enters.
While staying home because of the Coronavirus pandemic, I went out every two weeks for groceries. While in the grocery store, I would stock up on whatever happened to be available. Instead of grabbing just a few things, I would accumulate as much as possible in my cart to feed my family of five. I was going through the aisles, taking more and more to fill my basket.
That’s a picture of how we can accumulate praise. Throughout your day, think of how you can fit more praise into the basket of your life. Maybe you will sing in the car. Drop to your knees for 30 seconds and give praise to God right in the middle of your living room. Read a psalm of praise before bedtime. Go into your “praise closet” several times a day. As a result, you’ll find your life filled with more hope and many wonderful gifts.
Let’s Pray
Dear God, I will proclaim your mighty acts and righteous deeds. I will declare your power to the next generation. Though I have seen troubles, you will restore my life again. I will sing praise to you. Who is like you God? You have done great things and your love reaches to the heavens. I love you Lord.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
Now It’s Your Turn
Take one minute and praise God right now out loud for what He has done in your life.
Write down five reasons why God is worthy of praise.
More from the Girlfriends
Would you like help raising kids who love to praise God? Arlene’s book Parents Rising: 8 Strategies for Raising Kids Who Love God, Respect Authority, and Value What’s Right is here for you. Learn how to focus your efforts to have less complaining and more gratitude and praising God in your home.
Originally published Tuesday, 23 June 2020.
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