Praise to the Lord, the Almighty (Evangelical Lutheran Worship 858)
1 Praise to the Lord, the Almighty,
the King of creation!
O my soul, praise him, for he is your health and salvation!
Let all who hear now to his temple draw near,
joining in glad adoration!
2 Praise to the Lord, who o’er all things is wondrously reigning
and, as on wings of an eagle, uplifting, sustaining.
Have you not seen all that is needful has been
sent by his gracious ordaining?
3 Praise to the Lord, who will prosper your work and defend you;
surely his goodness and mercy shall daily attend you.
Ponder anew what the Almighty can do
as with his love he befriend you.
4 Praise to the Lord! Oh, let all that is in me adore him!
All that has life and breath, come now with praises before him!
Let the amen sound from his people again.
Gladly forever adore him!
Text: Joachim Neander; Music: Ernewerten Gesangbuch 1665; Public Domain
Devotion
Nothing about the world changes when we begin to sing. The diagnosis may still be there; the unanswered prayer may still be waiting; tomorrow may still feel uncertain. What changes is the way we see.
Over the past week, we’ve been invited to notice God’s presence in places we might have overlooked: in our thirst, in our weariness, in the people we carry, in what little we have to offer, in the abundance we only recognize looking back, and in the grace we receive one day at a time.
Perhaps that’s why the church sings. Not because life is suddenly easy. Praise opens our eyes to the God who has been faithful all along. And once we’ve remembered, we find ourselves walking into a new week with a little more hope, a little more trust, and a heart ready to notice Christ again.
Prayer
Faithful God, open my eyes to your presence in both the extraordinary and the ordinary moments of life. As I remember your faithfulness, fill my heart with praise and help me walk into this new week trusting that you are already there. Amen.