Start with Praise

Dug, a dog in the fictional cartoon movie UP, says to Carl Fredricksen without restraint, “You are my master and I love you.”  

How often to we acknowledge our God in this way?  Do we state it?  Do we live like it is true?  Is it evident in how we act and how we feel about life?  

“You are my master and I love you.”  Out of the heart the mouth speaks.  It would not be so hard to proclaim and praise God for just being our master if the truth of who He is were in our hearts.  It would come out of our mouths without restraint.

Let’s get His truth in our hearts as we start with praise.  Instead of coming into His presence and ignoring WHO He is by rambling off a checklist that may or may not be in line with His, “Dear God give me give me give me, help help help, do this do that,”  Let’s start with Praise.  Instead of talking for a good while before any of our focus is really on God, “Me me me me me me,” let’s first acknowledge our master.  Here is a question to ponder, are we really coming before his throne and are in his presence if we are not acknowledging Him at all?  Let’s praise our Master like Dug. 

The ministry Moms in Prayer encourages prayer time to start with praise.  One of their documents list God attributes and scriptures to support each attribute.  In order to help us all praise God first while meditating on the truth of who He is, I have modified the document just a bit.  Under each attribute I have written out a praise prayer that also defines the God attribute.  This can be used to start our prayers with praise.

And not just prayer... start everything with Praise.  Start each day with Praise.  Start every thought with Praise.  Start each meal with Praise.  Start a conversation with Praise.  Start with Praise.

Talk to and about God with Praise and Worship on our lips...

GOD IS SUPREME

Dear God, You are Supreme!  I praise You for You are highest in rank, power and authority.  I worship You for You are superior to all, the highest in degree.  You are of utmost importance above all Heaven and Earth.

Genesis 14:19

Deuteronomy 10:14-17

Nehemiah 9:6

Job 11:7-9

Psalm 95:3-7

Psalm 135:5

Isaiah 44:6-8

Acts 17:24-28

Colossians l:15-18

Hebrews 1:4, 6

Jude 24-25

Revelation 4:8

GOD IS SOVEREIGN

Dear God, You are Sovereign!  I praise You for You alone hold the position of royal ruler, superior to all others.  I worship You for You reign above all things.  You are controlling everything and can do anything.

I Samuel 2:6-8

I Chronicles 29:10-13 

II Chronicles 20:6

Job 42:2 

Psalm 33:10-11 

Psalm 47:2-3, 7-8

Psalm 93 

Psalm 135:6-7 

Isaiah 40:10

Isaiah 46:9-10 

Matthew 10:29-30 

Romans 8:28

GOD IS OMNIPOTENT

Dear God, You are Omnipotent!  You are all powerful and I praise You.  You have unlimited power and authority and I worship You.  You are Almighty God.

II Chronicles 32:7-8 

Psalm 62:11 

Psalm 89:8-13

Psalm 147:5 

Isaiah 40:28-31 

Jeremiah 32:17

Habakkuk 3:4 

Matthew 19:26 

Ephesians 1:19-20

Ephesians 3:20 

Colossians 1:10-12 

Hebrews 1:3

GOD IS OMNISCIENT

Dear God, You are Omniscient!  Not one living thing has knowledge over you.  I praise You for You hold infinite knowledge.   I worship You for You are God who knows all things; nothing is hidden from your sight.

Psalm 44:21 

Psalm 139:1-6 

Psalm 142:3

Psalm 147:5 

Isaiah 65:24 

Daniel 2:22

Matthew 6:8 

Matthew 10:30 

John 6:64

Romans 11:33-34 

Colossians 2:3 

Hebrews 4:13

GOD IS OMNIPRESENT

Dear God, You are Omnipresent!  Your presence is everywhere.  I praise You for being present at all places.  You are in the past, present and future.  I worship You for being present in all times.

I Kings 8:27 

Psalm 31:20 

Psalm 46:1-7

Psalm 139:5-12 

Isaiah 66:1 

Jeremiah 23:24

Matthew 28:20 

Acts 17:27-28 

Romans 8:35, 38-39

Colossians 1:17 II 

Timothy 4:16-18 

Hebrews 13:5

GOD IS IMMUTABLE

Dear God, You are Immutable!  You never change or vary and I praise You.  I worship You for being unchangeable.  You have always been and alway will be the great I AM. 

Numbers 23:19 

I Samuel 15:29 

Psalm 33:11

Psalm 100:5 

Psalm 102:25-27 

Psalm 119:89, 152

Isaiah 40:6-8 

Isaiah 51:6 

Malachi 3:6a

Hebrews 6:17-19a 

Hebrews 13:8 

James 1:17

GOD IS FAITHFUL

Dear God, You are Faithful!  I praise You for being dependable and reliable.  You are loyal, You are devoted and You are unwavering.  I worship You for You are steadfast, constant and true.

Deuteronomy 7:9 

Psalm 33:4 

Psalm 89:8

Psalm 119:90 

Psalm 145:13 

Psalm 146:5-8

Lamentations 3:21-24 

I Corinthians 10:13 

II Timothy 1:12

II Timothy 2:13 

I John 1:9 

Revelation 19:11

GOD IS HOLY

Dear God, You are Holy!  I honor You for You are spiritually perfect.   I praise You for You are pure.  You are sinless and deserving of all awe, reverence and adoration.  I worship a Holy God.

Exodus 15:11 

I Samuel 2:2 

Psalm 77:13

Psalm 99 

Psalm 111:9

Isaiah 5:16

Isaiah 57:15-16 

Luke 1:49 

Acts 3:13-15

I Peter 1:15-16 

Revelation 4:8 

Revelation 15:4

GOD IS JUST

Dear God, You are Just! I praise You for You are right and You are fair.  You are completely impartial.  I worship You for being upright, lawful, correct and true.  You are a righteous God.

Deuteronomy 32:4 

II Chronicles 19:7 

Psalm 9:7-10

Psalm 89:14-16 

Psalm 119:137-138 

Psalm 145:17

Isaiah 30:18 

Zephaniah 3:5 

John 5:30

Romans 3:25-26 

II Thessalonians 1:5-7 

Revelation 15:3-4

GOD IS WISE

Dear God, You are Wise!  Your wisdom goes past knowledge to understanding and action.  I praise You for having keen perception and discernment.  I worship You for You have the power of judging rightly.  You always make right choices.

I Chronicles 28:9 

Psalm 92:5 

Psalm 147:5

Proverbs 2:6 

Proverbs 3:19-20 

Isaiah 28:29

Isaiah 55:8-9 

Daniel 2:20-22 

Romans 11:33-34

Romans 16:27 

Colossians 2:2-3

James 3:17

GOD IS ETERNAL

Dear God, You are Eternal!  I praise You for existing though all time.  I worship You for You are without beginning or end.  You are everlasting.

Exodus 3:14-15 

Exodus 15:18 

Deuteronomy 33:27

Nehemiah 9:5b 

Psalm 45:6 

Psalm 90:1-2

Psalm 93:2 

Isaiah 26:4 

Jeremiah 31:3

Romans 1:20 

I Timothy 1:17 

Revelation 1:8,18

GOD IS THE CREATOR

Dear God, You are the Creator!  You are the one who brought into existence the universe and all matter and life in it.  I praise and worship You, creator of all things.

Genesis 1:1 

Psalm 95:3-7 

Psalm 100:3

Psalm 104 

Psalm 148:1-6 

Isaiah 42:5

Jeremiah 10:12 

John 1:3 

Acts 17:24-28

Colossians 1:16 

Hebrews 1:2 

Revelation 10:6

GOD IS GOOD

Dear God, You are Good!  I praise You for You are virtuous and excellent.  You are an upright God all the time.  I worship You for You are essentially, absolutely and consummately good.

Psalm 25:8 

Psalm 34:8 

Psalm 86:5

Psalm 119:68 

Psalm 136:1 

Psalm 145:9

Jeremiah 33:11 

Nahum 1:7 

Mark 10:18

John 10:11 

I Timothy 4:4 

II Peter 1:3-4

One more quote from Dug, "Squirrel!"  It does not take much to distract us.  A simple "squirrel" could make us take our eyes off our master.  May we not wait, withhold, overlook or let a "squirrel" get in the way of our praise to our master.  The more we do it, the more we feel it.  The more we feel it, the more we do it.  Praising God first then becomes a part of how we live, feel and think.  Out of our heart our mouth will speak and proclaim who God is.  Let’s start with praise.

“You are my master and I love you.”