Brenda Reid 7/13/25 Brenda Reid 7/13/25

Reflections on Psalm 138: Unashamed Praise

I will praise you, O Lord, with all my heart;

before the “gods” I will sing your praise;

I will bow down toward your holy temple

and will praise your name for your love and your faithfulness,

for you have exalted above all things

your name and your word. Psalm 138:1-2

How do our sons and daughters praise God? Do they do it quietly and secretly, embarrassed or awkward if others are nearby? Or do they praise with boldness and joy, wanting others to see their devotion and passion for the Lord? It matters how you praise.

In Psalm 138, David speaks of praising God with his whole heart. The word for heart is the Hebrew word ‘leb’ and it means “the inner man, will, mind and heart” (1). He praised God with all that he had in him. He praised God with all that he was.

He wasn’t ashamed to praise the living God before the ‘gods’ of this world, the elohim- those rulers, judges and divine representatives at sacred places or those who reflected divine majesty and power, both the tangible and those that abide in the dark presence of the spirit world (2).

Sometimes, if we’re honest, we hold back because we’re afraid of judgment from others or perhaps we’re intimidated or feel awkward. God doesn’t ask us to ‘make a scene’ but He does want us to represent Him boldly and unashamedly.

When do we praise God? Is it only when we feel inspired? Grateful? Joyful? Praise should not be dependent on how we feel. On the contrary, praising God is fully dependent on Who He is, unchanging, eternal, immortal, almighty, forgiving, redeeming, merciful, faithful…you could go on and on extolling His attributes and character. That should be what inspires our praise. Praise should be a daily practice, regardless of our feelings, our circumstances, and our attitude.

Praise has the power to change our perspective and our attitude. It shifts us from a ‘me’ focus to a ‘He’ focus and in so doing, it changes us. It lifts the darkness. It brings God into clearer focus and helps our spiritual mindset become clearer and unencumbered by the cares of this world and the oppression that seeks to derail us. It moves us from a focus on the temporal to a focus on the eternal.

Did you know that darkness cannot abide where praise dwells? 1 John 1:5 “This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.” That’s why, when we experience dark thoughts, and when oppression is strong, we need to praise the Lord. Step into His presence, sing His praises, give thanks for all He’s done and Who He is. The darkness will flee; it’s incompatible with God’s light.

Psalm 22:3 tells us that God is enthroned on the praise of His people… He inhabits our praise… think about that. When we praise God, we are celebrating, honoring, and immersing ourselves in His presence. No wonder the enemy flees! There is power in praise!

As believing parents, we want our kids to understand and experience a vibrant spiritual life that comes from being redeemed and actively pursuing Jesus. We want to see them consumed with praise for the Lord because He’s done a work in their life. We want to see evidence of spiritual vitality and a passionate commitment to Christ. And God wants to see it, too.

Praise shouldn’t be limited to Sunday mornings. Nor should it be reserved for the ‘good times’ or mountain top experiences. Praise is what kindles and holds fast the mindset of all things focused on Christ. It takes our eyes off of us and our problems and sets them firmly on our Creator and Redeemer who will make all things new (Rev. 21:5) and will reconcile all things to Himself (Col. 1:20). Praise isn’t ambiguous, either. Praise is God-focused, purposeful adoration and worship of our Lord and Savior.

Scripture gives us SO many reasons for praise; here are seven scriptures to pray over our sons and daughters this week, asking the Lord to help them recognize these truths and to fill them with a deep need to rise up and praise His name!

We are made in His image. Even in our fallen human state, surrounded by sin and incapable of pleasing God, we are image-bearers of the Creator. Praise God for His amazing Creation!
“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” Ps 139:14
God counsels us, even when we’re not aware- He’s working in our lives. Praise God for His eternal wisdom, counsel, and truth.
“I will praise the LORD, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me.” Ps 16:7
God sees our grief. He is the only one who can turn our sorrow and heartache into joy and make beauty out of the ashes of what happens in this fallen, sinful world. Praise Him for His powerful comfort and understanding. Jesus is a man of sorrow, acquainted with grief- He knows; praise Him for that.
“You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever.” Ps 30:11-12
He is our joy and delight- what else can compare? We can praise Him through music- (even if we’re not musical)! God enjoys our sounds of praise!
“Then I will go to the altar of God, to God, my joy and my delight. I will praise you with the lyre, O God, my God.” Ps 43:4
He is righteous. He is our hope. He alone is our salvation and His goodness is beyond measuring. Praise the Lord that our God is greater than our minds can ever fully grasp!
“But as for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more. My mouth will tell of your righteousness, of your salvation all day long, though I know not its measure. I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, O Sovereign Lord ; I will proclaim your righteousness, yours alone.” Ps. 71:14-16
His redemption is powerful, eternal, and free. Praise God!
“I will praise you with the harp for your faithfulness, O my God; I will sing praise to you with the lyre, O Holy One of Israel. My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to you- I, whom you have redeemed.” Psalm 71:22-23
There is not a blessed thing in this life that can separate us from His love! There is no distance, power, or authority that can overcome His love and purpose. Not a thing. Praise the Lord for His mighty, eternal, unchanging love!
“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39

This week, let’s do two things. First, model we need to model what it means to praise the Lord. Do it every day. Do it boldly, with joy! Next, we should pray daily for our sons and daughters to come to a new place of praise and worship for and of God in their own lives. Pray that they learn that it’s more than just motions or out of obligation, but it is a genuine need and command to rise up and praise God because of all He is and all He’s done in their lives.

Pray without ceasing, friends!

H3820 - lēḇ - Strong's Hebrew Lexicon (niv). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h3820/niv/wlc/0-1/

H430 - 'ĕlōhîm - Strong's Hebrew Lexicon (niv). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h430/niv/wlc/0-1/

Prodigal Prayer

Are you praying for a prodigal? The scriptures above are so appropriate to pray for those who don’t know the Lord or who are rebelling against His presence and purpose. Pray through each verse asking God to melt their hardened heart, open their eyes to see Who He is, open their mind to understand the Truth of Scripture, give them the ability to receive the knowledge of what Jesus did for them and to embrace His redemption and forgiveness. Friends, nothing can thwart the purposes of God and He does not ignore the pleas of His children. Pray fervently, pray faithfully, and watch God work.

Are you looking for more scripture-based encouragement, prayer, and guidance in praying for the prodigal? 40 Days of Prayer for the Prodigal is an excellent resource that will transform your prayer life on behalf of your beloved prodigal.

40 Days of Prayer for the Prodigal addresses the battle for the heart, mind, and soul of the prodigal through praying Scripture boldly and consistently with faith that God will bring repentance and restoration.

The enemy will do all he can and use every power at his disposal to deceive and twist the truth so that anger, rebellion, and disillusionment take hold. He wants nothing more than to drag our loved one into darkness and eternal death.

When readers step into 40 Days of Prayer for the Prodigal they should be ready to battle in prayer like never before. They will prepare their hearts with their own surrender to God and then they will speak the words of Scripture back to God in effective and powerful ways, speaking specifically over the condition and situation of their beloved prodigal. Transformation can begin in the life of the prodigal and in the reader’s own heart as well.

The companion journal is available so the reader can track what they learn and discover along the way. This in-depth, Biblically-centered devotional and prayer guide will lead the reader in deeper understanding of scripture and in effective prayer for redemption and freedom in Christ for the one who still wanders.

link to purchase

Brenda Reid 9/22/24 Brenda Reid 9/22/24

Created to Worship

“You shall have no other gods before Me.” Exodus 20:3

We were created to worship.

We were created to worship. There is something inside every person which compels us to do so. It is how we are wired, how God created us. We naturally gravitate to attaching ourselves to something for meaning and purpose: our attention, our affection, and our resources all need a target, a recipient. Our worship never lies dormant and unused. When our heart, soul, and mind are consumed with God, obeying Him, walking in His commandments, and modeling our life after Him, there is great fulfillment and the beauty and joy of being one with our Savior. But if we’re not worshiping God, what do we worship?

Our worship never lies dormant and unused.

Whether we believe in God, or we follow a ‘system of belief’, or we claim nothing at all, we are still committed to something. And whatever takes first place in one’s life is, in fact, what is worshiped. Dictionary.com defines worship as “to render religious reverence and homage to; to feel an adoring reverence or regard for (any person or thing). Synonyms include the words adulate, idolize, adore, revere, etc.” (1) The object of one’s affection, attention, and resources tells us much about a person.

Satan’s sole desire is that his doom becomes ours as well.

Satan does his best to derail us, occupy our thoughts and hijack our worship. He distracts us from God and His Word. He puts attractive and sparkly things in our view that pull our gaze from God. He caters to our wants and desires and lures us with promises of importance, power, affluence, satisfaction, and peace. Satan promises what he can deliver in this world- temporal things- to pull us from the One who can promise us eternity in His presence- eternal things. Satan can never have that. He will never be delivered from sin. He will never enjoy eternity with Christ. His sole desire is that his doom becomes ours as well.

God created standards for worship

“You shall have no other gods before Me.” “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments. “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain. Exodus 20:3-7 (NKJV)

When God gave the Israelites the Ten Commandments, He began with intentional instructions that set the standard for their relationship with Him. The God-focused commandments were the foundation for everything else:

They should have no other gods- which indicates there were other gods competing for attention.
They should have no idols- no other object of our worship, always God, only God.
They should not take God’s name in vain…in other words, they should not call themselves followers of the one true God and live otherwise.

If we, as Believers, would keep these commandments, our relationship with God would be right, and, in turn, our relationship with others would flow out of that right relationship with Him. Love God. Love your neighbor.

Substitute gods, misdirected worship

When our life is out of alignment with God, we are drawn to all of the other things that would take God’s place. We substitute His authority for all the things that promise a ‘better’ way, more fulfillment, peace and happiness. We exchange our Holy, Sovereign God for something man made, a faux deity, a cheap substitution. Oh how we try to fill our need to worship something, with anything, but the One Who is deserving of our commitment and adoration.

Human relationships can’t satisfy the need to worship. Accomplishments and financial gain are temporary and fleeting. Only worship directed toward God brings us into a right relationship with Him, aligns us with His will, and will satisfy the deep need and desire to worship that dwells in the soul. The longings to worship were established by God Himself and only He can satiate that deep need in the context of a relationship with Him.

So, how are we modeling worship to our sons and daughters?

Whatever we dedicate ourselves to, that which consumes our thoughts, around which we plan our day and decisions, invest our finances, and which takes priority is what we worship. For some, it’s easily identified by how they live their life and into what they pour their gifts, talents, and resources. As we pursue worship, so do our sons and daughters. What do their choices indicate they’re worshiping? To what does their life testify? Do they pursue God, or a god? Have we set the standard correctly, or have we missed the mark?

Stop today and evaluate your own worship. If asked, would others say without hesitation that you worship God? Is He the priority in your life, not just stated, but lived? Are you loving the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind and all your strength?

Here is the real test…how would our sons and daughters describe our worship?

Take it to the Lord in prayer

Let’s pray and ask God to reveal what lies in our heart. Ask Him to uncover areas of misdirected worship. Then, let’s pray that we can model authentic worship to those around us, especially our sons and daughters. Ask the Lord to deepen their commitment to Him, bring them into closer fellowship and guard them from idolatry and misdirected worship.

“Oh, Lord, God, You are the One true God. You are the Creator and Sustainer. You are the only One deserving of all my worship and praise. Lord, cleanse me from any competing thoughts and desires. Reveal my misdirected worship. Help me align my life with You so that what flows out of my heart and soul is true and correct worship for You and only You. I pray that You would also work in (name)’s heart. Bring conviction where there is sin. Reveal any idols that dwell in their life. Lord, bind the enemy so he has no influence. Take away any sinful longings and selfish desires. Create in us a clean heart and renew a right spirit within us so that our worship is only and always Yours and Yours alone. Restore to me and to (name) the joy of Your salvation. Let us not find any greater joy that in living for and serving You. Time is short, this world is dark, help us to live a life that reflects Your light and salvation. Let our salt not lose its flavor. Lord, be the whole object of our worship, help us to “Ascribe to the LORD the glory due His name; worship the LORD in the splendor of His holiness.” Psalm 29:2 I pray this in Jesus’ name, amen.”

Fear the LORD your God, serve him only and take your oaths in his name. Do not follow other gods, the gods of the peoples around you; for the LORD your God, who is among you, is a jealous God and his anger will burn against you, and he will destroy you from the face of the land. Deuteronomy 6:13-15

Pray without ceasing

Dictionary.com. (n.d.). Worship definition & meaning. Dictionary.com. https://www.dictionary.com/browse/worship

Brenda Reid 12/5/21 Brenda Reid 12/5/21

Sunday Worship: Light in the Darkness

The blasts of chill December sound
    The farewell of the year,
And night's swift shadows gath'ring round
    O'er cloud the soul with fear;
But rest you well, good Christian men,
    Nor be of heart forlorn;
December's darkness begins again
    The Light of Christmas morn.

The welcome snow at Christmas-tyde
    Falls shining from the skies:
On village paths and uplands wide
    All holy-white it lies;
It crowns with pearl the oaks and pines,
    And glitters on the thorn,
And purer is the Light that shines
    On gladsome Christmas morn.

'Twas when the world was waxing old,
    And night on Bethlehem lay,
The shepherds saw the heavens unfold
    A light beyond the day;
Such glory ne'er had visited
    A world with sin outworn;
But yet more glorious Light is shed
    On happy Christmas morn.

Those shepherds poor, how blest were they
    The angels' song to hear!
In manger cradle as He lay,
    To greet their Lord so dear!
The Lord of Heaven's eternal height
    For us a Child was born:
And He, the very Light of Light,
    Shone forth that Christmas morn!

Before His Infant smile afar
    Were driven the hosts of hell;
And still in souls that childlike are
    His guardian Love shall dwell:
O then rejoice, good Christian men,
    Nor be of hear forlorn;
December's darkness bring again
    The Light of Christmas morn.

Cline, N. (1928). Lyrics of Light and Life: Light in the Darkness. In Christmas carols (pp. 57–59). essay, G.G. Harrap & Co. Ltd.

Brenda Reid 11/28/21 Brenda Reid 11/28/21

I Surrender All

Ah, Sunday. A day of focused worship. A day of rest. Today, spend some time in praise and worship of our Lord. Be refreshed in His Word. Sing to Him. Let your worship be a fragrant offering to the Lord.

All to Jesus I surrender,
All to Him I freely give;
I will ever love and trust Him,
In His presence daily live.

Refrain:
I surrender all,
I surrender all;
All to Thee, my blessed Savior,
I surrender all.

All to Jesus I surrender,
Humbly at His feet I bow;
Worldly pleasures all forsaken,
Take me, Jesus, take me now.

All to Jesus I surrender,
Make me, Savior, wholly Thine;
Let me feel the Holy Spirit,
Truly know that Thou art mine.

All to Jesus I surrender,
Lord, I give myself to Thee;
Fill me with Thy love and power,
Let Thy blessing fall on me.

All to Jesus I surrender,
Now I feel the sacred flame;
Oh, the joy of full salvation!
Glory, glory, to His Name!

Judson W. Van DeVenter, 1896

Brenda Reid 11/21/21 Brenda Reid 11/21/21

My Jesus I Love Thee-Sunday Worship

My Jesus, I love thee, I know thou art mine;

for thee all the follies of sin I resign;

my gracious Redeemer, my Savior art thou;

if ever I loved thee, my Jesus, 'tis now.

I love thee because thou hast first loved me

and purchased my pardon on Calvary's tree;

I love thee for wearing the thorns on thy brow;

if ever I loved thee, my Jesus, 'tis now.

I'll love thee in life, I will love thee in death,

and praise thee as long as thou lendest me breath,

and say when the deathdew lies cold on my brow:

If ever I loved thee, my Jesus, 'tis now.

In mansions of glory and endless delight,

I'll ever adore thee in heaven so bright;

I'll sing with the glittering crown on my brow:

If ever I loved thee, my Jesus, 'tis now.

William R. Featherston (1862)

public domain

Brenda Reid 11/14/21 Brenda Reid 11/14/21

Sunday Worship-Nothing But the Blood of Jesus