Are You Up For A Challenge?

 

Do you know the difference between thanking God and praising God?

We thank God for what He does or provides us. We praise Him for Who He Is.

Being thankful keeps us focused on what we have instead of what we don’t. It wards off discontentment and a bad case of the gimme’s.

Praise God everyday!

We PRAISE him for who he is. Not what he does. Who He Is!

The Bible calls us to praise God. Over 250 times in the Bible, men, women, angels and creation Praise the Lord! If God put it in his book that many times, it must be important.

Are you up for a praise challenge?

Praise God for his character.

God, I praise you because you are …

  • Loving.
  • Kind.
  • Gentle,
  • Beautiful,
  • Patient,
  • Generous,
  • Caring,
  • Fun.

Praise God by listing who he is to you.

God, I praise you for being my …

  • Father,
  • Husband,
  • Provider,
  • Healer,
  • Comfort,
  • Protector,
  • Savior,
  • King,
  • Peace.

Praise God for his character qualities.

God I praise you for being …

  • Perfect,
  • Unchanging,
  • Present in my life,
  • In Control of what I cannot.
  • Loving.
  • Merciful.
  • Wonderful.
  • Good.
  • Holy.
  • Just.

You can Praise God by Name:

I praise you God for being …

  • The One True God.  (Elohim)
  • The God who Sees.  (El Roi)
  • The God of Beginnings and the end (Alpha and Omega)
  • The God of Mercy

Praise God with Psalms

Psalm 146-150 are filled with praises.

Praising is a way of  acknowledging God. It takes practice because it’s so easy to slip back into thankfulness.

This month be thankful, and practice praising God for who he is! Let me know how you do.

Scripture for today:  Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord. Psalm 150:6 NIV 

Prayer: Lord, God, you are good and mighty and true and faithful. Fill my mouth with your praises and proclamation of who you are! In Jesus Mighty Name, amen. 

20 Comments

  1. Loretta Miller on November 16, 2020 at 1:06 am

    I needed that today. There are so many things happening that at times I have a hard time hanging on. Finances in the pit. Without phones since last Wednesday because of changing carriers to cut our bill and there were glitches within the process. We expecting to have phones on Friday and then they changed it to this Tuesday. And America is a big mess right now. I keep on praising God to lift me up and it does. I know God is in control and there is a reason for everything that happens. Just writing this makes me think I am going through a pity party. There are so many reasons I should not feel that way. I have a loving husband and family, a roof over my head, food, electricity, and most of all a Savior that I am going to spend eternity with. I need the Lord to change my thinking to the way it should be according to scriptures.

    • Robyn Dykstra on November 16, 2020 at 3:29 pm

      Hey Loretta, What a perfect illustration of how praising God and thanking him for what we have shifts our focus and disposition. Yes, there’s a lot of confound us, but God is faithful. So happy to hear from you. Thanks for posting.

  2. Michelle M.Butler on November 16, 2020 at 3:01 am

    Hi Robyn, Hope all is well with you and your family. we have met at Brownsvilles Church of God. Thank you for reminding me of the difference between be thankful and praising my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I thank Him being Awesome, Wonderful, Merciful instead of Praising Him.
    thank you once again. Please be safe you and your family. Have a happy and blessed Happy Thanksgiving.

    Your Sister in Christ.
    Michelle

    • Robyn Dykstra on November 16, 2020 at 3:27 pm

      Hi Michelle,
      So glad to hear from you! I agree with you and praise God as Awesome, Wonderful, Merciful. Bless you and yours.

  3. Chris Losch on November 16, 2020 at 9:40 am

    In this season on Thanksgiving I have been focusing on thankfulness and now I want to shout out PRAISE for who He is! I praise Him for being my Father, my Comforter, my Protected, for He is an AWESOME God.

    • Robyn Dykstra on November 16, 2020 at 3:26 pm

      YES! I agree with you Chris. Thanks for posting!

  4. Sue Lea on November 16, 2020 at 2:53 pm

    For quite awhile now, I’ve been writing out my morning prayer. I find that it keeps me focused. I start with the date, then I ask the Holy Spirit to guide my thoughts. I pause to gather my thoughts (I’m retired so I have more time to do this). A friend gave me a list of the Jewish names for God, so I look at the list and decide which one matches the thoughts I have at this time. I begin by addressing God. I do praise Him for who He is. Then I go into thankfulness. Then I bring my concerns before Him. I ask forgiveness for my sins and pray for my family and friends. It usually takes two pages of a notebook.
    Since the pandemic started, I have set my phone alarm to go off at 8:00 and I pray over a long list of names and concerns such as the fires out west, those working on vaccines, front line workers, those loosing jobs, and so much more.
    Thank you for your messages. They are affirming and uplifting!

    • Robyn Dykstra on November 16, 2020 at 3:25 pm

      Wow, Sue. I’m so thankful for this post, that you shared your heart and your system.
      Bless you, Friend!

  5. Lucy Hoffman on November 16, 2020 at 3:21 pm

    Love this challenge with the clarifcation and ideas – going to print it out!

    • Robyn Dykstra on November 16, 2020 at 3:24 pm

      Hurrah! Glad to have you join the praise challenge!

  6. Lori L Loring on November 16, 2020 at 3:48 pm

    Thank you for your encouraging words. I look forward to your messages each week. Praise God, He has been so good to us!

    • Robyn Dykstra on November 16, 2020 at 3:48 pm

      Hey Lori, Thanks for posting. I appreciate you!

  7. Rose Flor on November 16, 2020 at 6:07 pm

    Thanking our God for being so faithful, patient, merciful to me. God is our provider, our healer, our peace, our best friend, constant help in times of trouble. God never fails. Robyn always thanking you for your encouraging messages, and leading by your great example. You are always a blessing to me. I met you several years ago, had an opportunity to meet you and your husband twice at Womens Spring Retreat in Lawton, MI. Prayers for continued health and provision.

    • Paulette Keppler on November 17, 2020 at 12:44 am

      Amen Robyn,
      This was a timely devotional…I appreciate your ministry and enjoy your emails. Gave a blessed THANKSGIVING!
      Sister in Christ,
      Paulette

      • Robyn Dykstra on November 17, 2020 at 12:54 am

        Thanks Paulette.
        Hope your Turkey day is delish!

    • Robyn Dykstra on November 17, 2020 at 12:55 am

      Thank you Rose. ALWAYS good to hear from you!
      I appreciate YOUR encouragement to me!

  8. Elizabeth Clark on November 17, 2020 at 4:05 am

    Hi Robyn! I first met you about 2 yrs. ago at Word of Life, Hudson Florida. You were so wonderful! I really thank you for your devotionals. I thank God through all the good and bad times. I dont always do it 100 percent, but I try! My husbands cancer has returned, he had a tumor the size of a baseball taken out under his arm! His treatment Optiva will start tomorrow. God has seen both of us through many storms! Being a cancer survivor myself, I know he loves us , everyone of us! We have an awesome God! Keep up the good work, and have a very wonderful Thanksgiving! God Bless, ?????

    • Robyn Dykstra on November 17, 2020 at 2:59 pm

      Hi Elizabeth-
      Thank you for posting. What an inspiration! Appreciate you and agree in prayer for complete healing for your man.

  9. Judy Overbeek on November 17, 2020 at 3:55 pm

    I always love your encouraging words,But I know that in the times we are living in we need to praise God even more because He is our strength & shield. I have printed this email & plan to read it every day. Thank you for being a blessing to me !!!

    • Robyn Dykstra on November 17, 2020 at 4:04 pm

      Oh, that makes me so happy! Thanks for posting Judy!

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