Psalm 18 is a well-known Psalm written from the heart of David who sang it in thanksgiving after the Lord had rescued him from his enemies, including King Saul. David had lived his life on the run as he was pursued for years by Saul. Even though David had been anointed as the next king of Israel by the prophet Samuel and had received a word from the Lord about his family, his kingdom and his legacy, David still had to walk through the “valley of the shadow of death” to get there! This journey included the death of his best friend, the slaying of four giants, the burning of his village, betrayal, pain, fear and more. And yet David praised God every step of the way. Every time the Lord acted, David stopped and worshipped Him. Even in his hardest times, he had reasons to be thankful to God. What a challenging thought to we who strive each day to live by faith and not by sight!
“I will call on the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and I will be saved from my enemies.“ (Psalm 18:3) Maybe you don’t think you have “enemies” in the traditional sense – but in reality you are surrounded by enemies! Satan, your adversary, actively seeks to harm you every, single day, and to destroy the things that you love. It is a spiritual fact that worship wins wars BUT those victories will be within you before you see them outside of you!
It was David’s faithfulness to praise the Lord that set him apart from the earliest days of life and it was praise that carried through to the end of his glorious and victorious days.
~Alicia Purdy
It was David’s faithfulness to praise the Lord that set him apart from the earliest days of life and it was praise that carried through to the end of his glorious and victorious days. In Psalm 18, David, wrote his powerful and descriptive words as a record and a testimony of who God was to him and now, God wants you to read them and remember that “the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy”. (Revelation 19:10) Translation: What God has done for David, God will do for you!
Your Reasons to Praise the Lord are Personal
Thanksgiving is the point of origin for all praise, but your reasons to praise the Lord will change- and they should! “His mercies are new every morning” (Lam. 3:22-23) and even if it doesn’t “feel” that way, we operate in faith, not by feelings! There is always a reason to give thanks to the Lord– even on your worst days. But remember, if you want what David had, you’ll need to do what David did before, during and after every season he ever walked through – the highs, the lows, the darkness and the light: PRAISE THE LORD!
Here are 40 reasons to be thankful to God taken from Psalm 18 that you can praise the Lord today- and even better? Read them out loud to yourself. Declare them in your prayer. Sing them to the Lord. Let your ears hear the words of faith. Let your spirit hear and be stirred in faith. Let hope arise! WORSHIP THE LORD as David did your spirit, heart and mind- and the enemy- will know that you are someone is standing in faith for what God will do for you:
- He heard my voice from His temple
- He bent the heavens and came down
- He rode on a cherub, and flew
- He flew swiftly on the wings of the wind
- He made darkness His secret place
- The Lord thundered in the heavens
- He sent out His arrows and scattered them
- He shot out lightning and distressed them
- He sent from above, He took me
- He drew me out of many waters
- He delivered me from my strong enemy
- He supported me
- He also brought me forth into a large place
- He delivered me because He delighted in me
- The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness
- The Lord has repaid me according to my righteousness
- You will cause my lamp to shine
- The Lord my God will enlighten my darkness
- He is a shield to all those who take refuge in Him
- God clothes me with strength
- He gives my way integrity
- He makes my feet like the feet of a deer
- He causes me to stand on my high places
- He trains my hands for war
- You have given me the shield of Your salvation
- Your right hand has held me up
- Your gentleness has made me great
- You have lengthened my stride under me, so that my feet did not slip
- You clothed me with strength for the battle
- You subdued under me those who rose up against me
- You gave me the necks of my enemies
- You have delivered me from the hostilities of the people
- You have made me the head of nations
- God avenges me
- He subdues the people under me
- He delivers me from my enemies
- You lift me up above those who rise up against me
- You have delivered me from the violent man
- He gives great deliverance to His beloved
- He shows lovingkindness to His anointed
Thought for today: The Darker the Days, the Higher the Praise
David wrote these words about “them” – the enemies who had set themselves against him: “They cried for help, but there was none to save them; even to the Lord, but He did not answer them.” (Psalm 18:41) Don’t get into the weeds with the “what-if’s”. Don’t languish in your faith as you wait. God is on your side. Print out this list. Tuck it into your Bible or journal. Read it out loud daily. When you are on God’s side, He is on yours and that is all the power you need! Praise the Lord! Here’s what David said: “The Lord lives! And blessed be my Rock! May the God of my salvation be exalted…. Therefore I will give thanks to You, O Lord, among the nations, and sing praises to Your name.” Sometimes your praise will be an act of the will, but that makes it that much more powerful!
If you want that to be your testimony, then start testifying now. Your praise of the Lord is proof that His promises are true!
Grab Hold of More Reasons to Praise the Lord and Stir Your Faith!
- “The Supernatural Power of Praise”
- “The Real Power of Thanksgiving”
- “The Army of the Lord Fights in Faith”
