Day 1 of 7
A Song of Pure Praise
Let Everything That Has Breath Praise the Lord
Scripture Readings
Today's Reading
Read Psalm 150 slowly, preferably aloud.
This psalm is the grand finale of the entire Psalter — the last word in the Bible's prayer book is praise. After 149 psalms that include every kind of human experience — grief, anger, confusion, joy, repentance — the book ends with an explosion of unqualified praise.
Reflection
Notice the structure of this short psalm:
- Where to praise: in His sanctuary, in the mighty heavens
- Why to praise: for His mighty deeds, for His surpassing greatness
- How to praise: with trumpet, lute, harp, tambourine, dance, strings, pipe, cymbals
- Who should praise: everything that has breath
The psalm doesn't list conditions. It doesn't say "praise God when you feel like it" or "praise God when things are going well." It simply says: praise.
"I think the most significant thing about the Psalms is that they are praise. The truest theology is that which is expressed in praise." — C.S. Lewis, Reflections on the Psalms
Going Deeper
Now read Psalm 145:1-3 as a companion passage. David writes, "I will extol you, my God and King, and bless your name forever and ever." This is a personal, deliberate choice — "I will." Praise is not just a feeling; it's a decision.
John Calvin called the Psalms "the anatomy of the soul." If that's true, then the soul's deepest posture is one of praise. Every other psalm — the cries, the questions, the confessions — flows from and returns to this: God is worthy.
Key Quotes
“The Psalms are the anatomy of the soul.”
“I think the most significant thing about the Psalms is that they are praise. The truest theology is that which is expressed in praise.”
Prayer Focus
Simply praising God for who He is — not for what He has done, but for His character and nature
Meditation
Read Psalm 150 aloud slowly. Notice how the psalm calls everything and everyone into praise. What would it look like to let your whole life become a song of praise?
Question for Discussion
If praise is meant to be the final word — the posture the whole Psalter builds toward — why do so many Christians treat it as the easiest, most superficial part of worship rather than the hardest and most costly?