Starting your day right

If I forget this, my day never goes too well...how about you?

Dear friends and family…

This is so important, I thought I should share again. It really does change things! Devotions before starting our days. Please sing with me: We bring the sacrifice of praise, into the house of the Lord...and we offer up to you, the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and we offer up to you, the sacrifices of joy. The sacrifices of joy. There is a good reading in this short video, which explains what happened to me the night prior, when I let the world’s woes overtake me, and negativity tried to take hold, as the devil wants...and so I begin to sing...and recite Psalms and other great scriptures out loud, and my joy and peace in the Lord is restored.

We Bring The Sacrifice of Praise....into the house of the Lord...our temples,

as God does not dwell in temples made of clay. (man’s hands)

And a short song; Lord Prepare Me, to be a Sanctuary...Pure and holy, tried and true, with thanksgiving,

I’ll be a living, sanctuary for You.

I have found that if you do this...just spend an hour, or even a half an hour, offering sacrifices of praise, in scriptures, in song, in prayer, you cannot remain unjoyful! As He inhabits our praises. Or even driving down the road, if you start singing praises, such a joy will enter into your heart, that it will make the miles melt away, and any heaviness you may have had will be turned into joy, as you sense God’s presence filling the car and your heart.

So I have put together some scriptures to begin that “praise fest”, and realized that it is actually a commandment, and what the Lord said is better than any other sacrifices, taking the place of the old sacrificial system which involved blood sacrifices. For Jesus was the last blood sacrifice, shedding and offering His own blood to atone for our sins and bring salvation to our souls. And so we sing, and give Him praise and thanks, even though the world around us seems to be sinking into a quagmire of confusion, anger, animosity and derision. Reminds me of a great hymn: He brought me out of the miry clay, He put my feet on a rock to stay, He puts a song in my soul today...a song of praise, hallelujah. “His praise shall continually be in my mouth”...I sometimes forget this, and start to succumb to the ever increasing darkness of those who have left their first love, or may not have ever known Him. But then I remember the joy that makes our hearts sing...His presence, when we give Him the sacrifice of praise. I know it’s hard to be joyful when watching the world fall into darkness, for all who have fallen away, but God also said that we would see His vengeance on our enemies. His enemies.

Here are 17 Bible verses to help you reflect on the abundant blessings of God.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Rejoice evermore, pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

Psalm 103:1-4

Bless the LORD, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits — who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases, who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies.

Colossians 2:6-7

As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him; rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.

Isaiah 12:4-5

And in that day shall ye say, Praise the LORD, call upon His name. declare His doings among the people; make mention that His name is exalted.” Sing unto the Lord, for He hath done excellent things; this is known in all the earth.

James 1:17

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

1 Chronicles 16:34

Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; for His steadfast love endures forever!

Hebrews 12:28

Wherefore, we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and Godly fear; For our God is a consuming fire.

Psalm 95:1-5

Oh come, let us sing unto the LORD! Let us make a joyful noise to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; and make a joyfully noise unto Him with psalms. For the LORD is a great God, , and a great King above all gods. In His hand are the deep places of the earth; the strengths of the hills are His also. The sea is His, and He made it; and His hands formed the dry land.

Philippians 4:4-7

Rejoice in the Lord always. and again I say Rejoice! Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Psalm 118:24

This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.

Colossians 3:15-17

And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms, and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

1 Chronicles 29:13

“Now therefore, our God, we thank thee and praise thy glorious name.”

Ephesians 5:18-20

And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit, Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Psalm 107:1-3

Oh give thanks unto the LORD, for He is good; for His mercy endureth forever! Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom He hath redeemed from and gathered them out of the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south.

Hebrews 13:15

By him therefore, let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name.

Psalm 119:1-8

Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD.

Blessed are they who keep His statutes and seek Him with the whole heart — they also do no iniquity; they walk in His ways.

Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently. Oh, that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes! Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all thy commandments. I will praise thee with uprightness of heart, when I shall have learned thy righteous judgments. I will keep thy statutes; O forsake me not utterly.

2 Corinthians 9:15

Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift.

There are many more praise scriptures…I love spending time in His Word to find them and then turn them into a song, like my Grandad used to do, singing my praise to our Great God, and Savior Jesus Christ, and my day is much happier and joyful, and I then find myself singing during the day, instead of frowning at circumstances…which are beyond our control anyway…and so we pray and leave it in God’s very capable hands. I pray for blessings for all our Brothers and Sisters, and all the family of God. May we all remain strong in the power of God’s might. And so maintain His peace in our hearts.

May God give you all His Peace and grace, and strength—In Jesus’ love, Crystal