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 forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. Bless the Lord, O you His angels, you mighty ones who do His word, obeying the voice of His word! Bless the Lord, all His hosts, His ministers, who do His will! Bless the Lord, all His works, in all places of His dominion. Bless the Lord, O my soul! Psalm 103:1-5, 20-22
My words…
Praise
How blessed I am! Blessing upon blessing! More than I could number. These blessings do not flow because of my deeds or because of some uncanny coincidence. They flow from You because it’s what You do. You can’t hold it in. Blessings gush forth like water breaking through a dam. But what about You? How may I bless You? It’s a staggering thought. You dwell in the heavens surrounded by hosts of angels and armies. You hold the planets in the palms of Your hands and wear a crown of stars on Your head. You know all. You own all.
I am just a child, limited, bounded. But my spirit is driven to bless You. So I lay my blessings at the foot of Your throne. They may be vapid, but they are genuine. When I marvel at an eclipse, I bless You. When I thank You for buttered corn, I bless You. My prayers are meant to bless You as are my meditations. I bless You when I share Your words with others and when I accept those shared with me. I bless You when I see a bird on the fencepost and remember that You know the number of its feathers. When I ponder on what heaven is like, I bless You. And when I thank You for Your blessings, I bless You. Bless the Lord, O my soul!
Prayer for me
Lord, help me bless You more deeply and more often. Reveal to me new ways to bless You. They are endless just as Your blessings are to me.
Forgive me
Forgive me when I revel in my blessings and neglect to give You praise. You are the source of the blessing. I am only the vessel loved enough to carry it.
Prayer for others
Lord, I pray for those who don’t feel blessed. They may be neglected, abused, terminally ill. Their loved ones may be suffering, and they feel helpless. “Where is the Lord?” they cry. “Where are my blessings?” Show them, Lord! Reveal to them Your hand in their lives, Your promise to love them through pain and sorrow, and Your plan to welcome them into a new home with a new body someday. Receiving Your blessings through suffering is the ultimate spiritual experience. But that is another topic for another prayer.
Thank You
Thank You, Lord, for blessing me. My eyes fill with tears as I write this because I am overwhelmed by Your love and care for me. I can’t express my true gratitude. Maybe there is a heavenly language with words that can adequately capture my thoughts, but I don’t know that language. So Holy Spirit, translate it, please.
More Praise
As a child, I learned that old hymn, Count your blessings, name them one by one. I have never done that. It may take all day. It may take all week. The list would never by exhaustive because there are blessings of which I am unaware. I wouldn’t be surprised if I could only name a small fraction. You, on the other hand, could count how many times I have blessed You. Whatever the number, it is not nearly large enough. But I am happy to add to it during the days I have left to live.
