OUR PRAYER BLESSES GOD


A. "I WILL BLESS THE LORD AT ALL TIMES; HIS PRAISE SHALL CONTINUALLY BE IN MY MOUTH" - PSALMS 34:1-8
  1. David had a very inclusive concept of the prayer life:
    1. "I will bless the Lord at all times"
    2. "Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name" Ps. 103:1
    3. This expression is used in the Psalms at least 27 times
  2. To David:
    1. To bless the Lord was an expression of deep gratitude for all the benefits received from the Lord - "and forget not all his benefits" - Ps. 103:1-4
    2. Our opening text should stimulate in our hearts a spontaneous response of gratitude toward the Lord for all His blessing to us
B. "I WILL BLESS THE LORD AT ALL TIMES"
  1. How can we bless the Lord - who is the source and fountain of all blessing:
    1. We can bless the Lord with a sense of appreciation and gratitude - note these inspiring expressions of deep appreciation by David toward the great Benefactor, "It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most high; to show forth Thy loving kindness in the morning, and Thy faithfulness in the evening" - Ps. 92:1-2
    2. We can bless the Lord by showing His praises unto our fellow men - writes Peter, "Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light" - I Peter 2:9; Examples: the mighty works of Christ caused the people to glorify God - Matt. 9:1-8; Mark 2:12; Luke 5:26; Matt. 15:31; that same experience came in the witnessing of the apostles - Acts 4:21; 11:18; 13:48
  2. We bless the Lord:
    1. With our substance - Pr. 3:9
    2. With loving loyalty to the law of the Lord - Examples: Joseph did - Gen. 39:9; Daniel and his three friends did - Dan. 1:8; 3:16-20; 6:10-22; Moses and his brother Aaron failed at a very crucial moment in their ministry - Num. 20:12
C. A TIMELY LESSON FOR GOD'S CHILDREN TODAY
  1. To bless the Lord at all times:
    1. Should be the resolve of everyone of His beneficiaries
    2. Ingratitude is one of the base sins of the last days - 2 Tim. 3:1-5
    3. Unthankfulness was the basic sin which led men away from the Lord - Rom. 1:21
  2. Seven ways to bless the Lord:
    1. Not to forget all His benefits - Ps. 103:1-3; said the Psalmist, "What shall I render unto the Lord for all His benefits toward me? I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord" - Ps. 116:12-13
    2. "Pay my vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all His people" - Ps. 116:14 that includes my loyalty to Him and my substance - Pr. 3:9
    3. We bless the Lord when we do His holy will - "If ye love me, keep my commandments" - John 14:15
    4. We bless the Lord when we share our faith with others; that means that when we witness for the Lord Jesus Christ, make known His love, others will come unto Him and so the Lord will be blessed. "Let your light so shine, that men may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven" - Matt. 5:16
    5. We bless the Lord, not only with our lips, but more so, with our dedicated lives, as Daniel and other worthies did
    6. We bless the Lord by being joyful in His love even in the midst of tribulation as Paul and Silas and other saints did - Acts 16:25
    7. Last, but not least, we bless the Lord, when we make our boast in God - as David did - I Sam. 17:45-46; as the three Hebrews did - Dan. 3:16-22; as Elijah did - I Kings 18:30-39
  3. The spirit of blessing is contagious, it will influence others:
    1. That was true in the experience of Paul - Acts 27:35-36
    2. It was true in the experience of David - Ps. 34:2
    3. O bless the Lord, not only occasionally, but at all times, not only with our lips but substance


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