The Impact of Worship – The Presidential Prayer Team

The Lord is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made. – Psalm 145:9

Words are powerful. Language is impactful. With it, you can communicate humor or holiness, sorrow or singing. The words employed by the writers of Scripture are meant to make you think, to examine your life and your relationship with the Lord.

Some have referred to Psalm 145, from which today’s verse is taken, as David’s crown jewel of praise. This is the last psalm that has David’s name attached to it. It is characterized by praise—not thanksgiving or even prayer, as many others are. The psalm has a special blessing associated with it. According to the ancient Israelites, who recited this psalm twice in the morning and once in the evening, a person who sang this psalm out loud three different times during the day would be “happy.”

Praise is the very essence of worship. It is the only activity that believers are called to do now that will also continue in eternity. We pray now, but a time is coming when our prayers will no longer be needed. We will come to a time when faith becomes sight… and the Savior is beheld face to face. C.S. Lewis wrote, “We praise what we enjoy because the praise not merely expresses but completes the enjoyment. It is not out of compliment that lovers keep on telling one another how beautiful they are; the delight is incomplete till it is expressed.”

Move slowly through this psalm, the entirety is below in the recommended additional reading. Seek to understand the Lord, His goodness, His works, His power, and His provision for you. Absorb the truths so that you are caught up in praise as David was. Let the words impact you and make your praise worshipful. Pray for the chaplains in Congress whose prayers are often of praise. Ask God to bless them and to be very personal to them as they pray over the legislative bodies.

Today’s Verse: Psalm 145:9

The Lord is good to all,
    and his mercy is over all that he has made

All Scripture quotations and audio are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Recommended for further reading: Psalm 145

I will extol you, my God and King,
    and bless your name forever and ever.
²Every day I will bless you
    and praise your name forever and ever.
³Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised,
    and his greatness is unsearchable.

⁴One generation shall commend your works to another,
    and shall declare your mighty acts.
⁵On the glorious splendor of your majesty,
    and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.
⁶They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds,
    and I will declare your greatness.
⁷They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness
    and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.

⁸The Lord is gracious and merciful,
    slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
⁹The Lord is good to all,
    and his mercy is over all that he has made.

¹⁰All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord,
    and all your saints shall bless you!
¹¹They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom
    and tell of your power,
¹²to make known to the children of man your mighty deeds,
    and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
¹³Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
    and your dominion endures throughout all generations.

[The Lord is faithful in all his words
    and kind in all his works.]
¹⁴The Lord upholds all who are falling
    and raises up all who are bowed down.
¹⁵The eyes of all look to you,
    and you give them their food in due season.
¹⁶You open your hand;
    you satisfy the desire of every living thing.
¹⁷The Lord is righteous in all his ways
    and kind in all his works.
¹⁸The Lord is near to all who call on him,
    to all who call on him in truth.
¹⁹He fulfills the desire of those who fear him;
    he also hears their cry and saves them.
²⁰The Lord preserves all who love him,
    but all the wicked he will destroy.

²¹My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord,
    and let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.