Specifics

"If someone approached you and repeated, "I praise you!" ten times, you would probably think, For what? You would rather receive two compliments than twenty vague generalities. So would God." ~Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life

Specifics

Lord God, I praise you for
The cross on which you died
The happy tears I've cried
The privilege of knowing You
The promises that are true
The roof over my head
The husband in my bed
The daughter with big eyes
The ever-changing skies
The church where I pray
The dawn and dusk of day
The parents who gave so much
The blessing of physical touch
The body in good health
The fact that love is wealth
The money in the bank
The gas in the tank
The friends who make me laugh
The difficult, windy paths
The students in my classroom
The candle in the bathroom
The wipers in the rain
The warning of a train
The blessing of a child
The million smiles I've smiled
The dishes in the sink
The opportunity to learn and think
The laundry in the pile
The people on speed dial
The home with temperature control
The river as it rolls.
The job and the check
The kiss on the neck
The breath in and out
The faith that follows doubt
The lips with words of praise
The hands to You I raise
The eyes that upward glance
The feet I have to dance.
Lord, Thank you
I praise you for all these things
So when I say "I praise you"
These are part of what I mean.
And when my words run out
And my thoughts can't list them all
I will praise you in the silence
And to my knees I fall . . .


"That's the kind of people the father is out looking for: those who are simply and honestly themselves before him in worship." John 4:23 (The Message)