Hallelujah! Praising God ...

Hello friend ... I invite you to breathe deeply.   Take a few moments to center yourself on God and allow yourself to consider what you have to be grateful for right now.    As you breathe and settle into a place of deep gratitude within yourself, listen for the echoes of the deep love and care God has for you ... can you sense the gentle breezes of peace on the sea of your soul?    An yet we do not always "feel" praise and thanksgiving ... if other feelings arise too, welcome them all with this part of Contemplative Outreach's Welcoming Prayer ...

Focus, feel, and sink into the feelings, emotions, 

thoughts, sensations, and commentaries in your body.
Welcome the Divine Indwelling in the feelings,
emotions, thoughts, commentaries, or sensations 

in your body by saying
“Welcome.”

If other feelings emerge, welcome them all as they come by circling back to this prayer as often as you need to.  If you find yourself doing this often consider exploring spiritual direction with a trained spiritual director whose gift is to be a companion on the journey of others.  Spend time with this welcoming prayer until you feel it is time to move from prayer into the sacred reading of the biblical text, and then ... Pray:
  
As I welcome you into my time of sacred reading with fear and trembling, O God, reveal yourself to me and fill me with wisdom as I praise you.  Amen.     

Read Psalm 111 slowly, immersing yourself in the images of God that are held within this public psalm of praise ... praising God for who God is and praising God for what God does ... in "fear" which means awe and reverence, we stand praising God ... so perhaps you might read this psalm out loud as you work through it ...

Psalm 111 (NAB=New American Bible)
Hallelujah. I will praise the LORD with all my heart in the assembled congregation of the upright.  Great are the works of the LORD, to be treasured for all their delights.  Majestic and glorious is your work, your wise design endures forever.  You won renown for your wondrous deeds; gracious and merciful is the LORD.  You gave food to those who fear you, mindful of your covenant forever.  You showed powerful deeds to your people, giving them the lands of the nations.  The works of your hands are right and true, reliable all your decrees, established forever and ever, to be observed with loyalty and care.  You sent deliverance to your people, ratified your covenant forever; holy and awesome is your name.  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; prudent are all who live by it. Your praise endures forever.

Read the passage again slowly and Reflect on the Psalmist sense of who God is.   Listen for a word or a phrase that draws your attention.   Repeat that word or phrase.  Ponder this Word or phrase through which God is speaking to YOU as you let the story unfold in your mind and heart.   Where does your word or phrase intersect your life where you are right now … as you feel yourself listening, not listening, obeying, not obeying, doing, not doing, speaking, not speaking, praying, not praying, fasting, not fasting ... How are you responding, not responding … make an honest assessment, where are you?

Read the passage again slowly and Respond.   Share with God how you feel about what you are hearing through your word or phrase.   Speak your word or phrase out loud and ask God to help you surrender to the word you have heard and the wisdom it holds as you explore its meaning for you where you are right now.   Take a moment or more to journal in the form of a "praise psalm."

Read the passage again and Rest.  Allow the presence of God to surround you and deepen your faith so you are able to surrender to God's call.  Rest until the peace of God settles into your soul ...

When you sense the time to move on, Pray: Hallelujah!  I praise you God with all of my heart.  I see your works in my life and I praise you God.   I see your works in the world and I praise you God.  I praise you God!  Your praise endures forever!    Amen.

Cindy's Journal Reflection ...  all my heart, what does this mean ALL my heart!  It is hard to fathom what it means to give all of one's heart to anyone or anything ... I suppose this means love, yes?  To love with all of one's heart .. I suppose the closest I have ever been to this love is the depth of my love for my children and I wonder, O God you must love me so and simply ask that we praise you and love you and serve you as much as we possibly can, ever so much more that we praise and love and serve ourselves ... O break open my heart so that I might praise you and magnify your name.  Hallelujah!  Praise God!