DAY 1
enter into the outer courts with thanksgiving and praise
So how should we begin to approach God? According to Psalm 100, we come into the outer courts with thanksgiving and praise. Psalm 100 is a beautiful picture of this:
Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; Give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.
daily devotional
by Karen Smith
- First, notice the instruction to “give thanks to him”. Spend some time to really think about all the blessings in your life for which you’re thankful. Why not write down a list and include something that you’ve never before thanked God for.
- Secondly, we’re told to “praise his name”. The sacred name of God in the Old Testament was YHWH or Yahweh, the LORD. It can be variously translated as “I AM” or “I AM, WHO I AM”. It’s the idea of the self-existent God, who is all sufficient for His people. Think about all the wonderful names of God – He’s our RIGHTEOUSNESS, SANCTIFIER, PEACE, HEALER, PROVIDER, BANNER and SHEPHERD. (See page 21 of the Prayer Shield)
- Which facet of God’s character do you need to draw on today? You can approach His throne with boldness and declare the truth of who He is and invite Him to work powerfully and miraculously in your life.