Praise and Thanksgiving to God
In this sermon, Mary Wilder Tileston emphasizes the importance of praise and thanksgiving in our prayers, highlighting its role in bringing joy, spiritual growth, and a deeper connection with God.
Mary Wilder Tileston emphasizes the importance of incorporating praise into prayers, highlighting the distinction between thanksgiving and praise. She encourages believers to not only thank God for His blessings but also to praise Him for His glorious excellences and perfections. Tileston illustrates how praising God for who He is can thaw a numb and torpid heart, leading to a warm and genial outpouring of worship.
Text
Now therefore, our God, we thank Thee, and praise Thy glorious name.
1 CHRONICLES 29:13
Rejoice in the Lord, ye righteous; and give thanks at the remembrance of His holiness.
PSALMS 97:12
AND now the wants are told, that brought
Thy children to Thy knee;
Here, lingering still, we ask for nought,
But simply worship Thee.
The hope of heaven's eternal days
Absorbs not all the heart
That gives Thee glory, love, and praise
For being what Thou art.
WILLIAM BRIGHT
LET praise--I say not merely thanksgiving, but praise--always form an ingredient of thy prayers. We thank God for what He is to us; for the benefits which He confers, and the blessings with which He visits us. But we praise Him for what He is in Himself,--for His glorious excellences and perfections, independently of their bearing on the welfare of the creature. And it shall often happen that when thy heart is numb and torpid, and yields not to the action of prayer, it shall begin to thaw, and at last burst, like streams under the breath of spring, from their icy prison, with the warm and genial exercise of praise.
EDWARD M. GOULBURN
Sermon Outline
- The Importance of Praise and Thanksgiving
- Praise is a fundamental aspect of prayer
- Thanksgiving is a response to God's blessings
- Praise and thanksgiving bring joy and spiritual growth
Key Quotes
“LET praise--I say not merely thanksgiving, but praise--always form an ingredient of thy prayers.” — Mary Wilder Tileston
“The hope of heaven's eternal days Absorbs not all the heart That gives Thee glory, love, and praise For being what Thou art.” — Mary Wilder Tileston
Application Points
- Make praise a regular part of your prayers, focusing on God's glorious excellences and perfections.
- Cultivate a heart of praise by expressing gratitude and admiration for God's character and attributes.
- Use praise as a means to overcome spiritual numbness and experience spiritual growth and renewal.