Let all that I am praise the Lord; with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name. Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me. He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies. He fills my life with good things. My youth is renewed like the eagle’s!
Psalm 103:1-5 NLT
It is very easy to bless God with only a certain percentage of my “heart”. Much of the rest of it is distracted by a series of less profound anxieties and desires. Who hasn’t realised part way through a time devoted to God, that actually their mind has strayed and in fact the past minutes have actually been occupied by their own thoughts and worries? In some ways, this can be identified as prayers, yet not prayers that are consciously being brought to God. I certainly don’t criticise myself in such circumstances, yet I have learned that to bless God “with my whole heart” is something else, and learned practice.
When it comes to considering all that I am, I’ve taken this to mean not only my internal thoughts and state of mind, but also my activities and behaviours. How might I bless God throughout my day? For me this has meant discerning God in the so-called mundane activities of cleaning, laundry and washing-up. No longer frustrating tasks, these are all now activities within which I bless God. Such tasks need next to no mental energy. Yet, they usefully demand my time, time I can then use to bless God. So, slowly my day, while being framed by prescribed activities, is a series of opportunities to bless God.
QUESTION
Are your time and your tasks invested in blessing God with all of yourself?
PRAYER
Thank you for the gift of life and for this day ahead. In all of my ways and tasks, I want to acknowledge you and invite you in. May I commune with you in every hour of the day ahead.
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