Psalm 146:1-10 (NASB)
1 Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD, O my soul!
2 I will praise the LORD while I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.
3 Do not trust in princes, In mortal man, in whom there is no salvation.
4 His spirit departs, he returns to the earth; In that very day his thoughts perish.
5 How blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, Whose hope is in the LORD his God,
6 Who made heaven and earth, The sea and all that is in them; Who keeps faith forever;
7 Who executes justice for the oppressed; Who gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets the prisoners free.
8 The LORD opens the eyes of the blind; The LORD raises up those who are bowed down; The LORD loves the righteous;
9 The LORD protects the strangers; He supports the fatherless and the widow, But He thwarts the way of the wicked.
10 The LORD will reign forever, Your God, O Zion, to all generations. Praise the LORD!

Francois Fenelon, in his collection of letters called “The Royal Way of the Cross” provides some suggestions on how to approach God in prayer. He tells us that to properly come before an Omnipotent, Righteous, and Holy God, we must picture ourselves properly in relation to Him. Even though, as Christians, we are covered by the blood of Jesus, we must come to God understanding our true spiritual state. He suggests two pictures to keep in mind. The first is as a poor, naked, miserable wretch, perishing of hunger. The other is a sick person, covered with sores and ready to die. Neither of these are particularly appealing to me, but if I am honest with myself, they do represent my spiritual state without the grace that God has given to me.

Only when we can come to God in this state of mind, can we truly bring prayers to Him that are earnest, expressing our real needs. Only then can we appropriately express our praise to Him for the blessings that we enjoy. Only then can we be truly thankful for the sacrifice He made on our behalf and the “daily bread” that He provides. Only then can we submit to His will and rest on the promises that He has given to us and have the hope that he will conform us to His image.

As I re-read Psalm 146 with my spiritual state of mind corrected, it brings new beauty to the words as I pray them.

Always praying for the glory of God,