LITANY OF PRAISE

Litany of Praise

by Judith Lawrence

Sometimes, when I read the scriptures in my morning prayer time, certain words jump out at me and I write them down in my journal before they pass me by and I forget what seemed so important to me as I read the words.

 

When I read St. Paul’s words in Ephesians one morning, “We, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, might live for the praise of his glory.” Ephesians 1: 12 (New Revised Standard Version), I paraphrased them in my journal as, We who set our hope on Christ / Live for the praise of His glory. It came out like two lines of a poem and I proceeded to intersperse them with words of praise to God for all He does for me.

 

In church services, such a prayer is known as a Litany, with the leader making petitions or thanksgivings, and the congregation following each prayer with a fixed response. Not all prayer consists of requests for God to fill our needs. As the acronym ACTS reminds us, prayer can be adoration, confession, thanksgiving, or supplication; and Litanies can be prayers of anyone of these.

 

The following, then, is a Litany of Praise; it has a psalm verse as introduction, the above scripture paraphrase as response, and a few of the things I wanted to give praise to God for on that particular morning. Anyone can write a litany and you may like to do one yourself when you find some scripture words that move you to give voice to prayer.

 

Hallelujah! Praise the Lord, O my soul!

I will praise the Lord as long as I live;

I will sing praises to my God while I have my being. Psalm 146:1


We who set our hope on Christ

Live for the praise of His glory.[1]


I will praise the Lord for waking me to this new day

With all its hope and promise.


We who set our hope on Christ

Live for the praise of His glory.


I will praise the Lord for opening my eyes to this new day

To see the sky lighten in the east from whence comes the Son of Man.


We who set our hope on Christ

Live for the praise of His glory.


I will praise the Lord for opening my ears to this new day

To hear the birds sing their morning praise to God.


We who set our hope on Christ

Live for the praise of His glory.


I will praise the Lord for opening my hands to this new day

To feel the textures of creation: the grass and stone and earth.


We who set our hope on Christ

Live for the praise of His glory.


I will praise the Lord for opening my nose to this new day

To smell the scents of nature’s bounty: the flowers and the rain.


We who set our hope on Christ

Live for the praise of His glory.


I will praise the Lord for opening my mouth to this new day

To taste the nourishment of harvest: water, bread and berries sweet.


We who set our hope on Christ

Live for the praise of His glory,

Live to thank him for His gifts,

Live to thank him for His bounty.

Hallelujah! Praise the Lord, O my soul!



[1] Paraphrase: Ephesians 1:12

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