Focus Shift

A Reflection on the Psalm for July 5th, 2020:
Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

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Psalm 145

R. I will bless your name forever, my King and my God.

I will extol you, my God and King, and bless your name forever and ever. Every day I will bless you, and praise your name forever and ever. 

R. I will bless your name forever, my King and my God.

The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. The Lord is good to all, and his compassion is over all that he has made. 

R. I will bless your name forever, my King and my God.

All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord, and all your faithful shall bless you. They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom, and tell of your power. 

R. I will bless your name forever, my King and my God.

The Lord is faithful in all his words, and gracious in all his deeds. The Lord upholds all who are falling, and raises up all who are bowed down. 

R. I will bless your name forever, my King and my God.
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Pause. Pray. 

And then read more...

The Lord deserves our utmost praise. 

Have you ever gotten in the rut of inward-focused praying? I know I have... many times, unfortunately. Especially in times of worry or sadness, it can be easy to simply rhyme off the list of things you’d like from God. When I’m in one of those ruts, I find that I don’t feel as fulfilled by my prayer. I don’t feel as connected to God in those times. Focusing on myself and my grievances in times where I feel unhappy with myself or my current situation is actually quite counterintuitive if you really think about it. Why focus on all of the bad when you can praise God who is always so good? God already knows the needs and desires that He has placed on my heart. So sometimes, if I find myself only focusing on the things I need from God in my times of prayer, I try to ground myself again in His goodness. I will simplify my prayer and say “Lord, You know all of the desires and pain I have. Let Your will be done.” 

God’s love is such a blessing to us even in our worst moments. It is so important to praise Him. Even when things in life aren’t good, God always is. My absolute favourite way to praise is through music. Whether I play the music myself or listen to it on my phone, it never fails to lift my spirits. Praising God can really turn a whole situation around. At times, when I haven’t had the best of days and I’m getting ready to go for a run, I can feel dreadful about it or discouraged before I even start. But then, I’ll start my run with some praise and worship music. After that, I’ll find myself being thankful that I have the means to run and that God gave me a healthy heart and working legs to do so. Praising the Lord makes us closer to Him; it strengthens our relationship with Him and can help us gain perspective on our grievances. Turning our focus to God in both good and bad times is so important. “Every day I will bless you, and praise your name forever and ever.”

I pray that I always remember and desire to praise the Lord at all times. Amen.




Megan Noye
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