Praise to the Lord

Praise to the Lord,
the Almighty, the King of creation!
O my soul, praise him,
for he is your strength and salvation!
Let all who hear now to his temple draw near,
joining in glad adoration.

Praise to the Lord,
who o’er all things is wondrously reigning
and as on wings of an eagle
uplifting, sustaining.
Have you not seen
all that is needful has been
Sent by his gracious ordaining?

Praise to the Lord!
Oh, let all that is in me adore him!
All that has life and breath,
come now with praises before him!
Let the amen
sound from his people again.
Gladly forever adore him!

By Jonathan Neander

•  Find all the words in this hymn that describe God. Can you think of others that you could use to write another verse to this hymn for your personal use?
• Find all the reasons the hymnwriter gives for praising the Lord. Neander’s hymn actually has more verses, but these are the most commonly sung. Can you think of more reasons to praise God?
• The hymnwriter based this hymn on material from Psalm 103 and Psalm 150. Why is it useful to know the background of the hymn? You have almost certainly sung this hymn in worship. Why do you think it is so popular with Christians around the world?
• Have you ever used a hymnal as a devotional guide? Certainly this hymn provokes thought and prayer. Can you think of at least two other hymns that would promote devotional thought?