Do you ever read the Bible and then, in response, write down your thoughts, prayers and praises to God?
Whether you’ve ever done that before or not, why not follow along below as I walk you through a simple exercise of reading, meditating on, and writing down your thoughts on Psalm 8, which says:
“LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory in the heavens” (Psalm 8:1)
“When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place . . .” (Psalm 8:3)
Let’s ponder verse 1a and spend time filling our mind and heart with great thoughts about our great God! The Lord is described as “majestic” (NIV). Other translations use words such as “excellent” and “wonderful” and “magnificent.” On and on we could go! Go ahead and write out a prayer of praise and adoration to God for His glorious majesty. It need not be long, but write down as much as you can about the matchless splendor of God’s glory. Pour out your soul to Him as you worship Him.
Verse 1a also tells us that God’s majesty is found “in all the earth.” Spend time meditating on the power and wisdom of God as displayed in our physical world. If you can, take a walk outside and look at creation. (Or bring up some pictures on your computer or phone from the Internet.) Start with what you can see right away in nature: grass and trees and flowers; animals and birds and fish; streams and rivers and lakes and oceans; hills and valleys and mountains. Then spend time praising and thanking God for His incredible greatness as Creator of everything you see. Worship Him as Maker of all! Then write down your words of adoration and offer them to God as a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving per Psalm 50:14, for “the one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me (Psalm 50:22).
This psalm also directs our attention to the skies above. Like David, take time to meditate on the glory of God as displayed “in the heavens” (verse 1b). He continues: “When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place” (verse 3). If possible, spend time outside at night, gazing at the moon and the stars, taking in the breathtaking beauty of outer space. Of course, many of us live in urban areas where man-made light obscures the glory of God. If that’s the case, again, use the Internet to view pictures of the stars, or go to your local library and find books that provide photos of the planets and other celestial bodies. Use these visual images to stimulate your worship of the God who made it all by merely speaking the planets and stars into existence! And again, I urge to write down your thoughts about the glory of God as seen in the heavens. May you be filled with awe, and as you lift your eyes to the skies, may He lift your heart into heavenly places, where King Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father.
And if you found this endeavor helpful, let me know by leaving a comment below.
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Hi Wayne! Thank you for writing this article. His Word is so powerful! To think that the Bible is the very Word of God Himself is beyond comprehension!
Thanks MaryBeth — yes, I agree — God’s goodness to us through His Word is beyond comprehension — a big Amen to that.