Praise to You, Lord the Almighty, the King of creation. You who spoke galaxies into existence, who thunder over the waters, yet whisper to my aching soul I come to You, bare and bruised.
“The Lord is my strength and my song, and He has become my salvation” (Exodus 15:2). But today, Lord… I feel weak. I feel weary. I feel like the world keeps spinning and I’m slipping through the cracks.
Still, You are worthy. Still, You are faithful. Still, You are the Almighty.
“Praise to the Lord, who o’er all things so wondrously reigneth, Shelters thee under His wings, yea, so gently sustaineth!” Yes, Lord hide me. Shelter me beneath Your wings when the storm howls louder than my prayers. Be my refuge when the tears fall unspoken in the dark.
“The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble” (Psalm 9:9). You know the burdens I carry the ones no one sees, the ones I barely speak aloud. And yet, You sustain me. You carry me when I collapse.
“Praise to the Lord, who doth prosper thy work and defend thee; Surely His goodness and mercy here daily attend thee.” But Lord, sometimes I wonder where that mercy is. Sometimes I feel forgotten, overlooked, like my prayers are shouted into silence.
Still You are God. Still You are good. Even when I cannot trace Your hand, I will trust Your heart. Even when the healing doesn’t come, when the doors stay shut, when the grief lingers longer than I thought it would… You are still worthy of praise.
You are the breath in my lungs. You are the Shepherd of my soul (Psalm 23). You are the God who gives songs in the night (Job 35:10). So give me a song again, Lord. Even if it’s cracked and quiet. Even if I have to sing it through tears.
“Praise to the Lord! Oh, let all that is in me adore Him! All that hath life and breath, come now with praises before Him!” So here I am not with polished words or perfect faith but with all that is in me. The broken parts. The doubting parts. The believing parts.
Let them all praise You. Not because life is easy but because You are Emmanuel, God with us. God with me. Even now. Even here.
I lift this raw hallelujah to You, Lord. You are still the Almighty. You are still worthy. You are still my God.
Amen.