PRAISE poems and contemporary psalms

Some time ago, I asked, "Is there something You want me to do, Lord?" and, immediately, the word "Praise" came to mind. Having been raised in a polite Christian family, the inclination to thank God and people came easily enough, but praise?

Ready to obey, but not very well-practiced in praising, I sensed God's help as relevant thoughts and phrases caught my attention each morning. Once I’d typed those beginning lines, other thoughts and lines swiftly followed – somewhat like a stream-of-consciousness flow, but more subconscious or even unconscious of what might come next!

Spontaneity remained key – often with a phrase that startled me or an insight God gave in thoughts I'd never had before the opening for a prayer, poem, or contemporary psalm gained my attention. So my "method" became an intent to obey rather than create as I wrote down each thought or phrase with the anticipation that the rest would freely follow. It did, and this blog resulted.

For about a year, my morning began with the same routine of listening, writing down what came to mind, and seeing what followed. Ironically, perhaps, the first lines occasionally began with a complaint or other negative thought! Then I recalled reading that a third of the Psalms in the Bible can be called “laments.” However, the psalmists did not remain in that negative state but, with prayer and recollection, remembered the goodness of God, Who can always be trusted.

With Psalms as my mentor, I seldom gave the prayer-poems a title, other than the first line, which began with a grumble, worry, or joy. This continued for months, then suddenly stopped! For days, I mopped around, wondering what had happened, and finally it dawned on me: I had enough prayer-praise-poems for a book.

Having met Catherine Lawton on social media and checking out the lovely, faith-building books she publishes through Cladach, I contacted her with a proposal for a book entitled PRAISE! Not only did she accept the manuscript, she divided the book into sections and suggested some tweaks to tighten the poems or clarify meaning.

With thanks to her and Cladach, I pray the praises here and collected in the book PRAISE! will encourage you to talk with God regularly, moan or mourn as needed, and let the Lord lift you into a life of ongoing praise.

Mary Harwell Sayler, ©2018

PRAISE! paperback




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