“And they were to stand every morning, thanking and praising the LORD, and likewise at evening, and whenever burnt offerings were offered to the LORD on Sabbaths, new moons, and feast days, according to the number required of them, regularly before the LORD.” (1 Chronicles 23:30-31)
In Old Testament times, the temple service was an important part of Israel’s religious life. The temple was the place where people could bring their sacrifices, where they celebrated the religious feasts, and where they came to pray. But there were also thousands of men from the tribe of Levi, who were appointed as “professional worshipers”, organized in divisions. Every morning and every evening, they were to thank and praise God with songs and music.
Nowadays, we don’t have a temple anymore. We do have churches, but most churches don’t organize daily services to thank and praise God. But I think the principle of having set times for worship and prayer, besides the spontaneous occasions, can be very helpful. If we don’t have a certain rhythm in our daily lives, we tend to forget or neglect things, even things we consider important. This should not be the case with our giving thanks to God. It is good to cultivate an attitude of thankfulness by taking time regularly to meditate on all the blessings God gives us, and say thanks to Him.
When would be a good time in your daily schedule to thank and praise the Lord?