Voice: Jennifer
Today is Monday, 6th of July. Take a moment to be still. Be aware of His presence and His love.
We praise the Lord is the words of Psalm 98.
1 Oh sing to the Lord a new song,
for he has done marvelous things!
His right hand and his holy arm
have worked salvation for him.
2 The Lord has made known his salvation;
he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations.
3 He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness
to the house of Israel.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation of our God.
4 Make a joyful noise to the Lord , all the earth;
break forth into joyous song and sing praises!
5 Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre,
with the lyre and the sound of melody!
6 With trumpets and the sound of the horn
make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord !
7 Let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
the world and those who dwell in it!
8 Let the rivers clap their hands;
let the hills sing for joy together
9 before the Lord , for he comes
to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with righteousness,
and the peoples with equity.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and shall be forever. Amen.
Luke 19:28-40
28And when he had said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. 29When he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples, 30saying, “Go into the village in front of you, where on entering you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever yet sat. Untie it and bring it here. 31If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you shall say this: ‘The Lord has need of it.’” 32So those who were sent went away and found it just as he had told them. 33And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?” 34And they said, “The Lord has need of it.” 35And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. 36And as he rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road. 37As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, 38saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” 39And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” 40He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”
This is the Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God
The Very Stones Would Cry Out
On which day of the week do you engage most in praising God?
For many Christians, it is surely Sunday. Every service is filled with songs of praise, prayers of thanksgiving and words of adoration. If you are disciplined in your daily prayers and devotions, you are also likely to praise God through the Psalms or through hymns and worship songs.
Some of us may remember Merlin Carothers’ Prison to Praise, published in 1970. It became an instant bestseller. Carothers taught that believers should praise God in every circumstance—even in suffering—drawing on passages such as 1 Thessalonians 5:18. The book was hugely influential during the Charismatic Renewal and was translated into many languages. He followed it with Power in Praise in 1977.
The central premise of these books was that praising God transforms the one who praises. Alongside today’s emphasis on positivity and gratitude, this teaching continues to resonate because it reminds us that joy is often cultivated through thanksgiving rather than merely waiting for circumstances to improve.
Yet the practice of praise is far older than any modern movement. From ancient times, it has lain at the heart of humanity’s calling to worship the Creator. “I will enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise” (Psalm 100:4). For devout Jews, this was not reserved for one day a week but formed part of the rhythm of daily life. Just as we breathe to live, so God’s people are called to praise Him continually.
Why? “Sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvellous things” (Psalm 98:1). Praise fixes our attention on what God is doing. It trains us to notice His hand at work and to give credit where it rightly belongs—not to ourselves, but to the Giver of every good gift.
This explains why Jesus’ disciples could not keep silent as He rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. They had witnessed His mighty works, and praise simply overflowed. The Pharisees demanded that Jesus silence them. Instead, He replied, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”
One may well ask what benefit the stones would gain from praising God. But that is not the point. Creation exists to glorify its Creator. If those made in God’s image refuse to praise Him, then even the inanimate creation stands ready to bear witness to His glory.
The question, then, is not whether God will receive praise. He will. The question is whether we will join the chorus.
We end with the Collect for today:
Almighty and everlasting God,
by whose Spirit the whole body of the Church is governed and sanctified:
hear our prayer which we offer for all your faithful people,
that in their vocation and ministry
they may serve you in holiness and truth to the glory of your name;
through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
We invite you to joining this song of praise:
The Church has a very simple prayer called the Agnus Dei, which is Latin for “Lamb of God”. Be blessed by this contemporary version sung by a Ukrainian Choir. Some stanzas are sung in Ukrainian.
Alleluia, Alleluia
For the Lord God Almighty reigns
Alleluia, Alleluia
For the Lord God Almighty reigns
Alleluia
Holy, Holy
Are You Lord God, Almighty
Worthy is the Lamb, worthy is the Lamb
You are Holy, Holy
Are You Lord God, Almighty
Worthy is the Lamb, worthy is the Lamb
Amen
Alleluia, Alleluia
For the Lord God Almighty reigns
Alleluia, Alleluia
For the Lord God Almighty reigns
Alleluia
Holy, Holy
Are You Lord God, Almighty
Worthy is the Lamb, worthy is the Lamb
You are Holy, Holy
Are You Lord God, Almighty
Worthy is the Lamb, worthy is the Lamb
You are Holy, Holy
Are You Lord God, Almighty
Worthy is the Lamb, worthy is the Lamb
You are Holy, Holy
Are You Lord God, Almighty
Worthy is the Lamb, worthy is the Lamb…
Link to today’s Morning Office
About This Daily Devotion
This weekday devotion is drawn from the Morning Office and is part of a project initiated by Revd Canon Terry Wong, with contributions from clergy and members across various parishes. Each entry includes selected readings from the appointed Psalm and another Scripture passage, accompanied by a reflection and prayer. An audio option is also available, often ending with a hymn or song. We encourage you to both read and listen. Unless otherwise stated, the reflections are written by Revd Wong.
Our aim is to help Anglicans engage more deeply with our rich liturgical tradition, while meeting the devotional needs of today’s believers. This project began on Ash Wednesday 2025 and is offered on weekdays only.
For feedback, please write to us at info@mpcc.org.sg. We also welcome donations to MPCC. Information on how you may give can be found in this link.
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