Isn`t It Good To Start The Day With A Short Prayer Of Praise?

I always start the day by closing my eyes, saying “Praise the Lord, O my Soul”.

“Praise the Lord, o my soul” is part of verse 1 of Psalm 103. The whole of Psalm 103, in fact, contains nothing but words of praise, no request, no petitions, no pleas. In this psalm, David was counting his blessings instead of complaining about his burdens.

I believe it is good to start the day with this short prayer of praise. As much as possible, I let the first words that come out of my mouth when I wake up be words of praise. Yet, praising or adoration seems to be the weakest part of my prayers.

So I say this short prayer while I'm driving, while I'm showering, during short breaks from work, etc.

And before I go to bed, sometimes I read the entire psalm.

Below is the Contemporary English Version of Psalm 103, a modern day translation. While there may not be a poetic/classical slant to this version as in older Bible versions, I think it makes this Psalm easily understandable.

"With all my heart I praise the Lord, and with all that I am I praise His holy name!
With all my heart I will praise the Lord!
I will never forget how kind he has been.
The Lord forgives our sins, heals us when we are sick, and protects us from death.
His kindness and love are a crown on our heads.
Each day that we live, he provides for our needs and gives us strength of a young eagle.
For all who are mistreated, the Lord brings justice.
He taught his law to Moses and showed all Israel what he could do.
The Lord is merciful! He is kind and patient and his love never fails.
The Lord won't always be angry and point out our sins; he doesn't punish us as our sins deserve.
How great is God's love for all who worship him? Greater than the distance between heaven and earth!
How far has the Lord taken our sins from us? Farther than the distance from east to west!
Just as parents are kind to their children, the Lord is kind to all who worship him, because he knows we are made of dust.
We humans are like grass or wild flowers that quickly bloom. But a scorching wind blows and they quickly wither to be forever forgotten.
The Lord is always kind to those who worship him, and he keeps his promises to their descendants who faithfully obey him.
God has set up his kingdom in heaven, and he rules the whole creation.
All of you mighty angels, who obey God's commands, come and praise your Lord!
All of you thousands who serve and obey God, come and praise your Lord!
All of God's creation and all that he rules, come and praise your Lord.
With all my heart I praise the Lord!"