I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart;
I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.
I will be glad and exult in you;
I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.
(Psalm 9:1–2 ESV)
Exhortation:
Psalm 9 contains not merely a description of the Psalmist’s intentions to worship the Lord, but also a prescription for how to do so. Notice the parallelism in these two verses. Each verse contains emotive language followed by a physical act.
Could it be that the Psalmist is not merely describing his worship, but all prescribing HOW to cultivate the emotive elements of worship? We cultivate gratitude in our hearts, how? By recounting the deeds of the Lord.
We cultivate gladness and exultation in our hearts, how? BY singing praise to the Lord.