THE FOURTH SET of beads says, "Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me; O Lord, make hast to help me." I have discovered that when the Lord delivers me from fear, or I have repented of a sin and feel much lighter, there is a sense of having "a new song put in my mouth by the Lord." Indeed, I walk with a new lightness that results in a hymn of praise in my heart.

It is good to recall the places where the Lord has helped and delivered us, to bring them to him in a song or prayer of praise. Revisiting the things God has done for us strengthens us. That is one of the reasons that remembrance is such a key theme of the Bible.

Take a moment to enter into the practice of gratitude for a place God has helped you. Journal.