And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole. (Luke 17:17-19)

If you search the world around, among all choice spices you shall scarcely meet with the frankincence of gratitude. We do not praise the Lord fitly, proportionately, intensely. We receive a continent of mercies and only return an island of praise. He gives us blessings new every morning and fresh every evening; great is His faithfulness. And yet we let the years roll round and seldom observe a day of praise. Sad is it to see God all goodness and man all ingratitude!

I put it in another shape to you who are God’s people—most of us pray more than we praise. You pray little enough, I fear; but praise, where is that? At our family altars we always pray but seldom praise. In our closets we constantly pray, but do we frequently praise? Prayer is not so heavenly an exercise as praise; prayer is for time, but praise is for eternity. Praise therefore deserves the first and highest place, does it not?

Let us commence the employment that occupies the celestials. Prayer is for a beggar, but methinks he is a poor beggar who does not also give praise when he recieves alms. Praise ought to follow naturally upon the heels of prayer, even when it does not, by divine grace, go before it. (At the Master’s Feet, November 26)

Charles Spurgeon