David often used two words in his psalms that stated his intention. “I will” primes the pump. It signals our brain that we intend to do something, then our brain instructs our body for action. 

I was thinking about this as I started to memorize David’s Psalm 111. Verse 1 says, “Praise the Lord! I will praise the Lord with my whole heart…” Our flesh can be the enemy of our intentions. “I will” states intention, but David’s use of ‘whole heart’ involved his reliance on the Lord.

Case in point is Psalm 86:11. David was looking to the Lord. It says, “Teach me Your way, O Lord; I will walk in Your truth; unite my heart to fear Your name.” David’s intention remained focused on the Lord. Verse 12 says, “I will praise You, O Lord my God, with all my heart, and I will glorify Your name forevermore.”