From the raising of the sun to its setting, the name of the Lord is to be Praised – Psalm 113:3

Let everything that has breath praise the LORD – Psalm 150:6

The Bible tells us to praise God, but what exactly are praise and worship. Praise [1] means to boast, to commend, to glorify. Worship [2] means to bow down, to prostrate (lying stretched on the ground, facing downwards) before God, to do reverence (pay deep respect).

Why Praise Him?

God is good to us. He goes above and beyond to be good for us, even though we do not deserve it. God loved us even when we were His enemies (Ephesians 2:4). He deserves our praise.

Praising Him reminds us of His glory. Philippians 4:8 says whatever things are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous and praiseworthy, think on these things. This verse has helped change my tendency to think negatively. When this negative thought process is left unchecked, it can take me down a dark path where the enemy tries to confuse me. But as I started to meditate on this verse and began to use it actively and think about the good things of God; it changed so much for me. I believe praising God does the same for us.

It really reminds us of who God is and how great He is. It reminds us that nothing is bigger than Him and that He can conquer anything. Praise reminds us of how good God is to us, how much He loves us, and how much He has blessed us. Just as Israel saw so many miracles of God and forgot about them as soon as tribulation came, similarly we can forget what God has done for us and how great He is.

So, let us praise Him and remind ourselves of His greatness
and His love for us, and not become like Israel

A Humble Heart

Paul tells us that those who know of God but still do not glorify Him or thank Him can become vain, and their hearts become dark (Romans 1:19-21). Is this the result of not being grateful for God’s blessings? If someone saves your child from danger, do you just walk away without fervently expressing how grateful you are? If we expect the blessings of God as an entitlement, then we won’t be grateful. But if we realise that we do not deserve the blessings that God gives us, we can easily fall upon our knees and praise God for His goodness and mercy.

We can be humbled when we understand that all our blessings are from God. He blesses us with life and salvation and keeps us all day long. If we are truly humble, we will effortlessly give all the glory to Him for every success, spiritually and worldly. We can work so very hard and still have nothing if God does not bless us. Therefore,

 We should praise Him with a humble heart 
realising that we do not deserve such Love, yet still, 
we are freely given it. We are blessed, not entitled. 
God blesses us, and He does not have to. 
Let us give Him ALL the glory. Praise Him! 

God Focused

When we don’t focus on God, we get carried away with the world. WE FORGET what’s most important. We make worldly idols that come before God in our eyes (Exodus 20:2-6). When we put Him first above all else, we focus on Him and praise Him willingly with a true heart. The more we praise Him, the more we dwell in Him, the more we think of Him and His goodness (Philippians 4:8). This world is only a tiny fraction of the whole picture, what’s most important to you?

 Destroy the worldly idols, 
Praise Him and make Him your world 

Praise Him through Tribulation

I have found Job to be a fascinating book. Job had everything, and when he lost it all, He was desperate, yet still, He stayed faithful to God. He praised Him through all his tribulations, and he was rewarded in the end. Similarly, we need to understand that we will go through tribulations in this world, but when we learn to praise Him and trust Him through it, He is faithful to us, and He will reward us one day (James 1:12). So praise Him when you are in despair.

 Let us praise Him like Job, 
even through tribulation as God is faithful and merciful. 

The Bible says Praise Him

The Bible tells us on many occasions to praise God. 1 Chronicles 16:23 says to sing to the LORD and proclaim His salvation every day. Deuteronomy 10:21 says that He is the one you praise. He is your God who has done great and awesome wonders for you. Jeremiah 20:13 says to give God praise for He rescues the needy from the hands of the wicked. Romans 12:1 urges us to worship God because of His great mercy. Psalm 29:2 tells us to worship the Lord because of His glory.

Hebrews 12:28 reminds us that we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken and so we should worship Him with reverence and awe. Nehemiah 9:5 says to stand up and praise Him because He is God alone, there is none like Him, He made the heavens and earth, and He gave life to everything (Psalm 86:9-10). 2 Kings 17:39 tells us to worship the Lord for He will deliver us from the enemy. Psalm 100:1-5 reminds us to worship Him with gladness and joy, knowing that He is God, it is He who made us, and we belong to Him. So, give thanks, and praise for He is good, and His love endures forever. Revelation 14:7 says to fear God and give Him the glory before it is too late.

 Let us be obedient and humble, and Praise Him! 

Praise Reveals Him to the World

When we praise and worship Him, it spills over unto those around us. Those that need Him or need a refreshing of Him shall be reminded of His greatness and mercy. Praises can help us to be better at representing God. When we focus on His greatness and what He has done, we are reminded of how desperately people need Him. It is so important that the people around us are saved. For just as we are nothing without Him, similarly they have no hope without Him (Psalm 35:28; Psalm 22:22).

 So, praise His name and lift Him up for all to see who He is. The Saviour! 

Praise with a True Heart

Isaiah 29:13 speaks of a people who praise God with their mouths only but their hearts are far from Him. We need to ensure that when we praise Him, we understand why. When we realise that we are nothing without Him, then we can truly praise him with a true heart.

 Praise Him with a True Heart 

Some Key Ideas to Help us Praise

• God’s majesty can overpower all our obstacles and tribulations (John 16:33)
• All the great things He has done for us. Miracles and healing. Salvation (Matthew 19:26)
• How blessed are we because of Him? We are nothing without Him. Doomed to eternal destruction without Him (Psalm 56:13; Colossians 1:13)
• How grateful are you for Him?
• How much He loves us? (Ephesians 2:4-5)
• He will never leave or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5)

Because your steadfast love is better than life,
    my lips will praise you – Psalm 63:3

Bless the Lord, O my soul,
    and forget not all his benefits – Psalm 103:2

Psalm 103 for further reading and study.

Credits to Kyle for all photos

References

[1] https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=H1984&t=KJV

[2] https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=H7812&t=KJV

[3] The Bible