“Praise” means expressing your admiration and approval for someone or something, or “saying or writing good things about.” It is similar to commend, extol, honor, and worship. The definition of Christian praise is “the joyful thanking and adoring of God, the celebration of His goodness and grace.”
“Praise the LORD, all you nations; extol him, all you peoples. For great is his love toward us, and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever. Praise the LORD,” says Psalm 117:1-2. If you believe that God created us and that everything we have comes from Him, then we should praise Him. So, what exactly does it mean to praise Him, why should we do so, and how should we do so?
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How To Praise God In Every Situation?
People usually feel sad and complain when they are going through a difficult time. However, praising God[1] in all circumstances redirects our minds to focus on the positive and lifts our spirits. He promised never to leave or abandon his children, so we can always count on his presence.
1 Thessalonians 5:16–18 says, “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” The Lord instructs us here to maintain an attitude of joy, thanksgiving, and prayer at all times, regardless of the circumstances surrounding us.
There are various ways to praise and thank God for everything He has done for us. Whatever method you use to praise God, you must do so wholeheartedly.
One Can Praise And Worship Him Through Musical Instruments And Singing.
We can praise the Lord, proclaim his name, and tell all nations what he has done. Listen to worship music, sing praise to him, and tell of all his wonderful deeds.
“Praise him with the sound of the trumpet; praise him with the harp and lyre; praise him with the tambourine and dancing; praise him with the strings and flute; praise him with the clash of cymbals; praise him with resounding cymbals.”
— Psalm 150:3–5
“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth; burst into jubilant song with music; make music to the Lord with the harp, with the harp and the sound of singing; with trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn—shout for joy before the Lord, the King.”
— Psalm 98:4–6
Praise With Clapping And Shouts Of Joy.
“Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy. How awesome is the Lord Most High, the great King over all the earth!”
— Psalm 47:1–2
Praise In An Assembly Of Believers.
“The whole assembly bowed in worship, while the singers sang and the trumpeters played.” (2 Chronicles 29:28). In Psalm 22:22, “I will declare your name to my brothers; in the congregation, I will praise you.”
Praise When We Are Alone.
“Then David got up from the ground. After he had washed, put on lotions, and changed his clothes, he went into the house of the Lord and worshiped. Then he went to his own house, and at his request, they served him food, and he ate.”
— 2 Samuel 12:20
Praise And Worship God In Different Positions.
Lifting hands (Psalms 63:4), dancing (Psalm 149:3), sitting (Acts 2:1-2), bowing heads (2 Chronicles 29:30), kneeling (Psalm 95:6), standing (Exodus 33:10), and facing down (Nehemiah 8:6).
Praise Him With Words.
“Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.”
— Hebrews 13:15
Why Should We Praise God?
Psalm 103:1–2 instructs us to let everything that has breath praise God. “Bless the Lord, my soul, and all that is within me; bless his holy name! Bless the Lord, my soul, and forget not all His benefits.”
We glorify God, for He is worthy of our praise: “For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods” (Psalm 96:4). Furthermore, our praise for God aids in making Him known among the nations and in remembering His wondrous works. Praising God extols His goodness and faithfulness.
We praise the Lord, for His steadfast love endures forever. “God loves us not because we’re lovable, but because He is love. We are praising God because we are partakers of His divine nature. “Because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, God made us alive together with the Holy Spirit.”
We praise the Lord for His grand plan of salvation. “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy, he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade—kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.”
Salvation is a gift God gave us; He is the only one who can save us, and our response to His deliverance is to praise Him. God is to be praised “from everlasting to everlasting”; praising the Lord is a continuous process, not a one-time event.
What Is The Difference Between Worship And Praise?
To praise God is to be glad for what He has done for us. It is a time of thanksgiving and appreciation for God’s love and grace. Praise is universal and can be applied to other relationships as well.
We can praise our family, friends, and boss. We are not required to do anything in order to receive praise. It is simply the truthful acknowledgment of another’s righteous acts. We sing praises to God, for he is worthy and has done many marvelous deeds.
On the other hand, worship emerges from a different place within our spirits. Worship should be confined to God alone (Luke 4:8). Praise is a central part of worshiping God, but to worship God extends beyond praise.
Worship is intertwined with surrender, just as praise is with thanksgiving. We must humble ourselves before God, set aside our desires, surrender to His control, and worship the Almighty God for who He is rather than what He has done.
According to Jesus, the Father is looking for those who will worship God “in spirit and truth” (John 4:23), meaning it should come from the heart. True worship invites the Holy Spirit to speak to us, convict us, and comfort us.
What Will Happen When We Praise God?
Praise reminds us of God’s past provision, strengthening our faith in His future deliverance. When we are vulnerable and discouraged, the Lord renews our strength, and His favor allows us to overcome the giants in our lives.
Psalm 8:2 reminds us that praise and worship bring glory to God and protect us from enemies: “You have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger, through the praise of children and infants.
Praise creates space for God’s blessings in our lives. When we praise the Lord, He will not withhold His goodness, for He is always loving and kind. Praise opens the door to blessings as we enter the presence of our King.
Praise dispels anxiety and dilutes concern and fear. Praise dispels sadness and magnifies goodness. Praising God will help remove your worries, doubts, and stress and replace them with inner peace.
Praise honors God and gives us the gift of renewed perspective. When we magnify God rather than our problems, we see He is greater. When we praise God, we shift our focus from ourselves, other people, and everything going on in our lives to God. When we focus on our heavenly Father, we reap one of the most incredible benefits of praising God, which is God’s presence.
How To Praise God When You Don’t Feel Like It?
We all have times when we don’t feel like praising God. However, you can praise God even when you don’t want to. You can praise Him by praising God in the midst of your difficulties, knowing that your suffering produces an eternal weight of glory.
Pray and tell him the truth about your dull heart. Look to Christ with faith, trusting that he will meet you, help you, and change you. “Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me?” David asked in Psalm 42:5. “Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance.”
Focus your attention on the truth of who God is as revealed through Christ. God teaches us that if we seek Him sincerely and deeply, we will find Him. Follow the truth in the songs, prayers, and Scriptures, for these practices praises God.
Conclusion
Praise is a way of thanking God’s goodness and telling others about what He has done for us. The Christian life is incomplete unless we regularly worship and praise God. He is worthy of being praised with a joyful noise.
Worship and praise are ways for us to communicate with God. By praising Him, our strength will be renewed, our anxieties will be cast away, and we will be able to express our gratitude to the One who created and redeemed us. There are lots of ways to thank God. Whatever you do to praise and worship God should leave you in awe of His power, love, and grace for all of us!
