Praise means to express true inner admiration for God by the soul in songs, prayer, meditation and study.
In praise, we express thanks and reverence for God’s nature and mighty works in all circumstances. It is an action by which we acknowledge God’s worthiness and share His goodness with others to glorify Him. Praise involves a heart-felt response and submission of the soul to God’s divinity and sovereignty. It is not characterized by ordinary feelings, but an intense desire for a thriving relationship with God.
Expressing praise
Praise should come from our hearts. Psalm 103: 1 says, praise the Lord, my soul, all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Psalm 86: 12 says, I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart. Psalm 88: 10 says, do their spirits rise up and praise you? Psalm 147: 7 says, it must be a grateful praise. Psalm 119: 108 says, a willing praise, not grudging praise.
Praise must be led by God. 2Chronicles 8: 14 says, the Levites were to lead the praise and assist the priests according to each day’s requirement. It must be orderly as Ezra 3: 10 says, the priests… and the Levites… took their places to praise the Lord, as prescribed by David king of Israel. Praise is expressed in many ways in the Bible:
Voice of praise
1Chronicles 16: 9 says… sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts. 2Chronicles 29: 30 says the Levites praised the Lord with the words of David and of Asaph the seer. Psalm 47: 7 says, sing to him a Psalm of praise. 1Chronicles 5: 13 says, the singers raised their voices in praise to the Lord and sang. Psalm 63: 5 says, with singing lips my mouth will praise you.
Instruments of praise
In 1Chronicles 23: 5, they were to praise the Lord with musical instruments. Psalm 43: 4 says I will praise you with the lyre, O God, my God. Psalm 150: 3-5 say, trumpets, harp and lyre, strings, pipe, and cymbals.
Psalm 56: 10 says, praise his word. Psalm 61: 8 says, sing in praise of his name;
Posture of praise
Nehemiah 9: 5 says, stand up and praise the Lord your God, who is from everlasting to everlasting. 1Chronicles 23: 30 says, they stand every morning and were to do the same in the evening. Psalm 134: 2 says, lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the Lord. Psalm 149: 3 says, in dancing. Psalm 66: 2 says, make his praise glorious. Psalm 51: 15 says, by a declaration. Psalm 47: 7 says, psalm of praise.
Content of praise
Genesis 14: 20 says, praise be to God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand. After Leah, wife of Jacob, previously barren, was overwhelmed by God’s love, said in Genesis 29: 35, “This time I will praise the Lord.” Deuteronomy 8: 10 says, it is written, when you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you.
Deuteronomy 10: 21 says, he is the one you praise, he is your God, who performed for you those great and awesome wonders you saw with your own eyes. Psalm 40: 3 says a hymn of praise. Psalm 42: 4 says with shouts of joy and praise.
When do we praise God?
We are to praise God always. Psalm 119: 164 says seven times a day I praise you for your righteous laws. Psalm 34: 1 says, I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips. Psalm 100: 4 says, enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise.
Why do we praise God?
1Chronicles 29: 13 says, we… praise your glorious name. 2Chronicles 20: 2 says… praise him for the splendor of his holiness. Psalm 16: 7 says, I will praise the Lord, who counsels me. Psalm 18: 3 says, I called on the Lord, who is worthy of praise. Psalm 89: 5 says, the heavens praise your wonders, Lord; Psalm 97: 12 says, praise his holy name; Psalm 99: 3 says, praise his great and awesome name- he is holy.
Psalm 117: 2 says, for his love and faithfulness. Psalm 118: 28 says, for being our God. Psalm 138: 2 says, for his unfailing love and faithfulness. Psalm 139: 14 says, how you are fearfully and wonderfully made. James 5: 13 says, when anyone is happy.
Who must praise God?
Not the dead. Psalm 115: 17 says, it is not the dead who praise the Lord. Isaiah 38: 18 says, for the grave cannot praise you, death cannot sing your praise. Psalm 118: 175 says, let me live that I may praise you.
It must be the living. Psalm 8: 2 says, throughout the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger. Psalm 22: 23 says, you who fear the Lord, praise him! Psalm 119: 7 says, with an upright heart. Psalm 33: 1 says, it is fitting for the upright to praise him. Psalm 113: 1 says, praise the Lord, you his servants. Psalm 15: 1 says, praise him, you servants of the Lord. Psalm 138: 4 says, kings; Psalm 140: 13 says, the righteous.
Psalm 69: 34 says let heaven and earth praise him. Psalm 74: 21 says, may the poor and needy praise your name. Psalm 102: 21 says, a people not yet created may praise the Lord. Psalm 145: 10 says, all his works praise you, Lord. Psalm 145: 21 says, every creature; Psalm 148: 2 says, all his angels and his heavenly hosts; Psalm 148: 3 says, the sun and moon and shining stars. Psalm 150: 6 says, everything that has breath. Luke 17: 18 says, those who appreciate God. Revelation 19: 5 says, all his servants who fear him.
Reflection
Do we praise the Lord for who he is, and how often? Do we praise him for his relationship with us? Is his praise unconditional? We have no excuse not to praise God? Praising God in all circumstances please God, and move mountains when the Lord is pleased with us. In Matthew 11: 25, Jesus praised the Father. May his praise fill our hearts. God accepts praise from only clean hearts, are we clean in heart?
Prayer
Dear Lord Jesus Christ, cleanse our hearts and lips to utter your praise. Let our praises be true and voluntary. Accept our praises, thou holiest and awesome God. Let your sweet fellowship guide our desire to praise you for you are worthy of praise. We pray in your blessed Holy name, Amen!!
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