“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!”
Psalms 150:6 NKJV
I grew up going to Sunday schools and attended all the camps and Bible school events where I learned new praise songs and sang at the top of my lungs without a clue of what praise meant. Eventually I started to learn about hymns and worship songs as I grew older but to me it was just another song we sang at church. So my understanding of praise and worship was not based on what the Bible said but simply based on what I thought was praise and worship and that meant a group of believers singing a beautiful song about Jesus. But praising and worshiping is so much more than a beautiful song . It’s so powerful and vital in a Christian’s life .
The Bible tells us in Psalms to Praise Him because He is worthy of all our praises.
Praising and worshiping should not be a mere practice for church gathering alone but it should be a lifestyle because that’s what God intended for His children to do.
One of the most beautiful aspects of praising and worshiping God is that it takes our eyes and attention off ourselves and directs it towards God . Especially in the midst of difficult situations when we praise God , our problems become smaller and He becomes bigger. Not too long ago I went through my own share of storms as my dad was admitted to the hospital. When I heard about him doubt and fearful thoughts tried to enter my mind but I decided to praise and worship Jesus in the midst of the unknown and as I got on my knees and sang to the Lord suddenly my fears and worries began to fade and Jesus became more real and powerful to me , all I could see what His goodness and Glory that my problems seem to be so small before a big God who was able and willing. Anytime you praise God you are declaring that you trust in Him . Praise is a faith statement !
“Don’t be pulled in different directions or worried about a thing. Be saturated in prayer throughout each day, offering your faith-filled requests before God with overflowing gratitude. Tell him every detail of your life,”
Philippians 4:6 TPT
Paul tells us in Philippians to give thanks to God instead of worrying. So praising and thanking God is a sign of faith and trusting God even before you see any results of your prayers. Maybe you are going through a tough session or facing a battle in your life as you are reading this article. I want to encourage you to start praising God and thank Him for His goodness . It’s a privilege we have as a child of God .
The Word never promised us a perfect life without any challenges but instead commanded us to rejoice and be glad when we go through trials because it is during difficult times that we get to exercise our faith and offer sacrifices of praise and worship to God. A preacher once said “ … in heaven we will praise and worship God forever in the presence of Jesus without any pain or sickness but it’s only here on earth that we get to praise God even in the midst of our storms and pain..” .
So next time you are faced with a storm instead of complaining or dwelling in misery, get up and start singing a song of Praise to God and you will begin to see a shift in your perspective and your heart towards your situation. Praising and worshiping God will always fix your eyes on Jesus instead of yourself .
What I love about praise and worship is that we are joining the Angels and Saints to sing to the Lord because He deserves all our praise and worship.
Like any other commandment praising and worshiping God is a choice you and I have because God will never force anyone to worship Him because He is a gentleman not a manipulator or a dictator . So we need to be intentional to praise God and anytime you do that your heart turns towards God and it makes you a grateful person . A person who praises and worships God on a daily basis could never be an ungrateful or prideful person because it takes the focus off us and towards Jesus.
To praise God you don’t need to have a beautiful voice or play musical instruments but you can simply go before God just as you are and as you sing from your heart it’s so precious and beautiful to Him because you are His son and daughter. Surely there is corporate worship which is vital as believers get together in a church setting to worship God as a family but we also need to have our own personal time of praising and worshiping God in our secret place. The Bible tells us a beautiful truth in psalms .
“Yet I know that you are most holy; it’s indisputable. You are God-Enthroned, surrounded with songs, living among the shouts of praise of your princely people.”
Psalms 22:3 TPT
What great and amazing news that God Himself lives among our praises. So next time you praise God, remember Psalms 22:3 and rejoice that God lives among our praises .
Throughout the Bible we see stories of how battles were won by Praising God. Paul and Silas were supernaturally released from the prison as they worshiped and praised God . The nation of Israel won battles against their enemies as they Worshiped God . As we read the book of psalms we see multiple mentions of praising and worshiping God . The fact that it’s mentioned so many times throughout the Bible tells us that it is very important so don’t ever stop praising God. Even when times are good and even through bad times don’t ever stop praising God because that is His will for you . Nancy Dufresne said “ the exit road out of every test is paved with praise” so the next time you face a test or a trial begin to praise and worship. Praise makes you a partake of what God has for us .