In simpler terms, it means to be thankful for God’s blessings and to declare that good news to God and to others. Here are some examples in Scripture:
- Psalms 9:1-3, 18:2-3 and 28:2, & 6-7 describe how to praise God for what He has done for us.
- Psalm 79:13 tells us to praise God by passing from generation to generation the knowledge of his goodness, grace, and mercy.
- Hebrews 13:15 tells us that instead of using sacrifices towards God, we are to offer Him praise and thanks. In other words, giving praise is a form of sacrifice.
- 1 Peter 1:7 explains that our faith naturally leads to our praise of God.
- In Acts 16:25, we see Paul and Silas praising God and witnessing to other prisoners. It is also worthy to note that they were praising God under horrible circumstances in their lives.
Each of these Scriptures emphasizes that praise is an outward expression, not just to God, but in order to tell others how good God is. This is the true foundation of praise. It doesn’t have to be directly correlated with music, and it has nothing to do with putting on a show. True praise comes from deep in the heart, and the outcome is that others see God working in us.
Benefits of Praise:
- Praising and giving thanks helps you to magnify God (see Ps. 34:3) and get your focus back on Him. Dwelling on your troubles makes you prisoner to them, but dwelling on God makes Him bigger than all the problems and pains.
- Praising God keeps you humble. Praising and thanking God reminds you that you are dependent on Him—you're not in this alone, you need Him (see Psalm 73:26).
- When you're humble, you get more grace (see James 4:6), and grace is God's power beyond your ability, working to bring you through every trouble in your life.
- Praising helps you to turn dark thoughts to thoughts of hope when you think of all that you have to be thankful for, even the little things.
- Praising stirs up your faith. When you praise and worship God, you're reminded afresh that He is your provider, your healer, your help, your strength, and whatever else you need. It helps you to believe that He is working in your situation, just as He promised! Romans 8:28 says, "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." Praising helps you know.
Adapted from the book "Closer Than You Ever Imagined: Experiencing the Deep Relationship With God You Always Wanted."
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