Simple praise leads our hearts to God.
We drove through the countryside with two of our grandchildren in the backseat. A praise song came on the radio that we had sung in church.
Soon we heard little voices singing along.
We smiled and joined in.
Simple praise from the hearts of children lead our hearts to praise God.
Praise is a great way to open your day. This can be done through a quiet prayer, scripture reading or listening to worship music.
Too often we make praise more complicated than necessary, thinking praise has to be a certain way at a certain time. By looking into scriptures we can learn about God’s nature and praise Him.
What is praise?
Praise is our human response to God’s revelation of Himself. “Praise” comes from a Latin word meaning “value” or “price.” To give praise to God is to proclaim His merit or worth as an act of worship.
Praise is a pattern for prayer throughout the Bible.
The psalmist David began many prayers in Psalms with praise. Jesus taught the disciples (and us) to begin with praise.
“He (Jesus) said to them, “When you pray, say: ‘Father, hallowed (holy) by your name, your kingdom come,” in the Lord’s Prayer in Luke 11:2.
Praise honors God for who He is–the eternal, sovereign, great, mighty Creator.
God is worthy of praise. The more we look at His Word to see His character, the more we know Him.
“But the Lord is the true god; he is the living God, the eternal King.” Jeremiah 10:10a
“Ah, sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you.” Jeremiah 32:17
“O Lord God almighty, who is like you? You are mighty, O Lord and your faithfulness surrounds you.” Psalm 89:8
“You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.” Revelation 4:11
Praise refocuses our thoughts.
We can temporarily take our eyes off our situation and focus on His nature, character and power. It lifts our hearts knowing that God is bigger than our challenges. When I make a conscious decision to refocus our mindset through praise, I gain a better perspective and a calmer spirit.
“Praise him for his acts of power; praise his for his surpassing greatness.” Psalm 150:2
Sometimes praise is easy; other times it is a hard choice.
We are in good company when we choose to praise God in tough situations. Job, for instance, refused to compromise his faith, continued to believe and praise God. At those times, praise is a choice.
The prophet Habakkuk kept an attitude of praise when disaster was all around him.
“Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, thought the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food…yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.” Habakkuk 3:17-18
Turn your eyes to look at the God of the universe and offer Him simple, heartfelt praise. He will accept the sacrifice of praise from our hearts, especially in hard times. An attitude of praise will help you shift your focus to God.
How do you praise God?
Micheal Taylor
This is a very poignant reminder of what is REALLY important!!!