By Steven J. Hogan
~ A Saturday Morning Post #351 ~
As a Christian, you are to see and know God for who He is, what He is like, and what He does. When you do, you will thank Him and praise Him. You will give Him the honor only He deserves. You will give Him the glory for the good things He does. You will tell Him you love Him. You will sing to Him and shout to Him with a joyful heart. You will worship God alone. And you will praise God in these end-times, in these tough times, when life is extremely difficult.
So how are you doing in praising God? Most days, there are tens of thousands of thoughts and words on your mind and your lips – but are you praising God? Without question, praising God is the single most important thing you can do. “Praise God for His mighty deeds, praise Him for His excellent greatness… Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.” Ps. 150:2, 6
All creation is made to praise God, to worship Him. And if you are not worshiping God, you are worshiping someone or something else. It may be yourself, a friend, a celebrity, or it may be money, music, work, food, sports, a car, or some other idol. To not worship God, to not praise God, is sin, the most basic sin, a sin that is at the root of, that leads to every other sin. “I am the Lord your God… you shall have no other gods before Me.” Ex. 20:2-3; Jer. 2:5, 13; Rom. 1:20-25
The book in the Bible that speaks most about praising God is the Psalms. Last time we looked at a number of “praise” verses from the Psalms. Today we talk more about what it means to praise God and what motivates us to praise Him.
What are some keys to praising God? First, you learn who God is, that He is God, the only God, the supreme being, the One who has infinite value, and who is holy, holy, holy! You see that He is the Creator, that He made you and everyone and everything else in the world. You recognize that He is Lord, that there is no other, that He is in charge of all things, and that He does what He wants. You believe that God is the Savior, the only One who can save people from sin, death, hell, and the devil. You understand that God is the Judge, that He decides what is right and wrong and then rewards or punishes accordingly. You realize that God is the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, that He is a Trinity. You know that He is the King over the whole world, and that in a little while, you will be reigning with Him. So praise God for who He is. But there’s much more.
Second, you know what God is like, His character, His attributes, His name. You learn that He is holy, just, loving, good, gracious, great, kind, patient, forgiving, sovereign, wise, compassionate, gentle, etc. You understand that God is unique, eternal, self-sufficient, omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent, immutable, etc. This is amazing, wonderful, unbelievable! You conclude that infinite worth and value must be given to God alone, and that only He deserves to be praised. “Praise the name of the Lord” (Ps. 113:1b). And there’s still more.
Third, you learn what God is doing. By studying God’s word, and by watching, thinking, praying, reading, and talking to others, you discover God’s works, you learn what He is doing in your life, your family, your friends, the church, and in the world. You learn that God is working in the lives of the lost and saving them. You see that He is working in the lives of the saved, and is loving, teaching, leading, correcting, forgiving, and changing them. You learn about His work in this country and around the world. You see His miraculous work, power, mercy, greatness, blessings, goodness, holiness, wrath, and glory. Observing and thinking about these things results in you giving God glory, praise, and honor, and in you being filled with His joy and peace.
To sum up, the keys to praising God are knowing who He is, what He is like, and what He is doing. I separated these three to help you understand what they mean, but they go together. Here are two examples: 1) “God (who)saved (what He did) us because He loved (what He is like)us.” 2) “God (who), by His power (what He is like), will take us to heaven (what He will do).”
Here are several other important truths about praising God:
1) Only a true Christian can praise the true God. Ps. 113:1, Phil. 3:2-3
2) Praising God is a big word, for exulting in Him, singing to Him, and exalting, extolling, worshiping, blessing, thanking, adoring, honoring, celebrating, appreciating, and loving Him, can also be defined as praising God. Ps. 96
3) God commands you to praise Him because it’s the right thing to do. But praising God should not be something you feel you have to do, but what you want to do and are excited to do.
4) Praising God gives Him glory, and results in His blessing in your life, now and forever.
5) Praising God is personal, between you and God – and it can be done in private or in public.
6) When there’s a problem, praise God. You’ll see that it’s often the key to solving the problem. 2 Chr. 20:20-23
7) Thanking God usually leads to praising Him. For example, thanking God for a specific thing, like a meal, often leads to praising Him for a general truth, like His love. Ps. 100:4
8) Praising God isn’t just what you do on Sunday, but what you are to do all week long. Ps. 145:2
9) Reading God’s word helps you know what specific work God is doing in your life which helps you to praise Him when you see this work. Ps 119:15
10) When you praise God, you recognize that He is your Lord – and you’re humble, you’re not proud.
11) If you are not praising God, it’s because of sin. You are focused on yourself and on worldly and fleshly things instead of thinking about God and loving Him.
12) Being with other believers who are praising God motivates you to praise Him. Rom. 12:10
13) Thinking about and thanking God for your salvation results in praising God. 1 Cor. 11:23-26
14) Praising God may or may not be emotional. You need to learn to praise God when you don’t feel like it, which often leads to praising Him with great feeling. Ps. 13:5-6
15) Praising God causes you to be united with God, and increases your intimacy with Him. Ps. 63:1-5
16) Praising God is foundational for all aspects of your spiritual growth. It’s heart-purifying, joy-filling, soul-strengthening, faith-increasing, peace-producing, and God-glorifying.
17) Be part of a church that is committed to praising God. Acts 2:42
18) Praising God has a positive and godly effect on the lives of other Christians.
19) Take the time to think about what God is doing in your life, the church, the lives of others, and the world around you. Ps. 77:12-15, 92:2, 111:1-2
20) Praise shows who you value, who you feel most strongly about – might it always be of God.
We live in the end-times, in a very sinful and troubled world – and as we get closer to Christ’s return, it will only get worse. I can’t stress enough the importance of keeping God front and center in your life, of praising Him at all times and in all situations. Expressing your love to God by praising Him is a priority, is practical, is a stabilizing and energizing force in your life. And in the coming kingdom ages, you will be praising God more and more and more. “Every day I will bless you, and I will praise Your name forever and ever.” Ps. 145:2
P.S. Here is a link to a number of excellent, God-glorifying Scripture Songs (Scripture Songs – Our Legacy – Volume 1 and Volume 2) that our church music team recorded when I was in Tampa. And here is another post about praising the Lord – “Worshiping the King, the Greatest Celebration Ever.”