What is Praise?

One of my favorite parts of Sunday service is praise and worship. It helps me remember how much God has blessed me in this life. It is a time where everyone gathers and praises God by singing, dancing, bowing down, lifting hands and etc. Praise shouldn’t only be reserved for Sunday though, for in Psalms 34:1 David proclaims, “I will extol the Lord at all times; His praise will always be on my lips.” Praise should be found in our everyday lives. Praise can be defined as glorifying, thanking, and having reverence for God. Praise is only for God, it cannot be attributed to anyone else. Praise is also not limited to just singing. God doesn’t expect you to be singing all day, everyday, but He does expect praise everyday. Psalm 115:1 states, “Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness!” Everything we do should be with praise. We breathe because God has given us life. We eat because God has given us bodies. We read because God has given us knowledge. Praise declares your thankfulness for God’s steadfast love and faithfulness. Praise comes from within the believer. The Word says that everything flows from the heart. The heart of a believer is where you can find praise. A joyful heart is one that is filled with praise. When we live our lives with joy, one of the fruits of the spirit (Galatians 5:22), we are giving God praise. He has done way too much for us to be living miserably and having melancholy hearts. If you need a reason to praise God, just remember what He has done for you. He gave up His Son, He clothes you, He feeds you, He provides for you, He helps you, He protects you and He will do so until your very last breath. That’s why we praise the Lord, because His goodness and mercy continuously follow us. Praise is our gratitude unto God, a gratitude that only He can have, for all that He has done for us.