To understand praise, as a first step, we look at the differentiation with thanksgiving. While thanksgiving is the first step to entering the gates of the Kingdom of God, praise is the key to entering God’s court. Thus, your proximity to the King of Kings is closer when you are praising God.
Thanksgiving is generally about thanking God for specific instances of His touch. Praising God is about praising the nature of God. After thanking God for a period of time, praising God reminds you about the very nature of God.
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and a thank offering and into His courts with praise! Be thankful and say so to Him, bless and affectionately praise His name! (ref. Psalm 100:4)
Praise is a kind of sacrifice. When we glorify God, his goodness, his nature, we praise Him. When we declare His goodness, His nature, we praise Him.
When we praise him all the time, we are offering a sacrifice of praise. Since all the time includes times when you don’t feel like it. Through Him, therefore, let us constantly and at all times offer up to God a sacrifice of praise, which is the fruit of lips that thankfully acknowledge and confess and glorify His name. (ref Hebrews 13:15)
Although Paul and Silas were in prison, they decided to praise God at all times. They seem to have followed the above verse. As they decided to praise God going beyond their circumstances, the prison doors were open and they could escape. But about midnight, as Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the [other] prisoners were listening to them, Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the very foundations of the prison were shaken; and at once all the doors were opened and everyone’s shackles were unfastened.( ref. Acts 16:25 26)
In praising God we also tell others about God’s goodness, mercy to all people, other generations. So we, your people and sheep of your pasture,
Will give You thanks forever; We will show forth Your praise to all generations. ( ref Psalm 79:13)
We have a beautiful instance of praise from Mary, mother of Jesus, she was carrying Jesus in her womb. The Holy Spirit overshadowed her, and she knew that she was on divine assignment to bring forth King Jesus.
And Mary said:
“My soul [i]magnifies the Lord,
And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant;
For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.
For He who is mighty has done great things for me,
And holy is His name.
And His mercy is on those who fear Him
From generation to generation.
He has shown strength with His arm;
He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He has put down the mighty from their thrones,
And exalted the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
And the rich He has sent away empty.
He has helped His servant Israel,
In remembrance of His mercy,
As He spoke to our fathers,
To Abraham and to his seed forever.” ( ref Luke 1:46-55)
The verses above point to praising God at all times. Praise is also done under all circumstances. Thus, it’s a decision taken without the slightest consideration of our circumstances.
Praise is powerful. It transforms us, realigning our priorities, redirecting our emotions, and heals our souls. Our spirit becomes more moldable, open, and responsive to the Holy Spirit of God.
Excited to hear about the breakthroughs that will come your way in terms of freedom, peace, healing, breakthroughs and many more as you develop a routine of praising God.
