Enter His Presence with Praise
Praise is a fundamental aspect of our relationship with God. It is through praise that we acknowledge who He is, His greatness, express our gratitude, and draw closer to Him. This pillar encourages us to incorporate praise into every aspect of our lives, transforming our daily routines into acts of worship and transforming our prayer life with our Father.
Understanding Praise
Praise is more than just singing songs during a church service and it is more than just saying words; it is an attitude of the heart. As Psalm 68:4-5 says, “Sing to God, sing IN praise of his name, extol him who rides on the clouds; rejoice BEFORE him—his name IS the Lord. A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.” The reason the words are bolded in the verse is because we are to always be in a state of praise, before the King, because of who He is. This verse reminds us that praise is a response to God’s character and His actions in our lives. It does not just occur in specific moments, it is a continual mindset towards God.
Practical Ways to Praise
Prayer
Begin and end your prayers with adoration and praise. Acknowledge God’s greatness and thank Him for His blessings. One way you can do this is by writing down a list of attributes of God’s character (i.e. God, You are: good, holy, righteous, blameless, matchless, awesome, wonderful). Remind God of WHO HE IS. Not because He needs reminding, but because His Word says so.
The Word of God
Use the Bible as the primary source of your praise in prayer. Pray with your Bible open! You can find a way to praise the Lord in every verse in the Bible. There are at least 31,102 verses in the Bible; that means, we have at least 31,102 ways to praise the Lord just from using the Bible alone. Think about that for a second. God’s entire Word speaks of who He is.
Singing
Use songs to lift your spirit and focus your mind on the Lord. One idea is to create a playlist of praise songs and listen to it throughout the day. This seems funny, but children’s songs seem to get trapped in the human brain very easily. If that is also the case for most people, you will be singing simple praise songs all day long in your head and aloud.
Daily Activities
Incorporate praise into your daily routines. Total transparency, this is probably the most difficult form of praise. Whether you are cooking, cleaning, or working, take every moment captive to thank God for His presence and provision. In order to take every moment captive, a rewiring of our brain needs to occur. Instead of just focusing on the task at hand, focus on how God is with you in the task. In doing so, praise never ceases.
Community
Share your praise experiences with others. Join a small group or prayer team where you can encourage each other to praise God in all circumstances. God did not design the body of Christ so that it operates alone. Praising God together in prayer is how nearly every revival has begun in church history. It leads to repentance, confession, and falling on your face together.
Dancing
Express your praise through movement. As Psalm 149:3 says, “Let them praise his name with dancing and make music to him with timbrel and harp.” Dancing and being active can be a joyful expression of worship and gratitude to God. Yes, people have permission to dance and have fun before the Lord. If it is okay to do at a party, or at a sporting event, it is even more okay to do before the Lord.
Scriptural Foundation of Praise
The Bible is filled with verses that encourage us to praise God. Here are a few to meditate on:
Psalm 150:6: “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord.”
1 Chronicles 29:10-13: “Praise be to you, Lord, the God of our father Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours.”
Romans 11:36: “For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.”
Praise is a powerful tool that transforms our hearts and minds. By making praise a regular part of our lives, we can experience a deeper connection with God and a greater sense of His presence. Let us commit to praising God in all circumstances, knowing that He is worthy of all our adoration and worship.
Reflection
1. How did this blog post challenge you in the area of praising God?
2. On a scale of 1-10 (1: never; 10: perfect, how would you rate your “praise life?”
Pray this…
Father; holy, holy, holy, are You Lord, God Almighty; who was, is, and yet to come! You are worthy of all praise, honor, glory, and attention. God, please forgive me where I have failed to praise You. I confess right now, that I am in need of a rewired spirit that gravitates to praising You in every moment. Jesus, You praised the Father in every moment of Your life, so I want to praise Him in mine. Holy Spirit, do a work within me to change how I view the Father, not just thanking You for what You do, which is one aspect of my praise; but, praising You for who You are. Lead me, Holy Spirit, by Your power and remind me to forever be in a posture of praise. I love You my Lord and King, and I pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
May the Lord bless you and keep you as you go about your day today. May this post remind you, as it has reminded me, to live in a posture of praise.
