Understanding The Power of Praise. – Part 1 What is Praise?

What Is Praise?

Praise is celebrating God as our heart’s true home.

The Scriptures are filled with injunctions to praise the Lord:

Then David said to the whole assembly, “Praise the Lord your God.” So they all praised the Lord, the God of their fathers; they bowed low and fell prostrate before the Lord and the king (1 Chronicles 29:20).

Praise the Lord. Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever (Psalm 106:1).

Praise the Lord. Praise, O servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord (Psalm 113:1).

Praise the Lord, all you nations; extol Him, all you peoples (Psalm 117:1).

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord (Psalm 150:6).

If we are to obey these commands from God, we must first learn what praise is. Webster’s dictionary define Praise: expressing approval or a favorable judgment of; and glorifying, especially by crediting with perfections.

Definitions of Praise:

1. Commending:

Praising God by commendation thus means that we entrust ourselves to His care and recommend that others do the same. The Psalms of David, in particular, are filled with testimonies of the Lord’s trustworthiness, and with expressions of confidence that He will again prove Himself trustworthy.

O Lord my God, in Thee do I put my trust: save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me (Psalm 7:1 KJV).

Those who know Your name will trust in You, for You, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek You (Psalm 9:10).

Preserve me, O God: for in Thee do I put my trust (Psalm 16:1 KJV).

Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God (Psalm 20:7).

2. Expressing Approval or Favorable Judgment

To approve of someone is “to have or express a favorable opinion” of him or to show esteem (Webster’s, “approve”). Personal experience is at the heart of this expression of praise as well. Here again, the Psalms contain numerous examples of personal expressions of approval toward God.

But You, O God, do see trouble and grief; You consider it to take it in hand. The victim commits himself to You;

You are the helper of the fatherless (Psalm 10:14).

But I will sing of Your strength, in the morning I will sing of Your love; for You are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble (Psalm 59:16).

So you see, praise by approving is turning our thoughts toward God and remembering how He has won our acclaim. It’s reciting the wonder of who He is and how He has made a difference in our life and the life of others. Many Scriptures do this, but Psalm 23 is perhaps the most well-known passage of Scripture that is a personal recommendation for God. David praises God by describing Him as the Shepherd who cares for David, His sheep. Each image from the life and work of a shepherd in some way speaks to David of God’s work in his own life.

3. Glorifying

To glorify someone is to “bestow honor, praise, or admiration” (Webster’s, “glorify”). In other words, giving glory to someone specifically identifies what is admirable in the person. This type of praise is also quite frequent in the Scriptures. God is recognized as being good (e.g. Ps. 34:8), faithful (e.g. Ps. 33:4), righteous (e.g. Ps. 11:7), just (e.g. 2 Chron. 12:6), and merciful and forgiving (e.g. Dan. 9:9), to name a few. In addition, God, His dwelling place, His law, His character, and His actions are described as being perfect and flawless:

As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the Lord is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in Him (2 Samuel 22:31).

The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple (Psalm 19:7).

O Lord, You are my God; I will exalt You and praise Your name, for in perfect faithfulness You have done marvelous things, things planned long ago (Isaiah 25:1).

Another way we honor God is to recite His names or other designations of who He is. For example: “The Lord is a warrior” (Ex. 15:3a). “The Lord is God in heaven above and on the earth below. There is no other” (Deut. 4:39b). “…the Lord is [my] life…” (Deut. 30:20). “.the hand of the Lord is powerful.” (Josh. 4:24). “.The Lord is Peace.” (Judg. 6:24). “The Lord is a God who knows, and by Him deeds are weighed” (1 Sam. 2:3b). “The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer” (2 Sam. 22:2). “The Lord is King” (Ps. 10:16a). “The Lord is my light and my salvation” (Ps. 27:1a). “The Lord is the strength of His people” (Ps. 28:8a).

As we honor God for who He is and for what He has done in our lives, we make room for Him to work for us and in us every day. We give Him a place to dwell in the midst of our life because we refuse to take His benefits to us for granted. We know we are sinners saved by grace, and we give Him the glory for saving us and for being there for us when we need Him.