This week I chose praise & worship as my word. Praise can be described as the act of expressing approval or admiration; commendation; laudation. It is also the offering of great homage to God in a words or a song e.g. ‘For who you are’ by Hillsong or the hymn ‘Great is Thy Faithfulness’. Worship is defined as reverent honour and homage paid to God. It can also be described as the object of adoration and reverence.
Many of us confuse praise and worship as the same, although its closely related there are differences. The sacrifice of praise is the fruit of the lips whilst worship is the fruit of the heart. Praise can be seen as outward actions whilst worship is the adoration of God in our lives. David was a great example of a man of praise. The book he wrote ‘Psalms’ is full of praises. Praise has elements of sacrifice. In Hebrews 13:15 and Jeremiah 33:11 it describes how we should give sacrifice of praise to God. When we are giving a sacrifice of praise we are letting go and surrendering to God. This can be done by opening our mouths and praising him. In the Old Testament sacrifice was done by offering the sacrifice of animals. We no longer need to do this. Instead we pour out sacrificial praises from our lips. Psalm 50:8-15 describes that God wants sacrifice of thank offerings rather than sacrifice of animals.Worship can be expressed by living a godly life by honouring God’s commandments. True Worship is done in spirit and truth. This means when we come before God we are sincere in our worship.
It is important to have praise and worship in our lives for several reasons. One is because of who God is-all powerful, all knowing and all loving. We worship him because of who he is not for only what he does. He deserves nothing but honour and reverence. Another reason praise and worship is important is because it brings us closer to God. We enter into his presence and invite the holy spirit in during time of praise and worship. God inhibits the praise of his people. This means that God enters the atmosphere with his people where there is true praise and worship. Another reason praise and worship is powerful is because it can send our enemies running. There are many examples of where God has delivered his people from the enemies through praise and worship. In 2 Chronicles 20, the people of Ammon, Moab and others came to battle against Jehoshaphat and Judah. God told his people not to be afraid for the battle is his. Jehoshaphat and all of Judah bowed down and worshipped God. Then Jehoshaphat sent people before the army to sing praises. When the people began to sing praises God ambushed Judah’s enemies and they were defeated. Judah means praise. I believe that Judah being a people of praise, knew the power of praise and what God can do through it.
Here are some bible verses on praise and worship:
Hebrews 13:15 (NIV)-Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name
Psalm 150:1-6 (NIV)-Praise the Lord.Praise God in his sanctuary;
praise him in his mighty heavens. Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness. Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre,
praise him with timbrel and dancing, praise him with the strings and pipe, praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.Praise the Lord
Psalm 100:4 (NIV)-Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;give thanks to him and praise his name.
Ephesians 5:19 (NIV)-Speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord
Psalm 95:1-6 (NIV)-Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord;
let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him.The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker
John 4:24 (NIV)- God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.
Psalm 96:1-9 (NIV)- Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth. Sing to the Lord, praise his name;
proclaim his salvation day after day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvellous deeds among all peoples. For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods.
For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the Lord made the heavens. Splendour and majesty are before him;
strength and glory are in his sanctuary. Ascribe to the Lord, all you families of nations, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering and come into his courts. Worship the Lord in the splendour of his holiness; tremble before him, all the earth.
1 Chronicles 16:29 (NIV)-Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;bring an offering and come before him. Worship the Lord in the splendour of hisholiness
Psalm 100:2 (NIV)- Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs
John 4:23 (NIV)-Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.
Colossians 3:16 (NIV)-Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts
Stay Blessed
x
Renaissance Ideal 