Praise & Worship
To praise God is to esteem and regard Him as the almighty omnipotent being that He is, bringing glory to the throne in the presence of angels and in the presence of men. From early accounts in the Bible, men and women of God praised and worshiped in a variety of ways and with all their hearts, souls, and minds. When mankind reflects upon the blessings, gifts, and judgements of God, one can not help but be ushered into a state of gratitude that evokes praising the Lord. Many denominations approach worship in different and very distinct ways, and when we take a close look at scripture and the commandments about worshiping God Almighty, we find that there is a broad range of activities that are associated with exalting our Maker. From the first time worshiping is associated with sacrifice to the grand songs sung by choirs of angels at the victory of Christ, the Bible has much to teach us about living a life that expresses the gratitude that God so richly deserves.
In the book of Genesis, one of the most well-known stories of the Old Testament is recorded. In chapter twenty-two we find that Abraham was asked to sacrifice his son, Isaac. After Abraham had journeyed three days, the Lord showed Abraham the place to build an altar and offer Isaac as a burnt offering. At this point Abraham tells the servant men with him to stay put and that he and Isaac were going over yonder to worship the Lord. As this familiar story goes, God provided a ram as a substitute sacrifice and Isaac's life was spared. Christians understand that this story is a foretelling of the sacrifice of Christ, but it is also a wonderful demonstration of how sacrifice equates to worshiping. Our Lord considers it worshipful when we offer up our most prized possessions. To discover more about what the Bible has to say about praising and worshiping God, visit these Bible resources.
Throughout much of the Old Testament we find that sacrifice was a intricate part of worshiping. But, we also find that singing and dancing before the Lord were used as means of praising. The Psalms are full of examples and urgent pleas for the people of God to lift up holy hands and to sing to the Lord. We see that worshiping God is not only giving up the things that have first place in our hearts, but worshiping God is also having and demonstrating a joyous heart and attitude. "Let them praise his name in the dance: let them sing praises unto him with the trimbrel and the harp. For the Lord taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation." (Psalm 149:3-4). Scripture compels us to praise God among the people and to also sing praises to him when we are alone in our beds. "Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds." (Psalm 149:5)
Moving into the New Testament, we find that exalting the name of the Lord takes on a new tone. Jesus Christ himself addressed worshiping with an adulteress woman at a well. The woman, confused by many traditions and segregation, asked Jesus about proper worship protocol, believing that he was a prophet. Jesus answers the woman with a profound truth. "But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him." (John 4:23) And, in the book of Hebrews, the writer teaches that praising God is now an ongoing activity, not one reserved for Sunday mornings before an altar. "By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name." (Hebrews 13:15) Because the Spirit of God lives in believers, each is to live in a constant state of praising the Lord for all that is given, for all that is taught, and for every circumstance because we know that all things work to the good of those who are called.
Because the Spirit of God lives within us, we may partake in praising and worshiping in quiet, reflective devotions or in grand corporate praise services. "What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's." (1 Corinthians 6:19) The first step to discovering the type of joyful activity that suits the unique soul is to discover an attitude of gratitude. Just as Abraham built an altar as a grateful expression after receiving the promise of God, so we should have a way of expressing our thankfulness to the Lord for the many promises that He has made to each and every one of us.
In the book of Genesis, one of the most well-known stories of the Old Testament is recorded. In chapter twenty-two we find that Abraham was asked to sacrifice his son, Isaac. After Abraham had journeyed three days, the Lord showed Abraham the place to build an altar and offer Isaac as a burnt offering. At this point Abraham tells the servant men with him to stay put and that he and Isaac were going over yonder to worship the Lord. As this familiar story goes, God provided a ram as a substitute sacrifice and Isaac's life was spared. Christians understand that this story is a foretelling of the sacrifice of Christ, but it is also a wonderful demonstration of how sacrifice equates to worshiping. Our Lord considers it worshipful when we offer up our most prized possessions. To discover more about what the Bible has to say about praising and worshiping God, visit these Bible resources.
Throughout much of the Old Testament we find that sacrifice was a intricate part of worshiping. But, we also find that singing and dancing before the Lord were used as means of praising. The Psalms are full of examples and urgent pleas for the people of God to lift up holy hands and to sing to the Lord. We see that worshiping God is not only giving up the things that have first place in our hearts, but worshiping God is also having and demonstrating a joyous heart and attitude. "Let them praise his name in the dance: let them sing praises unto him with the trimbrel and the harp. For the Lord taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation." (Psalm 149:3-4). Scripture compels us to praise God among the people and to also sing praises to him when we are alone in our beds. "Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds." (Psalm 149:5)
Moving into the New Testament, we find that exalting the name of the Lord takes on a new tone. Jesus Christ himself addressed worshiping with an adulteress woman at a well. The woman, confused by many traditions and segregation, asked Jesus about proper worship protocol, believing that he was a prophet. Jesus answers the woman with a profound truth. "But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him." (John 4:23) And, in the book of Hebrews, the writer teaches that praising God is now an ongoing activity, not one reserved for Sunday mornings before an altar. "By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name." (Hebrews 13:15) Because the Spirit of God lives in believers, each is to live in a constant state of praising the Lord for all that is given, for all that is taught, and for every circumstance because we know that all things work to the good of those who are called.
Because the Spirit of God lives within us, we may partake in praising and worshiping in quiet, reflective devotions or in grand corporate praise services. "What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's." (1 Corinthians 6:19) The first step to discovering the type of joyful activity that suits the unique soul is to discover an attitude of gratitude. Just as Abraham built an altar as a grateful expression after receiving the promise of God, so we should have a way of expressing our thankfulness to the Lord for the many promises that He has made to each and every one of us.
Praise & Worship
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