“Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.” (Hebrews 13: 15, NKJV)
Is it possible to live a lifestyle of constant praise? What would our lives be like if we were to develop the habit of constant God-consciousness? To acknowledge Him as part of every moment of every day sounds like a blessed way to live.
Why Is Praise Important?
To list the many reasons praise is important would be a lengthy task—if even possible. We could note God’s love, goodness, mercy, power, greatness, compassion, majesty—and on and on. Psalm 48:1 declares, “Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised.” He is worthy of our adoration. Let’s look at a few of the reasons we should continually praise.
Praise draws us closer to God. Psalm 22:3 assures us He inhabits the praises of His people. When we offer God our praise, we are aligning ourselves with His plan and purpose. We acknowledge His sovereignty in our lives and bask in His love. The more we praise, the deeper our relationship grows.
Praise reminds us of God’s mercy and salvation. It would be impossible to praise God enough for giving Himself as the sacrifice for our sins. His mercy is new each morning (Lamentations 3:22-23), and the rising of the sun ushers in a new day to thank and praise Him for that mercy. “I will rejoice in thy salvation,” (Psalm 9:14).
Praise invites God into our daily lives. Psalm 34:1 says we are to bless the Lord at all times and continually offer Him praise. In the good times, the bad times, and all times in between. It should become as much a habit to us as breathing, our automatic response to the goodness of Almighty God.
Praise brings victory. Regardless of the circumstance, we can praise our way to victory. In II Chronicles 20, the Israelites went into battle singing and praising God, and victory followed. In Acts 16:25-26, Paul and Silas sang praises, and God shook the prison foundations in response. God will respond to our praise with victory also.
If We Don’t Praise . . . What Then?
Luke 19:28-40 records Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. This happened just days before His betrayal and crucifixion. But on this day, the crowds were wildly praising God as loudly as possible for all the mighty works they had seen. Some of the Pharisees did not appreciate this display of emotional worship and demanded of Jesus, “Master, rebuke thy disciples.” But Jesus responded, “I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out” (verse 40).
Each of us praises God in our own special way. Some sing, some whisper soft words of adoration, and others joyfully call out to Him. Whatever our style of worship and praise, it involves our heart speaking to His. Fill every day with praise. God finds it beautiful.
“Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous! For praise from the upright is beautiful.” (Psalm 33:1, NKJV)
(Study Suggestion: Using a concordance or Bible app, search out more scriptures on praise and its importance in our daily walk with God. You may also wish to journal new ways you can integrate praise into your life each day)
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