“From the rising of the sun, to it’s setting, the name of the Lord is to be praised.” That’s Psalm 113:3. It is a scripture verse about praising God. Praising God is something, as Christians, we should do at all times, and with everything that we do.
Why Should We Praise God?
Psalm 29:1-3 says, “Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly being, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness. The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the Lord thunders over the mighty waters.” Also, Psalm 150:6 says, “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.” Here are a few reasons why we should praise God.
We should praise God because the bible tells us to. Like Psalm 150:6 said, “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.”
We should praise God because he is our creator. Colossians 1:16 says, “For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether throne or dominions or rulers or authorities-all things were created through him and for him.”
We should praise God because he is sovereign. Sovereign means the one who exercises power without limitation. Possessing supreme or ultimate power. Psalm 103:19 says, “He is Lord over the whole earth.”
We should praise God because we are made in his image. Genesis 1:26-27 says, “And God said, Let us make man in our image, and after our likeness: and let him have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.” God delights in our praise, and we get something out of it too.
Praising and Glorifying
One of the scriptures above talks about giving God glory. Is there a difference between praising God and glorifying God?
The word “glory” in the New Testament means, dignity, honor, praise, and worship. Glorifying God means that we recognize God for who he really is, and to respond accordingly. Praise means adoration or approval. Biblically, the word is interchangeable with worship. I’m not a bible scholar, but it seems to me that praising God, and glorifying God are pretty similar. One thing I’ve had always been told about praise, is that it is honoring God for who he is. I used to wonder what is the difference between praising God, and thanking God. Thanking is giving thanks to God for what he’s done, what he is doing, or what he will do, and like I said, praise is about adoration, and honoring God for who he is. Most of us think about praising God only when we pray, or when we are in church. How many times have you heard someone in church say, “Let’s give God some praise.”
Benefits Of Praising God
You know, I said previously that we get something out of praising God. Well it’s true. We do. There is a saying, “When the praises go up, the blessings flow down.” There are definitely benefits to praising God. It will renew our spirit, especially during difficult times. Here are a few more benefits to praising God.
Praising God helps us to sense God’s presence. Sometimes we don’t feel God’s presence. He is always with us, whether we feel it or not, but when we don’t feel his presence, that is when we need to praise him the most.
Praising God lifts our spirit. Psalm 42:5 says, “Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.” Praising God also helps to change your focus from yourself, to God.
Praising God reminds us that he is in control. It reminds us that he is aware of our situation. In Matthew 10:29-31 Jesus said, “Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows.”
More Than One Way To Praise God
There are many ways to praise God though. Let’s face it. We’re not in prayer all of the time, but even when we are not in prayer, we can still give praise and glory to God. 1 Corinthian 10:31 says, “So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”
Praise God With Our Lips
In what ways can we glorify God? One way we can glorify God is to praise him with our lips. Hebrews 13:15 says, “Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name.” This is probably the most well-known way to give glory to God. Many times in church, the pastor will tell us to give God some praise. I remember we had a choir director who would always say, when the praises go up, the blessings come down, meaning that God blesses us when we give him praise. Remember, praising God is not the same as thanking God. When we thank God, it is for what He has done, is doing, or will do. When we praise God, it is for who He is.
Obey His Word
Another way to glorify God is to obey His Word. 1 Samuel 15:22 says, “But Samuel replied:
“Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than fat of rams.”
Giving some background, King Saul had been ordered by God to destroy the Amalakites. All of them, and everything they possessed. This way, their evil practices would not infect the nation of Israel. Saul though, kept the Amalakite king alive basically for his own glory to honor his victory over the Amalakites. He also spared the best of the animals for himself, but pretended they were being spared as an offering to God. That’s when the prophet Samuel challenged him starting in 1 Samuel 15:22 as listed above. Also, Jesus, in John14:15 said.
“If you love me, you will obey my commandments.”
Obedience to God proves our love for Him. It also lets others see your good works and glorify God, as Jesus says in Matthew 5:16, “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”
To Pray In Jesus’ Name
Praying in Jesus’ name is another way to glorify God. What does it mean to pray in Jesus’ name? For the longest time I thought it just meant saying, “in Jesus’ name,” at the end of a prayer. I later found that it means praying with His authority and asking God the Father to act on our prayers because we come in the name of His son, Jesus. It is the same as to pray according to the will of God, or to pray for things that are in agreement with God’s will. This glorifies God.
Live Honorably Among Unbelievers
What does it mean to live honorably among unbelievers, and how does this glorify God? 1 Peter 2:12 says:
“Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.”
What Does Honorable Mean?
The word honorable means, having or showing honesty, and good moral character. That way, as it says in the scripture, even when people try to speak against you because of your faith, they will still see the way that you live, and notice your good works, and glorify God on the day that He visits us, which possibly means Judgment Day.
Glorifying God Through Your Gifts
The above, were a few ways to glorify God, but how can you glorify, or praise God through your gifts? I think you glorify God through your gifts in the same ways you’d glorify Him through other venues. If you are an athlete, you’d glorify God by giving your best, your very best to honor Him. As a photographer, I glorify God with my art by recognizing that each image that I photograph is God’s creation, whether it be a landscape, a sunset, a building, an animal, a person, whatever the subject is, God created it. My job is to recognize that, and to bring that out in each image that I take. That includes the entire process, from taking the image, to processing that image on my computer, I want people to be able to see God’s creation through my photographs, and be compelled to glorify Him. In the same way, you can glorify God through your gifts, by recognizing that all gifts come from God, and using your gifts, whatever they may be, in a way that honors God.
Pic Of The Post
We can glorify God in everything that we do regardless of what it is. Like I said previously, I try to glorify God through my art, my photography, acknowledging that everything I photograph is his creation, or that any artistic design I come up with, comes from him. The pic of this post is called, “Sunset Over The Fair.” A simple crisp photo. I just happened to be at the right place, at the right time. If you’d like to view this picture, just click on the “Pic Of The Post” link.
Please feel free to leave questions or comments.