The Daily Praise of God

Scripture

Deuteronomy 10:21 (NASB)
²¹ He is your praise and He is your God, who has done these great and awesome things for you which your eyes have seen.

Deuteronomy 32:3-4 (NASB)
³ “For I proclaim the name of the Lord;
Ascribe greatness to our God!
⁴“The Rock! His work is perfect,
For all His ways are just;
A God of faithfulness and without injustice,
Righteous and upright is He.

1 Chronicles 16:8-9 (NASB)
⁸Oh give thanks to the Lord, call upon His name;
Make known His deeds among the peoples.
⁹Sing to Him, sing praises to Him;
Speak of all His wonders.

Psalm 18:46 (NASB)
⁴⁶The Lord lives! Praise be to my Rock!
Exalted be God my Savior!

Acts 16:25 (NASB)
²⁵But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them;

Colossians 3:16 (NASB)
¹⁶ Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

Hebrews 13:15 (NASB)
¹⁵Through 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.

Doctrine

Having a relationship with God is a blessing every Christian gets to enjoy. As we read the Bible we grow in our knowledge and understanding about who He is. As we abide in His love and experience His providence in our day-to-day lives, we become more aware of how worthy of our praise He is (John 15:1-11). We can observe His mighty deeds not only in our own lives, but throughout the course of history (Psalm 78:4).

God's name is holy, and His many titles display various attributes about who He is. When we praise God we should be willing to proclaim His name and what He has done (Psalm 26:7; 96:2). His name is to be hallowed and our lifestyles in accordance with His will (Matthew 6:9; Romans 12:1-2). We do not want to offer mere lip service, but obedience as well (Matthew 15:7-9). For the Christian, we now experience the wonderful and majestic eternal God (Deuteronomy 6:5). He is so good we can't help but desire others to know Him as well. Praise the holy name of God wherever you go!

Understanding our relationship to God is important to develop our personal identity in Christ and to grow in our adoration of Him. Before Christ saved us, we were of the world and were by nature children of wrath (Ephesians 2:3). But God has made us new, and He continues to offer this transformation to those who don't know Him (2 Corinthians 5:17). It is also crucial for how we perceive, trust, and hope in our God through various seasons and circumstances of life. Knowing who God has made us to be in Christ is to realize that God has adopted us as His dearly beloved children (John 1:12-13; 1 John 3:10). Experiencing God as Father is blessed, and brings such a joy that cannot be found anywhere else. Praise Jesus Christ for the holy peace He has brought us with God through the blood He shed for us on the cross!

Exaltation of God in our daily lives requires a recognition of His character, greatness, and majesty. There are many false gods in the world, yet there is only one true God (Deuteronomy 4:39; 1 Timothy 2:5-6). As we read Scripture we can observe who God is and how he interacts with His creation. This helps us to put off false ideas about Him. We must drop the baggage we bring to the Scriptures and sit humbly under the Word of God in order to receive the knowledge of Him. Remember also that humanity bears the image and likeness of God, albeit tainted by sin (Genesis 1:27). In the pristine person of Jesus Christ we may see how humanity ought to be. Jesus, as the Chief Instructor of His church, brings forth our example of right living (Matthew 23:8). As His students we must look to Him to discover that untainted image and likeness and obey His instruction (Hebrews 4:15). It is necessary for us to prayerfully depend upon God to live according to His will. Thankfully, the Holy Spirit of God is at work in us, both to will and to work to do His good pleasure (Philippians 2:12-13). A high and Biblical esteem of Christ will help orient our hearts to praise the name of God. Praise God for His wonderful attributes!

The daily praise of God may occur through the remembrance of things He has done. Throughout the Bible we see men and women praise God for what He has accomplished (e.g. Psalm 18). We can see from the Scriptures what mighty deeds our God has performed through the course of history, keeping in mind His personality. As His followers, we should praise God for answered prayer. Yes, our God is immanent as well as compassionate (Lamentations 3:22). Recounting the wonderful deeds of God through our lives and the lives of other Christians will bring a high and holy esteem of who God is. Even with tragedy, we know that God is able to redeem, comfort, and bring good from hurt (2 Corinthians 1:3-5). For those who love God, all things work together for good (Romans 8:28). Praise God for all His works!

God is worthy of praise regardless of our circumstances. God is our helper and we know that He is present with us (Psalm 54:4; 139:7-10). He is gracious and merciful, abounding in lovingkindness (Psalm 86:15). Even in trials He is the one who helps us through and gives us joy (Philippians 4:4, 11-13). Our Lord is Sovereign and able to preserve us through whatever comes our way (Daniel 3). Praise the Lord for His power and trustworthiness!

May the Lord bless you with a greater heartfelt joy in His name. Let the high praises of God be on your lips forevermore.

Heart

S - Sincerity
The praise of God should be free from deceit or ill motives. If initially you are struggling with sincerity in your worship, this is something to confess to God in prayer. He is omniscient so don't feel like you are hiding something from Him. He already knows, and is willing to help you.

T - Thankfulness
Gratitude is an excellent aspect of praise to God. It credits Him as the source from whom all good things flow and rightly expresses appreciation for His grace.

A - Adoration
Honoring and extolling God in accordance with who He has revealed Himself to be is fitting. A nearness of heart to God and the desire to do His will should flow from a high esteem of Him.

R - Reverence
Respecting the One who upholds all of creation and it's creatures is important. There is a holy submission as creature to Creator and a humble attitude of recognizing His worthiness of praise.

Application

Meditate on the character of God! You can pray and ask Him for wisdom and open eyes to help you to bring heartfelt praise to Him and recognize more of His greatness. Search the Scriptures and seek the knowledge of God. When you find something to praise Him for, take a moment to extol Him in prayer.

Proclaim who He has revealed Himself to be and ascribe greatness to Him! You can encourage other believers with Scripture, personal testimony, or historical events. You can read a church history or biographical book to see what God has done in the lives of His people. Exalting God may pique the interest of non-believers and begin gospel conversations.

Sing to the Lord! Throughout the Bible we see the people of God praising Him with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs together and in solitude. This may or may not be accompanied with instruments. As a family, worship in the home together. Set aside time to read the Bible, pray, discuss, and sing to God.

Journal to remember the providence of God! It doesn't take more than 15 minutes to pray and recollect your thoughts and events through the day. Looking back, you may later understand and see how God has worked many different things for your good and the good of others.

Give thanks to God! Express gratitude and seek to bring Him the glory and due credit. Every good and perfect gift comes from Him (James 1:17). As He answers prayer, bring these things back to Him in praise.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank you for Jesus Christ and for His work on the cross to bring me into a right relationship with You. I am grateful You revealed who You are and have allowed me to know You. Oh God, please open my eyes and my heart to worship you more wholeheartedly and in a manner pleasing to You. Please God, fill all of my days with the high praises of Your name. I love you Lord, and I ask you to help me love You more. You alone are God. In Jesus' name, amen.

Search This Blog

Reddit Christians