Planning a Day of Prayer - Praising God
Praising God
Praising God is a God-appointed calling. . . [He has] predestined the church to the praise of his [God's] glorious grace (Eph 1:6; cf. Matt 5:16; Eph 1:14; Phil. 1:11; 1 Peter 2:9). The future vocation of the redeemed in glory is to sing praise to God and the Lamb (Rev 4:11; 5:12-14; 7:12) . . . In the light of this calling to praise God, the oft-declared intention, I will praise you, O God, and the exhortations for others to praise God take on additional meaning. In giving oneself to praise, the worshipper declares his or her total alignment with God's purposes. The environment of those gathering for worship, judged by such admonitions, was one of lavish praise to God. Since God is holy and fully good, God is not to be faulted, as some do, for requiring praise of himself. Praise is fitting for what is the highest good, God himself. Praise is both a duty and a delight (Psalm 63:3-8). - Elmer A. Martens, Baker's Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology
Since we have been called by God to be praising Him while on this earth and because our future vocation will be one of praise, we should be deliberately making praise a regular part of our Christian discipline.
Words like "bless," "exalt," "extol," "glorify," "magnify," "thank," and "confess" reveal varied facets of praise. Learn how to express your praise to God.
Whether praise is a new form of communicating with God and about God or if you regularly express your praise to God, use scripture often. Psalms 103, 111, and 145 are wonderful portions that praise the Lord for the greatness of His power. The following scriptures can be read aloud as praise to God: Ps. 113:1-3; 146:1-2; Heb. 13:15; Rev. 4:11. As you read through the scriptures, you will find other praise passages and verses. Here is a list of passages you can use to glorify God.
Praise addressed to God |
Praise about God |