The Importance of Praise
By
Bishop M.L. Maughmer, Jr.
Genesis 29:35 says “And she conceived again, and bare a son: and she said, Now will I praise the LORD: therefore she called his name Judah; and left bearing”.
The Law of First mention:- The Law of First Mention basically states that the first occurrence of something in scriptures predicts or sets the standard of how that thing is represented all throughout scripture.
Praise is the Hebrew word “YADAH” or “YADA”– the meaning of YADAH is to hold out or extend the hand. So with that picture in your mind and understanding the Law of First Mention then Praise should always involve an extension of the hands. It is the word used in Genesis 4 where Adam “knew” (yadah) Eve and she bore Cain.
DEFINITIONS:- Praise - (verb): 1. To express approval and commendation of; applaud, eulogize. 2. To express adoration of; glorify (God, etc). (noun): 1.Commendation expressed, as of a person for his virtues, or concerning meritorious actions; utterance of approval; honor given; also, applause. 2. Thanksgiving for blessings conferred; laudation to God; worship expressed in song. 3. The object, ground, reason, or subject of praise.
Worship - 1. The act or feeling of adoration or homage; the paying of religious reverence, as in prayer, praise, etc. 2. The act or feeling of deference, respect, or honor toward virtue, power, or the like. 3. Excessive or ardent admiration; also, the object of such love or admiration. 4. A title of honor in addressing persons of station.
By comparing the two definitions, we can first see that praise is part of our worship of Almighty God. We express our approval, thankfulness, and respect for Almighty God by offering praises to Him. This kind of thankfulness then becomes part of our worship of the Great God. In our worship of God, we show our love through obeying His commandments, living the way of life He has revealed through His written word, the Bible, communicating with Him in prayer, meeting and fellowshipping with other believers, and in offering thanks to Him.
Praise & Worship are Positional.
Praise means to revere (with extended hands), laudation, specifically a hymn, to kneel and to bless God.
Worship means to prostrate oneself before God, bow down, humbly beseech, and do obeisance or reverence. In worship, we demonstrate that compared to God, we are as nothing.
We know there are 7 words used for praise & worship they are:-
1. Yadah is a verb with a root meaning, "the extended hand, to throw out the hand, therefore to worship with extended hand." According to the Lexicon, the opposite meaning is "to bemoan, the wringing of the hands.
2. Halal is a primary Hebrew root word for praise. Our word "hallelujah" comes from this base word. It means "to be clear, to shine, to boast, show, to rave, celebrate, to be clamorously foolish.
3. Towdah comes from the same principle root word as yadah, but is used more specifically. Towdah literally means, "an extension of the hand in adoration, or acceptance." By way of application, it is appratent in the Psalms and elsewhere that it is used for thanking God for "things not yet received" as well as things already at hand.
4.Shabach means, "to shout, to address in a loud tone, to command, to triumph.
5. Barak means "to kneel down, to bless God as an act of adoration.
6. Zamar means "to pluck the strings of an instrument, to sing, to praise; a musical word which is largely involved with joyful expressions of music with musical instruments.
7. Tehillah is derived from the word halal and means "the singing of halals, to sing or to laud; perceived to involve music, especially singing; hymns of the Spirit.
FOCUS SCRIPTURE:- Psalms 34:1-3 "I will bless the Lord at all times, his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof and be glad. O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together."
The book of Psalms is the praise book of the Bible, and it gives us hundreds of reasons why praise is important, as well as examples of how to give praise to God. Psalm 92:1 says “It is good to praise the LORD and make music to your name, O Most High...” Praise is a good thing. That means it is pleasant, valuable, and morally excellent. Psalm 147:1 tells us that praise is beautiful and agreeable.
When we consider the reasons why we should praise God, we find a list of His attributes. Psalm 138:5 - He is full of glory, Psalm 145:3 great wise and powerful Daniel 2:20 good, Psalm 107:8 merciful and faithful, Psalm 89:1, and much more. This list of attributes is complemented by a list of His wonderful works. He is the One who saves us Psalm 18:46, keeps His promises 1 Kings 8:56, pardons sin Psalm 103:1-3, and gives us our daily food Psalm 136:25. To try to list all the things God has done is impossible, but it is a wonderful exercise because it turns our hearts back to Him and keeps us mindful of how much we owe to Him.
Psalm 148:1-10 tells us that all of creation is commanded to give praise to God. When Jesus was entering Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, great crowds gathered and offered Him their praises. The Pharisees wanted Him to rebuke the people, but Jesus answered, “I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out” Luke 19:40 . Though there are many people who choose not to praise God right now, there is coming a day in which every knee will bow and every tongue will confess the praises of God Philippians 2:10-11. Some will joyfully give those praises because of the salvation they have received, while some will give those praises as conquered enemies headed for eternal punishment for their rejection of God.
Praise is a vital part of a life surrendered to God, and it gives credit where credit is due. Psalm 107:8 “O that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!”.
Psalms 34:1-3 "I will bless the Lord at all times, his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof and be glad. O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together."
The writer of Psalms 34, King David, lets us know that praise is not an occasional endeavor or practice, but a daily disposition. Simply put; praise to God is an everyday occurrence representing one's aptitude (understanding) and attitude (mindset) toward God. Praise is not a mere act or demonstration of one's adoration to God but a position, state of mind, or state of being. Praise to God should be a vital part of our everyday life just as breathing is. If you stop breathing you die, if you stop praising spiritually you die. Praise to a believer should be as natural as breathing. The Bible says in Psalm 33:1, "Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous for praise is comely for the upright." In other words, praise to God is befitting, becoming, suitable, beautiful and proper to him who serves the one who is able to do anything but fail – The Lord God!
Praise can simply be defined as a form of exaltation and worship to God. Praise to God may come in different forms: prayer, fasting, offerings, sacrifices, dedications, singing, clapping, shouting, dancing, lifting up of hands, words of proclamation, words of faith, as well as other forms.
Praise is not a "one time" or "every now and then" event, nor is it a ceremonial ritual specifically set on a calendar. Moreover, praise to God is not to be exercised exclusively during the festive times of the year such as the Thanksgiving and Christmas season or once a week during "praise and worship" service.
Praise is a command of God. It is not a suggestion or wholesome advice. The Bible says in Psalms 67:3-6, "Let the people praise thee, O God, let all the people praise thee. O let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for thou shalt judge the people righteously, and govern the nations upon earth. Selah. Let the people praise thee, O God, let all the people praise thee, then shall the earth yield her increase; and God, even our own God, shall bless us."
Psalms 113:3 says “From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the LORD'S name is to be praised”.
In an attempt to explain praise, some have ruled that praise to God is contingent upon an individual's circumstances. In other words, one only praises God based on favorable circumstances. However, this is biblically incorrect! Most of us know that life will not always be favorable or pleasant. Life is a fluctuating cycle.
We will have our highs and lows. Life is never static! The fact that life is not static may not be encouraging or comforting to some, but if you have been in an arctic cold, dark, and barren season for a given length of time – This is good news! God has declared that your dry season of barrenness is over! The Bible says in Psalms 30:5, "...Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning."
There's a song that says, "Praise is what I do, when I want to be close to you, I lift my hands in praise. Praise is who I am, I will praise Him while I can, I'll bless Him at all times; I vow to praise you, through the good and the bad, I'll praise you, whether happy or sad, I'll praise you, in all that I go through, because praise is what I do, cause I owe it all to You." Praise is what I do! I shouldn’t have to be pumped to praise God for no-body pumps me up to breath. If someone is pumping you up to breath it is because you are about to die. There is a version of that song that goes on to say that Praise is who I am.
WATCH THIS:- when you vowed to praise God, regardless of your situation, you have just stepped into a position of praise. In other words, nothing can or will hinder you from praising God! Our attitude of praise to God should never change.
The Prophet Daniel is a prime example of a consistent vow of praise. The Bible says in Daniel 6, that the presidents and princes sought to find fault against Daniel, due to envy, because the king had planned to make Daniel ruler over his entire kingdom. Therefore, they deceived King Darius to write and sign a decree that anyone who prayed to any god except him [the king] during the next 30 days, would be thrown into the lions' den. However the Bible says when Daniel heard the decree, his position of praise never faltered.
The Bible says in Daniel 6:10, "Now when Daniel knew that the writing [decree] was signed, he went into his house, and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime." He didn’t let a decree stop his praise, yet many times we will let something like a television show stop our praise. I don’t know about you but nothing shall stop my position of praise!"
Let me ask you a critical and thought-provoking question, "What has stopped you from praising God? Sickness? Disease? Family problems? Circumstances? Disappointments? Unanswered prayers?
What position are you committed to in praising God? A position of circumstantial praise? That is, praising God when all is well. Or a position of unrelenting praise? That is, Praise that refuses to quit or break, persistent, sustainable, and unending regardless of the atmospheric conditions around you! 1st Corinthians 15:58 says “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord”.
UNDERSTAND THIS:- The character and image of God do not change just because our circumstances do. Furthermore, God's faithfulness to his word does not change even though our circumstances do.
Listen; there is no correlation between the faithfulness of God and your current situation. Your situation is temporary, God's faithfulness is eternal! You must know and believe that God is faithful to his promises. Don't allow your current dilemma to validate or invalidate the faithfulness of God. God's faithfulness is greater than a limited span of time.
The word from the Lord is to praise him in the midst of your situation! Don't let your current situation dictate or rule over what God has said in his word. Don't allow your current situation to become the ruler, governor, and lord over your life. Let your current situation know that it is God whom you will serve, bow, and give reverence to, not it! The 3 Hebrew boys in Daniel 3 would not bow down and the told the King in Daniel 3:18 “…be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up”. Their circumstances were about to change but their consisted praise remained regardless of what was going on in their life.
Understand that the devil will try to convince you that you don't have anything to praise God for. The devil is a lie! There's a song that says, "When I think of the goodness of Jesus and all he has done for me, my soul cries out, hallelujah, thank God, for saving me!" If you woke up this morning that’s reason enough to praise the Lord. If you have a reasonable portion of health and strength that’s reason to Praise the Lord.
EXTRA EXTRA READ ALL ABOUT IT! Satan does not want you to praise God, that is, the God of our salvation, and the Creator of the ends of the earth. You see, when you praise God it’s a painful reminder to Satan of his previous state of having a position of praise.
WATCH THIS:- In eternity past, when Lucifer lifted his voice in praise, the spirit of God moved and resonated in glory, power, and splendor causing all of heaven to rejoice. However, the position of praise which he formerly had, we, as God's children, now possess. For the Bible says in Ps. 22:3, “But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of his people”.
We were created to praise God in place of Satan, who refused to praise God believing that it is he who should be praised. The Bible says in Ezekiel 28:15, "Thou [satan] wast perfect in thy ways from the day thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee"
WATCH THIS:- When you refuse to praise God, you are acting and behaving like Satan! But if you want to make the devil mad and want him to know whose side you're on, start praising God! Why? Because it is now you, who causes all heaven to rejoice instead of him! "You don't have to sing like an angel, just make a joyful noise unto the Lord Ps. 66:1!"
WATCH THIS:- Matthew 4:10-11 says “Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him”. After Jesus established the fact that worship only belongs to God the devil left him. You want the devil to leave you than start praising and worshipping God.
Praise to God will place you in a position you can never obtain on your own. Praise will take you further and faster than any earthly vessel or vehicle. However often times, instead of praising God we complain.
UNDERSTAND if the children of Israel would have praised God instead of murmuring and complaining, they would have possessed the Promised Land and put an end to wondering in the wilderness. Numbers 13&14 and see how they positioned themselves in the face of opposition.
The Bible says in Numbers 13:26-33, "They [spies] came back to Moses and Aaron and the whole Israelite community...and showed the fruit of the land. They gave this account: We went into the land to which you sent us, and it flows with milk and honey! Here is the fruit. But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large...Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, we should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it." But the men who had gone up with him said, we can't attack those people; they are stronger than we are." And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored..."
The Bible says in Numbers 14:1-3, 7-9, "And all the congregation lifted up their voice and cried and the people wept that night. And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron and the whole congregation said unto them, would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would God we had died in this wilderness! And wherefore hath the Lord brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? Were it not better for us to return into Egypt?... And they [Joshua and Caleb] spake unto all the company saying...if the Lord delight in us, then he will bring us into this land...only rebel not ye against the Lord, neither fear ye the people of the land, for they are bread for us; their defence is departed from them, and the Lord is with us; fear them not."
Instead of praising God for the Promised Land in spite of the threat of giants and walled cities, they began to complain.
REMEMBER THIS:- Don't be overly dramatic about where you are, when it is God who has positioned you! Never complain about where you are when it is God which brought you to where you are.
Never complain about where you are, because how you react to God where you are, will determine whether or not you will be able to cross over into your Promised Land.
THINK ABOUT THIS:- Could it be possible that you are constantly in the same predicament of life due to your lack of praise to God?
Because of the position of complaining instead of the position of praise, Israel did not qualify to enter into the Promise Land, only Joshua and Caleb.
ASK YOURSELF:- Does my praise qualify me for the next promised-blessing?
If Israel had maintained their position of praise mentioned in Exodus 15:20-21, "And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances. And Miriam answered them, sing ye to the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously..." they would have been in their promised land in less than 40 days instead of 40 years.
Praise represents a spirit of gratitude and appreciation for what God has done or will do. If you want to get on God's "hit list" possess an unappreciative spirit toward God!
Listen to what God says to Moses after the people complained against him in Numbers 14:22-23, "Because all those men which have seen my glory and my miracles, which I did in Egypt, and in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these 10 times, and have not hearkened to my voice; surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked me see it."
Praise is an act of faith. Praise unto God is a spiritual response not a natural response. You may not always feel like praising God but praise to God is as important as the power of prayer. One can sincerely praise God when he believes God can and will deliver him. King Jehoshaphat understood this principle well.
In the book of II Chronicles 20, the armies of Moab and Ammon came against the city of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. The Bible says in II Chronicles 20:20 "Early in the morning they left the Desert of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, "Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem! Have faith in the Lord your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful." After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the Lord and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying: Give thanks to the Lord, for his love endures forever."
It was King Jehoshaphat's decision to praise God for the victory in faith, against all odds, that granted him success in battle. Will you decide today to praise God in the face of opposition and adversity you are currently experiencing?
It was the children of Israel's praise to God in an act of faith, which resulted in the impregnable walls of Jericho to fall flat. In the book of Joshua 6:20, the Bible says, "So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets; and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout that the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city." They shouted, with a loud voice not what we call shout today that’s a dance.
Psalms 34:1-3 "I will bless the Lord at all times, his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof and be glad. O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together."
Bishop M.L. Maughmer, Jr
