Praise and Worship

Praise and Worship

Many Christians think of Praise and worship as the same thing but I believe they are totally different. I love to praise GOD, to sing and dance and proclaim His Glory, Mercy, and Majesty, to thank Him for His Love, His Light, His Life, His Grace and whatever comes to mind.

Praise is about giving GOD the glory and honor that He is due for what He has done for humanity and for me. With music, song and dance we proclaim to ourselves and the world what GOD has done and what He is doing.

I love to worship in GOD’s presence. Worship is the full yielding of my life, (spirit, soul and body) to GOD because He is GOD! Praise can be exhilarating and solemn but worship is surrendering whatever I am to GOD! Both can be done quietly or loudly, with solemnity or exuberance but there is a distinct difference between them and the effect they have.

It’s easy to go back and forth between them, the difference is when I stop singing about GOD (praise) and sing to GOD (worship). The words of the song change from about or about me, from what GOD did to who GOD is. Many Christians do this without thinking about it. Our heart speaks differently when we sing to GOD rather than about GOD.

“You shall fear the LORD your GOD; you shall serve Him, and to Him you shall hold fast, and take oaths in His name. He is your praise, and He is your GOD, who has done for you these great and awesome things which your eyes have seen.” “But You are Holy, enthroned in the praises of Israel.” “Oh come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker. For He is our GOD, and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand.”

Deuteronomy 10:20-21; Psalm 22:3, 95:6-7a NKJV

The Deuteronomy 10:20-21 passage is about praising GOD for what He did for Israel; the Psalm 22:3 passage shows the importance of praise and Psalm 95 is about worshiping GOD for who He is.

Peter told JESUS when JESUS was restoring Peter before His ascension, “LORD, You know all things, You know that I Love You!” John 21:17; Oswald Chambers says of this passage, “If I Love JESUS CHRIST personally and passionately, I can serve humanity though men treat me as a door mat.” My Utmost For His Highest.

We can easily praise GOD for what He has done, especially when He has healed us or delivered us. The Children of Israel were able to praise GOD for what He did for them after taking them out of Egypt, yet they did not want to know Him personally and they continued to sin and complain. Intimacy with GOD is key to true worship, as JESUS told the Samaritan woman, “You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and Truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. GOD is SPIRIT, and those who worship Him must worship in Spirit and Truth.” John 4:22-24 NKJV

Study Psalms 144 through 150; 144 - 147 are about worship and 148 – 150 are about praising GOD.

Psalm 148:14 says “And He has exalted the horn (strength or dominion) of His people, the praise of all His saints – of the children of Israel, a people near to Him. Praise the LORD! (Heb. Hallelujah)” NKJV “He has increased the power of His people, granted praise to all His faithful, to the descendents of Isra’el, a people close to Him. Halleluyah!” CJB

By reading, studying and proclaiming the Bible we proclaim what GOD did for humanity through Israel and the Church, of GOD’s Love and call for humanity in the earth and His Eternal Kingdom! By spending time with GOD in His Word and listening to His SPIRIT we will grow in our personal and intimate relationship with Him so that our life becomes a praise and worship to Him; study the epistles.