LIFESTYLE OF PRAISE

“EVERY DAY I will bless You, and I will praise Your name FOREVER and EVER”” – Psalm 145:2

As we press into the Perfections of Praise, we are enjoined to cultivate the LIFESTYLE of PRAISE: “EVERY DAY I will bless You, and I will praise Your name FOREVER and EVER” (Psa.145:2). Praise must be our 24/7 Lifestyle. We are expected and empowered to praise God perpetually: “From the rising of the sun to its going down the Lord’s name is to be praised” (Psa.113:3). How wonderful it would be to praise God from sunrise to sunset, every moment of the day, every day of our lives! When we nurture a Covenant Lifestyle of Praise, it would become a generational manifestation: “One generation shall praise Your works to another, and shall declare Your mighty acts” (v.4).

Praise means “to commend, to applaud or magnify.” For the Christian, praise is an expression of lifting-up and glorifying the Lord. It involves humbling ourselves and focusing our attention upon the Lord with heart-felt expressions of love, adoration and thanksgiving. High praises bring our spirit into a pinnacle of fellowship and intimacy with God – it magnifies our awareness of spiritual union with the Most High God. Praise transports us into the realm of the supernatural power of God. “Blessed are the people who know the joyful sound! They walk, O LORD, in the light of Your countenance” (Psa. 89:15).

There are many actions involved with Praising God – verbal expressions of adoration and thanksgiving, singing hymns and songs, playing instruments, shouting, dancing, lifting or clapping hands. Here are Seven Scriptural expressions of Praise:

Singing Praise songs and declaring Testimonies: “Sing praises to the LORD, who dwells in Zion! Declare His deeds among the people” (Psa.9:11).

Singing New Songs and Shouting for Joy: “Sing to Him a new song; play skilfully with a shout of joy” (Psa.33:3).

Clapping hands and shouting: “Oh, clap your hands, all you people! Shout to God with the voice of triumph” (Psa. 47:1).

Making a Joyful Noise: “Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth; break forth in song, rejoice, and sing praises” (Psa.98:4).

Lifting up our hands: “Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the LORD” (Psa.134:2).

Playing musical instruments and dancing: “Praise Him with the timbrel and dance; Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes” (Psa. 150:4).

Singing Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual songs: “Speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord” (Eph. 5:19)

True praise is however not “merely” going through the motions. Jesus spoke about the hypocrisy of the Pharisees, whose worship was only an outward show and not from the heart: “These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me” (Mt.15:8). Genuine praise to God is a matter of humility and sincere devotion to the Lord from within. Unpretentious praise and authentic worship please the Lord. He delights in the exuberant love and devotion of His children. According to the scriptures, the various expressions of praise bring blessing to the Lord. He eagerly awaits the fragrance of our affections, desiring to manifest His sweet presence and power in our midst. “...the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him” (Jh. 4:23).

Praise to God is a key aspect of the Believer’s Lifestyle. All too often, praise to God is something that many people leave at church, an event that happens only when they come together with other Christians. However, praise should be a part of a believer’s lifestyle, inter-mingled as a part of our daily prayer-life. At work, in the car, at home in bed, or anywhere; praise to the Lord brings the refreshing of the Lord’s presence, along with His power and anointing. “I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth” (Psa. 34:1). Beloved, let Praise become your lifestyle, for the Father’s Glory!