THE VOCABULARY OF PRAISE

“Oh, give thanks to the LORD! Call upon His name; make known His deeds among the people. Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him: talk of all His wondrous works” – Psalm 105:1-2

God wants us to be proficient in the Language of Praise, and also skilled in the VOCABULARY of PRAISE: “Oh, give thanks to the LORD! Call upon His name; make known His deeds among the people. Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him: talk of all His wondrous works” (vv.1-2). There is a colourful diversity and variety to the Vocabulary of Praise in the Scriptures, which encompasses: the spoken word; inspired songs, psalms and hymns; our actions; and our thoughts and meditations.

Through the Spoken Word, we declare God’s Praise: who He is in our lives – our Creator, Maker, Redeemer, Healer, and Sovereign King; He who has all the answers, even when we don’t see the answer. We “make known His deeds among the people”! Declaring aloud who God is in a given situation helps to inscribe His promises indelibly into our spirits. The Written Word, when declared as the Spoken Word, is heard in three realms – in heaven, on earth, and in hell – as a divine decree: “You will also declare a thing, and it will be established for you…” (Job 22:28a). Right now, I declare: “I thank you my Lord for healing me by Your stripes” (Isa.53:5). “I give You praise, Lord, for having a plan for my life and a hope and a future!” (Jer.29:11). We need to constantly remind ourselves what God can and will do in and for us.

Inspired Songs, Psalms and Hymns are vital parts of the Vocabulary of Praise. David testified: “He has put a new song in my mouth – Praise to our God; many will see and fear, and will trust in the LORD” (Psa.40:3); “Praise the LORD! Sing to the LORD a new song, and His praise in the congregation of saints” (Psa.149:1). Isaiah prophesied: “Sing to the LORD a new song, and His praise from the ends of the earth, you who go down to the sea, and all that is in it, you coastlands and you inhabitants of them” (Isa.42:10). Singing songs of praise brings a release. It frees our spirit to soar higher to new heights.

Action-laded dimensions of the vocabulary of Praise include: clapping and dancing; shouting out how great God is; kneeling in humility or laying prostrate before Him. Psalm 149:3,5 says, “Let them praise His name in the dance; let them sing praises to Him with the timbrel and harp…Let the saints be joyful in glory; let them sing aloud on their beds.”

Our Thoughts and Meditations also contribute to the Vocabulary of Praise: “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer” (Psa.19:14). Nothing we think and plan in our hearts is ever hidden from God: “I, the LORD search the heart, I test the mind…” (Jer.17:10a). God is a Spirit (Jh.4:24). Therefore, we can communicate with Him through our thoughts and meditations, even before verbalising such: “The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in Him, and I am helped; therefore my heart greatly rejoices, and with my song I will praise Him” (Psa.28:7).

As we cheerfully and willingly engage in the Practice of Praise, God will train, nurture, and cause us to grow and become more skilled and fluent in the Vocabulary of Praise, such that praise to Him will flow freely from our hearts and seamlessly from our lips. Just as we think about ourselves or things concerning us virtually all the time, surely we can manifest praise and love for God as a lifestyle. Praise should be such a part of our vocabulary that it spills out constantly. Personally, I find myself constantly saying under my breath, “Thank you Jesus.” “I love you, Lord.” “Have Your way, Lord!” “Lord, You are so good.” May I never have reasons to cease giving Praise to my Maker and my Father, in Jesus name!