Praise
Who should praise the Lord and how? It's in the Bible, Psalm 150:1-6, TLB. "Hallelujah! Yes, praise the Lord! Praise Him in His Temple, and in the heavens He made with mighty power. Praise Him for His mighty works. Praise His unequaled greatness. Praise Him with the trumpet and with lute and harp. Praise Him with stringed instruments and horns. Praise Him with the cymbals, yes, loud clanging cymbals. Let everything alive give praise to the Lord! You praise Him! Hallelujah!"
Praise is a spiritual offering. It's in the Bible, Hebrews 13:15, NIV. "Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess His name."
Praise is thanking God for His many gracious gifts. It's in the Bible, Psalm 103:2, TLB. "Yes, I will bless the Lord and not forget the glorious things He does for me."
Praise God for forgiveness and answered prayer. It's in the Bible, Psalm 65:1-3, NIV. "Praise awaits you, O God, in Zion; to You our vows will be fulfilled. O You who hear prayer, to You all men will come. When we were overwhelmed by sins, You atoned for our transgressions."
All creation is like a symphony praising God for who He is and what He does. It's in the Bible, Psalm 148, TLB. "Praise the Lord, O heavens! Praise Him from the skies! Praise Him. all his angels, all the armies of heaven. Praise Him, sun and moon, and all you twinkling stars. Praise Him, skies above. Praise Him, vapors high above the clouds. Let everything He has made give praise to Him. For He issued his command, and they came into being; He established them forever and forever. His orders will never be revoked. And praise Him down here on earth, you creatures of the ocean depths. Let fire and hail, snow, rain, wind and weather, all obey. Let the mountains and hills, the fruit trees and cedars, the wild animals and cattle, the snakes and birds, the kings and all the people, with their rulers and their judges, young men and maidens, old men and children—all praise the Lord together. For He alone is worthy. His glory is far greater than all of earth and heaven. He has made His people strong, honoring His godly ones—the people of Israel, the people closest to Him. Hallelujah! Yes, praise the Lord!"
We can praise God because He is powerful. It's in the Bible, Psalm 21:13, TLB. "Accept our praise, O Lord, for all Your glorious power. We will write songs to celebrate Your mighty acts!"
A good way to praise God is through music. It's in the Bible, Psalm 33:1-3, TLB. "Let all the joys of the godly well up in praise to the Lord, for it is right to praise Him. Play joyous melodies of praise upon the lyre and on the harp. Compose new songs of praise to Him, accompanied skillfully on the harp; sing joyfully."
Praise God even when our heart is breaking. It's in the Bible, Psalm 34:1-3, TLB. "I will praise the Lord no matter what happens. I will constantly speak of His glories and grace. I will boast of all His kindness to me. Let all who are discouraged take heart. Let us praise the Lord together and exalt His name."
Praising God should happen daily. It's in the Bible, Psalm 61:8, TLB. "And I will praise Your name continually, fulfilling my vow of praising You each day."
Praise Him for turning grief into happiness. It's in the Bible, Psalm 30:11-12, TLB. "Then He turned my sorrow into joy! He took away my clothes of mourning and gave me gay and festive garments to rejoice in so that I might sing glad praises to the Lord instead of lying in silence in the grave. O Lord my God, I will keep on thanking You forever!"
Praise God for His loving kindness. It's in the Bible, Psalm 107:8-9, TLB. "Oh, that these men would praise the Lord for His loving-kindness, and for all of His wonderful deeds! For He satisfies the thirsty soul and fills the hungry soul with good."
