The Power of Praise

We are all bound to worship and praise something. Here’s the reality: Whatever we love with our time, talent, money, and thinking is what we worship and praise. Whatever takes up residence in our minds or is the object of our obsessions is what we truly make the center of our lives.

Some people love technology. So, when the new iPhone is released or some new gadget comes out, they need to buy it and share with others all the new features. Some people love sports. We all have seen the crazy fan with the painted face screaming for his team to win.

Some people love shopping. They have multiple store credit cards and love to find a great deal. They will talk about the bargain they found to everyone they know. Some people love money. They obsess about it. They constantly work overtime. They are consumed with making an extra buck. Some people love food. They post about food. They talk about what they are eating for dinner or what fancy restaurant they’re visiting. Some people love God. And when we say we love God, we talk about God. We sing about God. We praise our God.

The Bible mentions the word "praise" over 250 times. The Psalms alone speak of worship, music, and praise to God. Here's just a few mentioned:

Psalm 34:1-3: “I will extol the Lord at all times; His praise will always be on my lips. I will glory in the Lord; let the afflicted hear and rejoice. Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt His Name together.”

Psalm 95:1-7 “Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. 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.”

Psalm 150: “Praise the Lord! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens! Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness!

Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp! Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe! Praise him with sounding cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals! Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!”

Psalm 150 reminds us to praise the Lord. With everything we should praise God. There are numerous reasons to praise Him:

We should praise God for his creation and his creativity. When we look at his nature and the beauty that surrounds us, it should cause us to praise God. When we see the turning of the leaves and the way the sun rises and sets each day, creation declares the majesty and greatness of God. We also should praise him for our lives and the way he has wired us as his people. Each person is made in the image of God and meant to glorify him in their own unique way. Every person on this planet has a special purpose to live out. We should praise God for how he created and made us.

We should praise God for the gift of salvation. The apostle Paul reminds us in Ephesians: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.”

Salvation is a gift. It is a gift from God that he would send his only son on our behalf and pay the ultimate price for our sins. This great act in history demands our praise.

We should praise God for our life and breath. Just like salvation is a gift from God, so is every day of living and breathing. With every breath, we are reminded of God's faithfulness and goodness in our lives. Therefore, we should praise him continuously for our health and life.

So, wherever life may find you today, let me encourage you to walk out a life of praise.

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!