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As Christians, we were created to praise (Psalm 102:18; Isaiah 43:21; Jeremiah 13:11). In fact, God has commanded everything with breath to give Him praise (Psalm 150:6). Praise is simply an outward display of the love, reverence, and excitement we have toward God for Who He is in our lives. It is an act of our will (Psalm 42:5-6) and a sign of our gratitude toward Him.
We should continually give God praise, regardless of our circumstances. Why? Continuous praise moves the hand of God on our behalf—not just to take over any battles we may be facing but to also shower us with His blessings. Psalm 67:3-7 says, the result of heartfelt praise is a harvest, or increase. God loves our praise so much that His approval bubbles up and out of Him in the form of good things—health and healing, promotion, favor, financial increase, and success.
As if basking in His blessings isn’t enough, here are a few more reasons why we must praise God:
- It is a command (Psalm 150:1-2).
- He dwells, or is enthroned in, our praise (Psalm 22:3).
- Supernatural power is made available to us.
- He is worthy of our praise (Psalm 48:1)
There are many ways to praise God, and none of them require having to run laps around your church. You can praise Him several times a day by simply pausing for a moment and lifting up your hands to Him as a sign of surrender (Psalm 28:2). When I lift up my hands to God, I am reminded of the Ark of the Covenant (2 Chronicles 5:7-8). The angels’ wings acted as a funnel for God’s presence. When I lift up my hands to God in praise, His presence comes to rest on me in a tangible way.
You may also give God praise by clapping your hands (Psalm 47:1), standing (Psalm 135:1-2), and singing and dancing (Psalm 149:1-9). It doesn’t matter which of these methods you choose to get your praise on. The important thing is to make sure that you don’t wait until you are in church to give Him praise. You can do so even while you are lying in bed (Psalm 149:5).
I encourage you to take the time to praise God from the heart on a daily basis. When you do, you can rest assured that your heartfelt praise will rock the heavens!
— Creflo A. Dollar
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