RYAN FRASER| Freed-Hardeman University
What is your favorite praise song? There are so many great ones to choose from. Some of my contemporary favorites include: “Mighty to Save,” “How Great is Our God,” “Blessed Be Your Name,” “Here I Am to Worship,” “Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone,” “Open the Eyes of My Heart,” and “In Christ Alone.”
The Bible tells us to praise God. A few years ago, I discovered a wonderful acrostic for the word, P-R-A-I-S-E, as it relates to God’s worthiness to receive our heartfelt worship (by Julia Bettencourt). We should praise the Lord because He is . . .
- Powerful (Job 27:23)
- Righteous (Psa. 36:6; Dan. 9:14)
- Able (Eph. 3:20)
- Infinite (Rom. 11:33-36)
- Strong (2 Sam. 22:33; Psa. 93:1)
- Everlasting (Isa. 9:6; 40:28).
The Bible is saturated with many wonderful verses regarding praise. Hebrews 2:12 (ESV) exclaims, “I will tell of your name to my brothers;in the midst of thecongregation I will sing your praise.” Hebrews 13:15 (ESV) says, “Through him then let us continually offer upa sacrifice of praise to God, that is,the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.” 2 Sam. 22:4 asserts, “I call upon theLord, who isworthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies.
Perhaps no other inspired book in the Bible displays the spirit of praise and worship more than Psalms. It supplies more verses of praise than any other book of the Bible. God wants us to give him thanks in all things (1 Thess. 5:8), even through great difficulties and hardship. Why is this the case? It is because praise is the most direct avenue of demonstrating your total dependence on God and trust it him alone. And, it should be noted that the praise we offer up is not so much for our Creator’s sake as it is for our own benefit.
David and the other Psalmists seem to have continually offered up words and songs/psalms of praise to God. It was something they focused on throughout the day and night. For example, Psalm 34:1 says, “I will bless theLORDat all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth.” Psalm 35:18, 28, states “I will thank you inthe great congregation; in the mighty throng I will praise you…. Then mytongue shall tell of your righteousness and of your praise all the day long.” Psalm 100:4 says, “Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and hiscourts with praise! Give thanks to him;bless his name!” At the close of the book of Psalms, the psalmist exclaims (in 150:6), “Leteverything that has breath praise theLORD! Praise theLORD!”
In the New Testament we are instructed with regards to praise and worship to be “filled with the Spirit,” and to address “one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Eph. 5:18-20). James 5:13 says, “Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let himsing praise.”
When we think about the concept of praise and worship, our thoughts generally center on important matters such as: (1) God’s requirements of us regarding worship; (2) The correct way to worship; (3) The place and purpose of worship in church; (4) The right attitude in and proper focus of our worship; (5) The dangers of diverging from God’s divine instructions regarding worshipping in spirit and truth (John 4:24).
Something, however, that we tend to seldom consider is the personal benefits and blessings to the worshipper him or herself for praising God. How is the believer in Christ blessed as a result of offering up sincere praise and worship? In other words, what precisely do we get out of worship?
I believe the very act and process of sincerely and unashamedly praising God can be extremely powerful and transformative to us as Christians. Through lifting up our praise, whether in a private setting or in the midst of the congregation, the following nine amazing things can happen to us.
- Our eyes are opened up. (in the spiritual sense to see God more clearly)
- Our minds are woken up. (from spiritual slumber and worldly desensitization)
- Our heads are lifted up. (from discouragement and disappointment)
- Our hearts are filled up. (with joy, peace, and satisfaction)
- Our sin is given up. (through submission, surrender, and repentance)
- Our cares and anxieties are castup. (through trust in God’s love)
- Our souls and broken spirits are healed up. (from sin, pain, and sorrow)
- Our faith is shored up. (or built up and bolstered)
- Our fellowship is linked up. (through unity in the church)
Praise is indeed a potent and restorative tool. It changes us for the better by refocusing our affections, realigning our priorities, and restoring our souls. Our spirit becomes more pliable, open, and receptive to receiving to God’s Holy Spirit. Let us be more intentional, consistent, and passionate in our quest to praise God from whom all blessings flow!
Dr. Ryan Fraser is an associate professor of clinical mental health counseling at Freed-Hardeman University. His new book, Overcoming the Blues: Finding Christ-centered Hope and Joy through Serving Others, will be released by Skyhorse Publishing (New York, NY) on Sept. 3. For more information, go to RyanNoelFraser.com.
