Worship

"Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name" Psalm 103:1 (NASB).

It is an awesome thought to consider that we have the ability to bless our Creator, but time after time in the Scripture we are exhorted to do just that. We bless him through our praise and worship of Him.

"I will extol the Lord at all times his praise will always be on my lips. My soul will boast in the Lord; let the afflicted hear and rejoice. Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt his name together" Psalm 34:1-3 (see also Exodus 15:11,21).

Praise

Praise is an expression of admiration and appreciation. When we praise someone, we tell them how wonderful we think they are, or how great their accomplishments are. It is the same with the Lord. When we praise God, we are acknowledging His character and power.

"Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands" Psalm 63:3- 4.

We are told to praise God for many reasons:

Because of who He is

"Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises. For God is the King of all the earth; sing to him a psalm of praise" Psalm 47:6-7.

Because of what He does

"Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits. He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases; he redeems my life from the pit and crowns me with love and compassion. He satisfies my desires with good things, so that my youth is renewed like the eagle's" Psalm 103:1-5.

We are instructed to praise God:

At all times (Psalm 34:1).
In every circumstance (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).
Surrounded by God's people (Psalm 22:22; 68:26).
On our beds (Psalm 63:4-6).
Among the nations (Psalm 57:9).

"Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord" Psalm 150:6 (see also Psalm 22:26).

Praise is not simply directed in words toward the Lord. We also praise God every time we speak about Him to others. We need to cultivate a praise habit which is toward the Lord (in personal praise) and about the Lord (to others).

Worship

Whereas praise is an expression of admiration and appreciation, worship is a deeper expression of love and adoration. It is possible to admire someone and appreciate what they do without being in love with them. In the same way, worship has to do with our love of the Lord. It can only be expressed with the giving of our whole heart and life to Him.

"To love Him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbour as yourself, is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices" Mark 12:33.

The religious rituals and ceremonies of Israel in the Old Testament became detestable to the Lord because their heart was far from Him (Isaiah 1:10-15; 29:13). Today, also, God is only interested in sincere worship that comes from the heart.

"Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshippers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshippers must worship in spirit and truth" John 4:23-24 (read also verses 4-26).

In spirit

Our spirit can be termed the "inner man" - the real you on the inside (Ephesians 3:16). Worship results when the inner man, in response to the promptings of God's Spirit, is released in love and adoration toward God. This can take the form of vocal worship, a love-song to the Lord, or silent adoration. Only those who have been "born again of the spirit" through faith in Jesus Christ can truly worship God (John 3:5-8).

In truth

To worship God in truth is to worship Him genuinely and sincerely and in full understanding of who He is, what He is like, and what pleases Him. This is only possible through the Lord Jesus, who is the Truth and came to reveal the Father.

"Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me'" John 14:6.

Expressions

The Bible has been written to reveal God's heart to us (John 5:39-40). In the Bible, we see praise and worship the way it pleases God:

With the mouth

Singing (Psalm 9:2,11).
Praising (Psalm 103:1).
Shouting (Psalm 47:1).

With the hands

Lifting (Psalm 63:4).
Clapping (Psalm 47:1).
Musical instruments (Psalm 150).

With the feet

Standing (Psalm 134:1 KJV).
Kneeling, bowing (Psalm 95:6).
Dancing and leaping for joy (Psa.30:11; 2 Sam.6:14-15).

These are outward expressions of what is coming from the heart. Without heart-felt praise, the outward form is empty and displeasing to God. God is always looking at our heart (1 Sam. 16:7). But when our heart is overflowing with gratitude and love for God, it is impossible to be silent. We will use all the outward means - with our mouth, with our hands and with our feet - to express the praise that is in our hearts.

"Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise - the fruit of lips that confess his name" Hebrews 13:15.

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