Whenever someone has nice things to say about my blog or anything else I do or say in obedience to God’s Holy Spirit, I always respond, “I will keep the encouragement and pass the praise on to the One who deserves it.” I recently told that to one of my friends who had some positive things to say about my blog. She replied, “I know you didn’t do that on your own. No one is that talented.” We know each other well enough that I know it was her way of agreeing with me, but her bluntness jarred me awake to the full truth. God alone is worthy of our praise.
Praise should be an important part of every prayer we utter. The template of prayer that Jesus gave his disciples (and us) in Matthew 6:9-13 (KJV) begins and ends with praise, “Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven….For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.” I called it a template for prayer because Jesus never intended it to be a liturgy to be repeatedly recited. He didn’t say to pray this prayer. He said that we should “pray in this manner” (KJV). The NLT reads, “pray like this.” We should praise God, present our petitions or requests, vow to treat others as God has treated us and then praise Him some more. As Christians, our prayers should always end “In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.” It is through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ that we are able to approach our heavenly Father directly in prayer.
Praise and worship are inseparable. Whether it is in one of the oldest hymns or a modern worship song, you will find words of praise. Praise is more than thanking God for what He has done. It is lifting Him to His rightful place in our thoughts and in our hearts. Simply put, it is acknowledging Him for who He is.
I’ve never been a fan of liturgy that is recited every worship service. Repetition and familiarity turn meaningful thoughts into a rote recitation with no thought at all. But the first line of one liturgical song has been on my mind lately. It is, “Praise God from whom all blessings flow.” It is a constant reminder to me that as Christians we have the privilege of knowing who to thank for all that we have.