How to Praise God

Jesus Christ is worthy of our praise. Here’s why and how to do it.

A businessman had a financial manager. The financial manager was paid well, and the businessman was happy with his work.

The businessman began to notice that the monthly accounts brought to him did not tally, and some money was not accounted for.

At first, the businessman did not pay much attention, thinking it was an anomaly that would be resolved in later months. He gave his financial manager the benefit of the doubt.

Yet, the same thing happened month after month, and the businessman was forced to think that his financial manager was cheating him. One day, he spread the paperwork on the table and saw ample proof of the financial manager’s guilt.

When confronted, the financial manager realized he had been discovered. There was silence in the room for some time. Then the businessman spoke. He said, “I am grieved to find that you have been cheating me for many months. I can only assume that your salary is not sufficient. From today, I will double your salary.” That was all he said.

The financial manager could not speak. Yet later, his lips were full of praise for his employer. The employer’s mercy and grace had made him a better man.

In this story, we learn something about praise. It is a response that comes from a grateful heart. Yet, it is much more than that.

Why We Praise God

God is not an egomaniac that demands praise. All of creation spontaneously glorifies God (Isaiah 6:3; Psalm 19:1). As humans, we tend to automatically glorify anyone or anything we perceive to have value, whether it is a sports figure or a fat bank account. It is human nature.

Therefore, we elevate that human trait when we grasp the value of God. We will automatically want to glorify him, both for who he is (the Creator) and for what he has done for us personally, redeeming us from sin and allowing us to live purposeful lives.

God wants but does not need our praise. God calls on us to glorify him because he wants us to comprehend his value. We want to praise him out of thankful hearts.

Praise comes from the Latin word “value” or “price.” Thus, to give praise to God is to proclaim merit or worth. There are several terms in the Bible used to express this.

Glory

Glory is used to describe the manifestation of God’s presence. In Hebrews, the concept of glory is expressed with several Hebrew words, including hod and kavod. Moses speaks of the praiseworthy majesty of God in Exodus 33:18–20 and Ezekiel in his vision (Ezekiel 1:27-28).

The New Testament uses doxa to express glory and limits the meaning to God’s glory. See Acts 7:2, Ephesians 1:17, and 2 Peter 1:17. The New Testament extends this to Christ as having the same divine glory (Luke 9:23; John 1:14, 1 Corinthians 2:8 and 2 Thessalonians 2:14).

Blessing

Blessings invoke praise. In the New Testament, the word makarios is translated as blessing. It means being fortunate or happy. The unique characteristic of the New Testament’s uses of bless and related words is their close relationship to the religious joy people experience from being sure of their salvation and, thus, their citizenship in the Kingdom of God.

When people have this confidence, they want to praise God. Various forms of the word “blessing” appear 88 times in the New Testament. Jesus used it repeatedly in the Beatitudes (Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5:3-11).

Blessing is closely associated with praise. Blessings from God evoke praise for and to him.

Hallelujah

This is a transliteration of the Hebrew for “Praise the Lord.” The Hebrew title for the Book of Psalms (“Praises”) comes from the same root as “hallelujah.”

Psalms 113- 118 have been designated as the “Hallel” (“praise”) psalms.

There are many ways to praise God, and here are a few of them. Often, Christians get in the habit of praising God in one or two ways, but these methods may help you expand the ways you praise the Lord.

Prayer (Philippians 4:6). Prayer takes many forms from supplication (asking God to intervene) to thanksgiving for all he has provided. Our recognition of God’s power in our lives is a type of praise.
Silence and meditation (Psalm 77:11). We can glorify God by remembering his wonders and participation in our lives and in the lives of people around the world. We do not need to vocalize our praise; we can express it in the quiet confines of our minds.
Testimony (Psalm 66:16). Sometimes, we are compelled to shout out our praise. Our testimonies often take the form of, “You know what happened to me?” We praise the Lord with all who are in hearing distance. People are influenced by what we say; thus, praising God openly, as if we were testifying in court, serves a dual purpose.
Physical movement (2 Samuel 6:14). King David danced before the Lord to praise him. Frankly, I’m not much of a dancer, but I have been known to occasionally jump for joy. Both types of physical movement can be ways to praise God, depending on your intention.
The offering of sacrifices (Leviticus 7:13). In old times, sacrifices usually meant offering an animal, grain, or commodities like oil, salt, and fine flour to God via the Hebrew priests. Before the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross, these sacrifices made atonement for the sins of those making the sacrifice. Today, we offer our time, talent, and money in sacrificial ways to praise God for his goodness.
Music (Psalm 150-5). We are to praise the Lord through music. Sadly, this has been subverted in our time, as mentioned in this article. The problem is that the worship music in many churches has become a performance, and worshippers do not participate in it except as observers. To praise God in music, we must lift our own voices in song, either in private or public. For some of us, that means our praise comes from singing along to recorded Christian music, and that’s okay.
Living a holy life (1 Peter 1:3-9). There is no more significant way to praise God than to live a life that honors him. As Peter says in this passage, living a life that honors the Lord is the thing that tests the genuineness of our faith. Christians are the children of the resurrection, and our daily lives must reflect that. When it does, every thought and every act brings praise to God.

I have been in worship services in 31 countries, but it wasn’t until I visited a church in my hometown that I saw people praising God by waving flags. In a way, it is physical movement, like dance.

I thought the flag waving was odd, but later discovered it had biblical precedent (Psalm 20:5 and elsewhere). Flags were often used as symbols of both worship and spiritual warfare. I mention flags because they help us realize there are many ways to praise the Lord, and it is good to explore them. Actions—even waving flags in praise—always speak louder than words.

Daily Praise

Today, I am glad to be a follower of Jesus Christ. I’m glad that my sins have been forgiven by a loving Lord. I am grateful for his mercy towards me. I have a grateful heart. Do you?

Out of a grateful heart grows praise to the Lord.

I can pray—whisper words of love to the Lord.
I can stand and wave my arm.
I can be silent before the Lord and meditate on his glory.
I can give testimony about the wonderful things he has done for me personally.
And, of course, I can give the Lord the highest form of praise by doing my best by his grace to live a holy life that honors him.

You can do these things too. In doing them, you can live a life of praise, demonstrating your gratitude to the Lord Jesus Christ.