The Bible says that God inhabits in the praise of His
people (Psalms 22:3). In other words, God "dwells" in
the atmosphere of His praise. This means that praise is not
merely a reaction from coming into His presence - Praise is
a vehicle of faith which brings us into the presence and
power of God! Praise worship is the "gate-pass" which
allows us to enter the sacredness of His glory. The
psalmist writes, "Enter into his gates with thanksgiving,
and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and
bless his name" (Psalms 100:4).
This corresponds with Jesus' teaching, that His presence
will inhabit the gathering of believers who congregate in
His name: "For where two or three are gathered together
in my name, there am I in the midst of them" (Matthew
18:20). A "gathering in His name" means that Jesus must
be the focus, the center of the assemblage. He must be the
one preached about, sung about - the one praised
worshiped. "I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in
the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee"
(Hebrews 2:12). Consequently, Christ's presence, along with
His virtue and anointing, is manifested in this type of
gathering.
Have you ever noticed when "gifts of the Spirit"
operate in a church service? The power and anointing of the
Holy Spirit usually becomes evident, subsequent to a time of
praise worship. Some think that worship is a response after
the Holy Spirit moves upon them. However, it's the other
way around. God's presence responds when we move upon Him
with praise worship! Lifting up Jesus Christ through praise
worship invokes the Lord's presence and power to flow in our
midst.
What is Praise?
Praise means "to commend, to applaud or magnify." For
the Christian, praise to God is an expression of worship,
lifting-up and glorifying the Lord. It is an expression of
humbling ourselves and centering our attention upon the
Lord with heart-felt expressions of love, adoration and
thanksgiving. High praises bring our spirit into a pinnacle
of fellowship and intimacy between ourselves and God - it
magnifies our awareness of our spiritual union with the
most high God. Praise transports us into the realm of the
supernatural and into the power of God. "Blessed is the
people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O LORD,
in the light of thy countenance" (Psalms 89:15).
There are many actions involved with praise to God -
verbal expressions of adoration and thanksgiving, singing,
playing instruments, shouting, dancing, lifting or clapping
our hands. But true praise is not "merely" going through
these motions. Jesus spoke about the hypocrisy of the
pharisees, whose worship was only an outward show and not
from the heart. "This people draweth nigh unto me with
their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their
heart is far from me" (Matthew 15:8). Genuine praise to
God is a matter of humility and sincere devotion to the
Lord from within.
Unpretentious praise and worship pleases the Lord. He
delights in the love and devotion of His children.
According to the scriptures, the various expressions of
praise bring blessing to the Lord. He eagerly awaits the
fragrance of our affections, desiring to manifest His sweet
presence and power in our midst. "...the true worshipers
shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the
Father seeketh such to worship him" (John 4:23).
Praise to God is a Lifestyle
