Praise the Lord. Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens. Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness.

 Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. 

Psalm 150:1-2,6

I grew up in a small town and attended a small church. We sat on uncomfortable, wooden pews with outdated pew cushions, that weren’t much help, and gazed at the grand pipe organ that filled the front of the church. On Sundays, we would hear that organ come to life, and we would join it singing traditional, old hymns. It was nice. Aside from the pews, it was comfortable. But it was not what I now know to be “praise”. Singing along with a spectacular pipe organ CAN be praise, but what I was doing was just singing along, focused only on singing the right words in tune while reading from old red hymnals. I still love that beautiful, old church, that small town, and all those classic hymns. The memories made there are tucked-away treasures. But I can confidently say that I did not learn what it means to praise God there. That came later. 

In English, we use the same word “praise” to express our approval of someone’s actions that we use to express our adoration of and devotion to God, so the meaning get’s a little lost. Praising God isn’t a style of music, extra-loud singing, or what you choose to do with your hands when music plays. Authentic praise begins in the heart. It is about acknowledging and honoring the character of God, the nature of God, and the faithfulness and trustworthiness of God. It should be the response of a grateful heart because of what Jesus has already done. 

As a child of the King, your life should be filled with praise. Because of what Jesus poured out for you, spontaneous expressions of gratitude and appreciation for His love and grace should pour out of you! Every time it does, you are connecting your heart to His heart, and that is exactly what Jesus desires: connection, authenticity, relationship. So lift up your eyes and your heart and continually encounter your Savior. Praise Him in worship. Praise Him wherever you go. Praise Him for His power and His greatness and His everything! Just praise the Lord! You are loved!