In Hebrew the word psalms [tehilìm] is derived from the root He-Lamed-Lamed that produces the words to praise; to shine.
It’s important to note that Praise is different from Worship; praise is of our words uttered towards Christ, worship is through surrender expressed in our posture or our spirit within us. Simply put, Praise is with words exclaiming God’s glory and character.
“Therefore by Him [Jesus Christ] let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.” -Hebrews 13:15
Now, let us take a closer look at the life of a man named David. He was anointed and chosen by God to be king of Israel, after God referred to Him as “a man after His own heart”. But David’s life was everything but smooth. He endured a lot of adversity, yet he is the author of almost half of the book of psalms. Was his heart of praise the reason God called Him a man after His own heart? Let’s take a closer look…
“And when He had removed him, He raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.” -Acts 13:22
What does it mean to be after God’s heart? To do God’s will with obedience.
“But now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought for Himself a man after His own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be commander over His people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.” -1 Samuel 13:14
But I also believe that the way David chose to praise during all troubles he had in his life contributed to that “title”. He chose to praise because He trusted and believed in God’s sovereignty, though it didn’t make a whole lot of sense to him or others at the moment.
David was praising through the various situations in his life
David wrote 73 of the Psalms, many a psalm of praise and thanksgiving unto the Lord. Here are a few examples.
- David expresses thanksgiving unto the Lord.
In Psalm 59, King Saul, in his jealousy, sent messengers to David’s house to kill him, but he was able to escape before the men could enter.
“But I will sing of Your power; Yes, I will sing aloud of Your mercy in the morning;
For You have been my defense and refuge in the day of my trouble.
To You, O my Strength, I will sing praises;
For God is my defense, my God of mercy.” -Psalm 59:16-17
- David expresses his faith in the Lord.
“The Silent Dove in Distant Lands.” A Michtam of David when the Philistines captured him in Gath. When David was pretending to be madman before the Philistines.
“You number my wanderings; Put my tears into Your bottle;
Are they not in Your book? When I cry out to You,
Then my enemies will turn back; This I know, because God is for me.
In God (I will praise His word), In the Lord (I will praise His word),
In God I have put my trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” -Psalm 56:8-11
- David finds joy in fellowship with the Lord.
A Psalm of David when he was in the wilderness of Judah, after fleeing from Saul who was after his life again.
“Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, My lips shall praise You.
Thus I will bless You while I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name.
My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness,
And my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips.” –Psalm 63:3-5
What does Praise do?
- Praise strengthens our faith
It’s hard to offer true praise when we don’t believe, but it is important to know that praise builds us up in faith. It helps us see God as this mighty rock that crushes everything: all our anxieties, fears and doubts. When we praise Christ, we begin to focus on the sovereignty of God and on His infallible word; two things I believe contribute to us being built up in faith during praise.
“Then they believed His words; They sang His praise.” -Psalm 106:12
- Praise makes us focus on Jesus above the chaos and the storm.
Praise makes everything else that surrounds us in the tangible world become trivial and helps us to lift our eyes and our hearts up unto the Heavens and eternity. It shifts our focus from the situation to the one who is above and in control of it, Jesus. It gives us the right perspective in life, which is to walk in a way that pleases the Father and drink from the cup of His will, irrespective of how bitter it is.
“Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” -2 Corinthians 4:16-18
- Praise is a weapon of spiritual warfare
Praise is the greatest weapon of Heaven given to every believer on earth, for when we begin to praise God in the deepest and darkest of valleys, it leaves hell and satan astounded, distraught and powerless. The reason why the devil brings several reasons to not praise is that he recognizes the power of praise and knows that when we praise, God goes forth before us. Praise is a stance of faith, where we surrender our situation, as improbable and un-praisable as it may seem, to Christ in total faith, allowing God to move and fight our battles. Let our lives be lived in praise and victory in Christ, over the world and all its troubles.
”And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who should sing to the Lord, and who should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army and were saying: “Praise the Lord, For His mercy endures forever.” Now when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated.” – 2 Chronicles 20:21-24
“But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed.” -Acts 16:25-26
- Praise leads us to a heart of gratitude.
For if we praise Jesus for who He is, it inevitably leads us to be thankful for what He has done. Praise helps us to see the multitude of things Jesus has done for us, and it reminds us to be thankful and grateful.
- Praise leads us to deeper intimacy with Jesus.
The scripture points to the fact that Praise draws us closer to Christ. I believe it’s because when we praise, there is something that changes within us, taking away the garment of heaviness and sorrow. Praise is the cure to a heavy and sorrowful heart. It stirs a new desire and zeal for more of Christ, as we realize how worthy He is, more than all the praises we could ever offer.
“Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations.” -Psalm 100:4–5
Why is praise such an important weapon in the arsenal of every believer?
Simply put, Praise makes it all about Jesus.
It chooses to lift and exalt Jesus. It chooses to dismiss the storm and the fire. It chooses to focus on the unchanging character of Jesus Christ. Whenever we go through the wilderness, just like the Israelites, God not only expects us to praise, He also provides us with a song of praise! A heart of thanksgiving and praise is what prepares us for the wilderness and sustains us through it, into the promised land.
There is something heavenly about our praise and worship, it is the heartbeat of Heaven. Praise brings Heaven down into our hearts, lives and our situations.
“Every day I will bless You, and I will praise Your name forever and ever.” -Psalm 145:2
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