The dictionary defines Praise as “the expression of approval or admiration for someone or something.” It is important to understand the meaning of Praise first before we delve into what it means to Praise God. Praising someone is usually done verbally and with our bodies. When we think of ways that people praise others in our world then what comes to your mind? Take for example when people praise their favorite celebrities in this world. They applaud, they jump, they say they are amazing, they put up posters of them in their room, they sing about them and sometimes they cannot stop talking about them enough. All these are ways that people show their admiration for someone by verbally or physically giving them praise.

So does God get the same level of Praise from us? or worse does he get any praise at all? when he alone is worthy of the highest praise? Revelation 4:11 says “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will, they were created and have their being.” This verse clearly says that if anyone is worthy of our Praise then it is our creator, the reason why we exist. So why is it that we fail to regularly Praise God for who He is and give him the glory that he deserves? To answer this question you must ask yourself the tough question, do you admire God enough to give him praise? or do you care more about the things of this world instead and they are getting the praise that should be given to God instead?

When Jesus was asked what is the most important commandment he replied by saying in Mark 12:29-31 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” Jesus here clearly says that Loving God with all our heart and soul and mind is the most important thing.” So the question is, do you? If you love God then giving him praise will be easy because of all the things he has done for you in your life.

The entire book of Psalms, one might argue is about David singing praises to the Lord about what he has done for him and for Israel. Here are a few of the many verses in the Psalms where David gives God praise. Psalm 47:6 “Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises.” Psalm 51:15 “Open my lips, Lord, and my mouth will declare your praise.” Psalm 69:30 “I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving.” Psalm 71:22 “I will praise you with the harp for your faithfulness, my God; I will sing praise to you with the lyre, Holy One of Israel.” Psalm 150:6 “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord.”

David had a reason to give God the praise because he had seen firsthand how God worked in his life and how God rescued him from many perils, He gave God the praise at all times even times when David had done something wrong. We all need to be like David and give God the praise he deserves. We need to praise him for giving us life, for sending his son to save s from our sins, for the blessings he has given us on Earth, for loving us, for always being there for us, for removing obstacles in our life which we know only God could have removed and for everything else he has done for us in our lives.

Praising God doesn’t have to be done in public. Even if there is no one around us we can give him praise. In many cases, David was by himself in isolation when he gave God the praise. Giving God praise when you are alone is probably a sign that you are truly connected with God and only God sees you giving him praise when done in private.  Giving God our praise is something that needs to come from within us naturally when we start loving God and putting our faith in him. So let us start praising him more every day in our lives. He is worthy of our Praise more than anyone else in this world. Once we start praising him we may not be able to stop just like David, as there is a whole list of reasons to keep praising God in our lives.