This week in my daily study I was made aware of some very practical ways to praise the Lord. Many of which I already do, but just to read Scripture that backs it up was very inspiring.
For years now, I have always felt a pull to praise and worship music. It literally fills my soul. It lifts me up, it make me feel like I am on a high. It never fails that the minute I begin singing His praises, I feel His Spirit in me trying to overflow into my life. Can anyone relate?
This week we had the honor to see one of my daughter’s classmates baptized. It was a worship service, so she sat with us during the entire service. (And she was quite well-behaved, I might add!) While we were in the service, I was really getting into the worship music (as usual) and had my hands lifted up. She was right beside me.
The next morning I was on my morning run and I felt the Lord very clearly telling me I needed to be able to articulate to her “why” I worship Him with my hands up. Just as if He knew she would be asking me…very soon. God and I talked on my entire run that morning. I went through all the reasons why I raise my hands in worship. And His Spirit helped me express why. I love it when He does that. The time flew by. The next thing I knew I was at my doorstep.
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. – Psalm 150:6
No sooner had I walked in the door and begun breakfast, did she come up and perch on our breakfast bar. Asking me questions. Lots of great questions. Questions about baptism. Questions about praising the Lord. Questions about why people raise their hands when they sing in church. WOW! I love it when God does that. I love it when He speaks so clearly to me, then confirms our conversation, his message to me.
Is there any doubt He wants me to talk to my daughter about praise? Why we praise Him? Ways to praise Him? Nope. It was pretty clear. And I love it when things are very clear. It makes things so much easier!
Okay, so I went through my testimony of why I praise the Lord with my hands in the air. Now, I know this isn’t for everyone. God calls us all to worship Him in our own way.
Then this morning, I was in my quiet time. I have been reading through The Power of a Praying Woman by Stormie Omartian. If you haven’t read all The Power of… books, you should! Well, I was on the chapter about preparing to be a true worshiper. Check out the verse in my study…
Hear the voice of my petitions, when I cry to you, when I lift my hands to Your Most Holy Place. — Psalm 28:2
Do you know my heart shuddered? I felt such a sense of blessing at that moment. God was confirming all that He was teaching me. I love how He does that. I wish I was open enough to Him every day, so that every day I would feel blessing like this.
Are you not a hand-raiser? No biggie, there are so many ways to praise the Lord. Do you know you do it just in the way you live your life for Him? You don’t have to be a music person to worship Him. People worship Him in their art, in their daily work, in their attitude… I could go on forever.
Here are some great ways to praise the Lord and what He says about them!
- Praise Him by lifting your hands.
Life up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the Lord. – Psalm 134:2
- Praise Him with singing.
Praise the Lord! For it is good to sing praises to God: for it is ; pleasant , and praise is beautiful! – Psalm 147:1
Serve the Lord with gladness; come before His presence with singing. – Psalm 100:2 - Praise Him with your words.
Therefore by Him let us continually offer sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. – Hebrews 13:15 - Praise Him with dancing and instruments.
Let them praise His name with the dance; let them sing praises to Him with the timbrel and harp. – Psalm 149:3 - Praise Him in fellowship with other believers.
I will declare Your name to My brethren; in the midst of the assembly I will sing praise to You. – Hebrews 2:12
What is your favorite way to praise the Lord?
Great post! Thank you for being so open and honest and for the verses. I feel the same way about worship music. 🙂 God bless you and your sweet family.
I just had a very rough night (infection), called a friend to find SHE was having one also. I prayed for healing for the both of us-went to bed, got up, and much to my surprise I felt better. Saw this web site + praised God with raised hands and voice, asked for continued healing for both me + my friend (too early to call her yet to see how she is doing).
I loved this! I’m not a hand raiser but at times I feel so emotionally connected to the Lord through Christian Music that it brings me to tears. A a busy mom I too feel like I need to stop and listen to what he’s trying to tell me more often…Hearing of your success in doing this will serve as a great motivator in the future to do so! Thank you for sharing your experience!
I too am a hand raiser and even start to tap my foot in dance to the Lord in worship. Why do this? Not for show but because years ago I realized who He is and who I am. I am nothing and He is everything and yet He wants to have a relationship with me. To be filled and lift my hands in praise and worship is for me to acknowledge that He is greater and is God in just one small way. Praise Him, praise Him!
Well I just came to know god recently and I must say that your sharing of experiences and how he connects with you is remarkable. Thank you so much
In Psalms 67:6 I was made to know that praising God brings increment and blessing. If increase is your demand praise is an option. When we praise God,he raised us up .
Wow, this is a good answer for my long long question. I am praising and worshipping the Lord but I don’t feel to raise my hand together with the people when singing worship. I am not like them, im not comfortable to raise my hand. But today, I thank you for your message. Realy there’s a good reason why I should raise my hand and dance with joy to our Faithful God. God is good. Amen.
What a wonderful testimony! I love it when God speak’s to me through the testimonies of other believers. I too am a hand raiser, and a singer, and a clapper, and any other way the spirit moves me. I love God so much. I’ve known about praise for a long time but today through your website and a few others, I have learned the importance of praise and worship. It is vital to our Christian life, and to praise God is the least we could do for all He has done, is doing and is going to do! Thank you and keep it coming!
I felt so truly touched by your experience. I need to have the Lord in my life. It has been too long since I have fell off the path to His love and guidance. I need to have the Lord back in my life. I confess and tell all that Jesus is the King of Kings, and the Lord of Lords. May all heads bow and all knees bend before him, for He is the only and true way to Heaven. Thank You for letting me express myself!
Wonderful can’t wait for you. God bless you keep moving forward the Lord will hear your confession and forgive you, child of God. Jesus loves you truly, just keep moving brother.
I will Bless The Lord at all times and his PRAISES shall be in my Mouth!
I love to give praise to our Lord, our God! I raise my hands as I sing a song, alot of times with music. I am greatly moved by songs words and His presence. He is with me every day! Praise be to Jesus! Praise God! All the honor and glory are yours now & FOREVER.
The Lord bless and keep you safe even though you may not be safe on this Earth your sole is safe with the Lord FOREVER,.,. .. ………………………………………………,
may his name forver be praised
I love the praises of the Lord Jesus Christ because he is good, he wake us up in the morning…he protect us at night, even when I have my bad days I still want to praise him because I realize it’s just temporary and the love of Jesus is long lasting and I want to keep my mind on him, so yes Praise comes in many forms Paul and Silas praise the Lord even tho they were beaten and was in prison they realize they had the Lord Jesus on there side…this what he want us to do lean on him and keep lifting him up and he will keep us in perfect peace…thank you Jesus is my all and all because he is God, I was saved 18yrs ago and still walking with the Lord, I have my short coming but he keeps me even through this pandemic he keeps me. I can’t do one thing without him my devotion is stronger and my love for Jesus is nothing like I ever experience so if your seeking keep it up ask Jesus to revealed himself to you he will…he is so worthy to be praise…God Blessed
Rosalind, may i ask you a question? did you get the vaccanation? why are so many people against that?
learning how to do things correctly–I’m a bit lost. I don’t understand exactly how to praise our good God. You stated we all praise him in our own way. What if we’re not hand raisers or shout out or say “praise the Lord” all the time. does that lessen our hearts in our belief that God is with us? I want to do what is right. I seem to talk to him in my head these days and he has blessed me in small ways (not asking for miracles here,lol) but I see the blessings he has given me and I know he’s been with me my whole life and has watched over me. I have been greatly slacking in giving back to him and it makes me feel awful. I started reading the bible (NIV all the older words of the KJV confused me). I have recently purchased a NIV study bible. Don’t know what church to go to yet and I know something like that matters also. How does one choose a church when it says we should worship him as he says not as we think he should be????? I have rambled but thank you for the opportunity to ask questions.~~sincerely J.
Judy, thank you so much for all your wonderful comments and sharing your heart. Honestly, I believe it is different for each person. God made us each unique, with unique needs and even unique ways to worship him! I don’t believe we have to worship a certain way to have faith. I too “talk to him in my head”, all-day-long! But, that is continual prayer, that is what he wants, is for us to talk to him in prayer constantly.
Something I have learned lately and I want you to hear, God does NOT give us a spirit of guilt. That is not from the Lord. God loves us and in that love we are to be empowered and encouraged to give. To give with a heart of gratitude and thankfulness, not of guilt.
As for a Bible version, you need to pick one that excites you to read His Word. That is why there are so many different versions. I personally have an NIV Study Bible and love it. I also just received The Voice Bible which I absolutely adore. It is like reading the Bible in more of a “story or book” format.
Thank you for your beautiful clarification, I too am searching , may I ask what is the difference between thanking and praising??? Please answer.
Dear Debbie and Friends:
This is my first time reading this blog and my first time commenting on anything. I’m so glad to read the comments on worship. God is leading you as you search for Him. He is with you and always has been. I am a layman so please understand that my comments are my thoughts and, therefore, not infallible. Please compare what I say to the Bible so that you have the Truth supporting or refuting what I say below.
Praise and thanksgiving often go hand in hand or overlap. They are like twins, often joined at the hip, praising and thanking God for what He has done for us. From a thankful heart, Psalm 28:7 says “The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him.” Eph 5:18-20 says “…be filled with the Spirit, speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; giving thanks always for all things unto God, even the Father, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Praise is when you admire someone or tell them how great they or their works are. I might say to a child ”Wow! You did a great job! I love the way you ________!” Maybe you’ve whispered a praise to the Lord over the beauty of His workmanship in a newborn baby, a flower, or a sunset. Praise is most frequently mentioned in the Psalms but you can find examples of praise in the Bible. You can look up scriptures containing the word “praise” in your Bible’s concordance or a Bible app. (Same for thanks or thanksgiving.)
From NeverThirsty . org:
The Hebrew word that is translated as “praise” in (Genesis 29:35) has the sense of “to acknowledge . . . God’s character and works, or man’s character.” [1] Praise is the recognition of another’s character or works. To praise God is to declare who God is and what He does. Praise honors God because of His divine deeds and character…. in Matthew 11:25. The Greek word has the idea “to profess or to confess.” This is the same basic idea as the Hebrew word in Genesis 29:35. Both words have the idea of declaring God’s greatness, attributes (holy, good, just, righteous, infinite, all-knowing, all-powerful, etc.), or glory to others.
Praise can be private but it is often a public declaration, as in raising hands during worship. We praise things that we approve. “Oh, that is magnificent!” We tend to want to share the moment or point another’s attention to the object of our praise. Notice fans at a game and how they jump and cheer on their feet! Nothing holds them back from praising their team or proclaiming how great their team is the greatest of all. ?
Thanksgiving is expressing gratitude to God for what He has done and is doing presently. “Thank you Lord for being with me; for healing; for provision; for protection; for knowing me; for loving me no matter what; for my family, friends, home, car, food….”
I hope that helps… God bless you!
PS: You might want to listen to Don Moen’s worshipful song “Give Thanks with a Grateful Heart”. It is available on YouTube and probably your online music store.
Judy, I have the exact same question as you in that I’m interested in learning what it means to praise God. How do we do that. I hope you’ve found the answer and if you see this please tell me. Thank you.
I tank you for the help I am looking for the way to praise
I am working hard to grow closer to God each day. I’ve been worried that I’m not humble enough or praise God in the right way. I badly want to please Him. He saved me from a horrible life I had created for myself. I want to use this conversation thread as an opportunity to publicly praise God.
God – I love You!!!!! I thank You! I will be obedient and ask that You speak to me and show me how I can better praise You!!!! Thank You for saving my life and blessing me. I praise The Lord God forever. In Jesus Name Amen.
Thank you for all of your words. God bless you all.
Dave
I thank you for leting me know how it means when you raise your hands when praising the lord…
I like to praise god in silence,i know he hears me i am a very i am a very quiet person, just want to be myself
I do also. I just do the best I can.
I praise God in every way possible,you God wants us to praise him everywhere no matter when or where we are.I praise in the stores,in doctor office,around friends,some may question you about it,I simply say why not. You can praise God in silence and sometimes people may hear you praising GOD, That could help them in many ways. Remember we cannot save the world,but if we only touch one life,God is pleased with us,especially our children. Especially our on families. Keep on praising him in anyway you know how.
Correction in my wording,where theres you God ,I mean our God,typed error in July 22,2017 response. God Bless You
Thank you for allowing God to move you to write such an inspirational article. I have been literally singing, raising my hands and dancing to one song none stop which has been on repeat for 12 hours now. I just can’t stop the tears from feeling my eyes and I have lost count of how much i am grateful for, because it is so much. I feel and see that i progress more spiritually when i praise Him. Praise just leaves me at loss of words. It makes me feel invincible yet at the same time shows me that i am nothing without Him.
I am happy to share in your message. God bless you.
I was Inspired after reading the 5 ways to praise the Lord. I have trouble praying and communicating with God, I just dont feel the connection . Any advice please?
I read about you getting clear messages from God and as a Christian I am happy for you, I just wish I had that.
Stephen, research the function of the Holy Spirit and ask the Holy Spirit to show you how to praise God in the way God designed you to uniquely and beautifully praise him. You are in my prayers my brother!
I never usually raise my hand in church but lately because I have been reading the bible more and asking God my father to fill me with wisdom, knowledge and understanding of his word. to fill me with the spirit of love for his word and for him and humility, obedience, remembrance of what I read my love and trust has increase for my father God and I feel so good to lift my hand up in praise to him. I sing or hum songs of praise to him even when i do not realized that i am doing so. God is so good to me. I still believe so no matter the trial he is allowing me to go through right now for my character to develop and to test my faith in him because in all things he work for my good to bring glory to his name. To God be the Glory at all times. I will bless the Lord and forget not all his benefits. He forgives ALL my sins and Heal ALL my disease.
I’m a mother of two 4 grands and one great grand..i love God..I attend church..prayers nights nd give my offerings nd tidings..I have one problem l haven’t completely given up smoking..it kills me cause I know it’s not of Gods pleasings..I ask Him every day to help me with this problem..what so you suggest?
Ask the Holy Spirit to help you, and have you received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, you will find many references to it in the Bible, not to be confused with water baptism. John the Baptist baptised with water where Jesus baptised with the Holy Spirit. Some churches will tell you that this is not apply today but as long as it is Biblical it is. Please research about this on your own. Start with looking at Acts 19:1-6 and ask the Lord to lead you to other Scriptures that confirm this, and if you haven’t already, you might want to get this done. In the meantime God Bless In Christ Pat
Ask the Holy Spirit to help you, and have you received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, you will find many references to it in the Bible, not to be confused with water baptism. John the Baptist baptised with water where Jesus baptised with the Holy Spirit. Some churches will tell you that this is not apply today but as long as it is Biblical it is. Please research about this on your own. Start with looking at Acts 19:1-6 and ask the Lord to lead you to other Scriptures that confirm this, and if you haven’t already, you might want to get this done. In the meantime God Bless In Christ Pat p.s. I was a smoker for approx. 471/2 yrs and in approx. 2 weeks with no cravings or desire to smoke, Jesus delivered me! I am now walking approx 2 miles everyday and I am 62 yrs old.
Get baptized in Jesus name!!!
i really enjoy praising God, with dancing, singing & raising of hands and i enjoy God’s presence anytime i praise. praise helps me to grow spiritualy.
Thank you for your beautiful clarification, I too am searching , may I ask what is the difference between thanking and praising??? Please clarify .
During our praise and worship I am not only a hand raiser but I also close my eyes to feel the meaning of the songs and I know through my singing with eyes close I’m talking with my God and letting Him know how I love Him and thankful for the love He has for me and for all the blessings I received from Him.
I love god. In fact me and my friends praise him everyday. when i lost my son i was very sad but because of god i have become a lot better.
Praise to God is an expression of gratitude to Him for what He has done…… Great article….
Oh my God. You just blessed my heart this morning.I am a hand raiser,a dancer and a screamer.LOL. Sometimes i sit in utter silence as my heart praises the Lord… You’ve really shared a wonderful article,May God continue on using you and continue also being sensitive to the voice of the Lord.
I have had an issue in my church. More of a barrier between our adults and youth. MUSIC.
As I looked for ways of addressing this issue to bring a closer bond to my church. I found your post. This was a God send to me. Your post showed new a few verses in Psalms and ad I read through I found Psalm 147:5
( Great is our Lord, and of great power: His understanding is infinite. ) these were the words I prayed for. Maybe this was the way to explain to the elders that we might not understand. The music our youth listens to and praises God Almighty with they lift their hands and they sing from their hearts. We’re don’t have to understand it because God does, but if our children are praising God then we should at least embrace it. Encourage our children to keep praising God from their hearts. Again I say thank you for this wonderful blessing
I do praise Him by lifting my hands and via clapping. problem though, i have a problem lifting my left arm being a cancer and stroke survivor, nevertheless i don’t know how but it seems that everytime i listen to a praise song and singing with it, there is a power building in on y left arm tht makes it to raise and even do a loud clap. power of the Holy Spirit as i commune with Him.
I want to praise Him ?? ??? in every way…I thank Jesus for what IAM today…I worship you Lord with my whole heart and soul and I receive my healing mentally , spiritually, emotional and physical healing each time I worship you Lord. I give you all the glory Lord ….Amen and amen..
Iam very bad boy before I accept the almighty lord jesus but when I accepted to jesus iam full of joy and happiness so iwill never stop praising his name forever and always .thank you jesus.
Am also praise lord by singing and dancing worship songs.and i thank Jesus.
Praise be to the Holy. We feel little bit shy to lift up hands in praise in the congregation. In you testimony the newly batized child’s curiousity in knowing God is heart touching. It is a lesson to us that not be ashamed in lifting hands in praise to the Almighty God. Very nice testimony and thank you so much.
Praise be to the Holy. We feel little bit shy to lift up hands in praise in the congregation. In your testimony the newly batized child’s curiousity in knowing God is heart touching. It is a lesson to us that not be ashamed in lifting hands in praise to the Almighty God. Very nice testimony and thank you so much.
Have we also considered the fact that kneeling down and rolling on the ground is another way of praising God.
Nice to know your goodselves. I am Francis Sequeira at Mumbai India and Priya Chavan B.Pharm MBA Gold Medalist is wellness coach at Mumbai. Looking out for a Church to tieup.
Hastings Amurani-Phiri
I praise the Lord the Most High God with words citing the marvelous deeds and blessings He has showered on me and my beloved family. I also sing songs of praise and thanksgiving. This lifts up my spirits and strengthens my faith and trust in Him. I always tell God that HE is my only hope
Besides, I read at least from the Book of Psalms, those chapters that sing songs of praise and worship and glorify His holy name for His loving kindness, mercy, compassion, forgiveness, grace, faithfulness, protection against enemies, sound health, job security, provision and providence and for allowing me and my family to live in His presence always
I praise the Lord for His protection, loving kindness and mercy. Let us praise Him and seek His presence, for He is worthy of our praise and worship. He is might in power
I love to praise Lord with all my heart
thank you for a well organised and succinctly written piece. The modern trend to call all singing ‘worship’ has been difficult to navigate, over recent years. Your article has affirmed the approach I’ve also used without the dogmatic push that some approach this subject with.
Iam so blessed and indeed learnt a lot in the five ways of praising the Lord.