What praise can do for you!

May my lips pour out praise to you, because you teach me your orders. May my tongue sing about your word, because all of your commands are right. : “Let Christ's word live in you like a rich treasure. Teach and correct each other wisely. Sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing with thanks in your hearts to God." (Ps 119: 171-172 NIV, Col 3:16)

The word of God is an agent that makes it possible to know God and subsequently to praise Him.

Now to praise God is a particular trans-formative exercise, because the Word say that God is personally attracted to it.

David wrote in Psalm 22:3 “But you are holy, you who inhabit the praises of Israel” (WEB)

Praise can form the atmosphere around us. God, is not the one that changes when we praise Him. He is forever who he is, always the same, yesterday, today and tomorrow. It's you and I who change, because in our praise God dwells, and God's presence brings change in you and me!

The other side of the coin is also true. If we look at Scripture, it is possible to praise God with our lips, but our hearts are far from Him or we could have a lack of knowledge of Him and our praise lands as vain words and could just be a religious ritual.

Jesus' conversation with the Samaritan woman confirmed it: The Samaritans only studied the first five books of the Bible and their knowledge of God were limited. The Jews, however, studied the entire Old Testament. And so the biggest issue for this woman on worship was the place where one should worship, because the Jews and Samaritans differ about this. Jesus answered her, and He makes a serious allegation and says in John 4:22 "You Samaritans know very little about the one you worship, while we Jews know all about him, for salvation comes through the Jews.” Fortunately Jesus does not leave the woman with the problem, but give her an answer:

“Believe me, dear woman, the time is coming when it will no longer matter whether you worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem. But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way." (NLT) Today I want to ask you - Do you know the God you worship?

And like with the Samaritan woman, Jesus gives us the answer:

For to know the Lord is to have a seven-days-a-week talk-relationship with Him based on the Word of God and what the word says about Him. My relationship with God should preferably not be compartmentalized in the place of worship. God is after our hearts, not just our Sunday lips service.

You see, our relationship with God brings an authenticity to our praise. And our knowledge of God from His word brings a truth to our praise. And it is this kind of praise that changed me and you live for God dwells in our praises, and God's presence brings about change.

What is praise to God then? It is to boast in the qualities of God, to glory in who God is.

 God knows you better than you know yourself. He knows, He understands, he will help. Ask Him.