Purposeful. The purpose of praise is to honor and raise up the object of our affections. Praise is the opposite of pride. It is inherently humble. To praise God is to reflect His glory with gladness. "The chief end of man is to glorify God by enjoying Him forever" (John Piper, Desiring God, p.18).
Relational. How we relate to others and what position we give them in proportion to ourselves is at the essence of praise. Do we always think of ourselves? Are the eyes turned inward at self or are they looking upward? Praise is a revelation of how we relate to God. The habit of praise draws us into relationship, develops trust, heals hurts, and deepens our faith.
Authentic. There is no faking genuine praise. As an expression of admiration and true affection, praise cannot be manufactured. Praise happens when we are so filled with spontaneous adoration for God, that we cannot hold back our accolades.
Intimate. Our worship of God is so deeply personal. Read through the Psalms and you will see deep, soul wrenching worship. As one encounters the goodness of God and his grace, our gratitude should overflow from a thankful heart.
Sincere. If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then praise causes us to imitate. When we recall what we know to be true about God through praise, we can see how all of his promises are fulfilled in Christ and we can't help but want to be closer to him and to be more like his Son, Jesus Christ.Praise is an outward expression of inward change. Intimacy with God begins with praise.
Eternal. Praise is the language of heaven. Right now in the unseen heavenly realm choirs of angels are singing endless praise to the living God: "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God almighty! Who was and is and is to come!" When we praise we join all of creation in an eternal chorus through our words, the songs of our heart, and acts of worship as we serve one another in the name of Jesus.
When we humble ourselves to give praise and honor to the Lord, he does something for us in return. God encourages. We can boldly approach the throne of grace to bring everything before the King. This is especially meaningful in light of affliction and trials. We can rejoice in trials of various kinds because God gives the Holy Spirit to encourage our hearts, to strengthen and help us.
When we give God worship, He gives grace, love, peace, and joy! We in turn take the ministry of the Spirit to go and encourage others. So it is in this way that we pass on the gift of praise to others, what the Bible calls exhortation, when we offer words of encouragement to build each other up in our most holy faith.
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