Ending 2024 with Praise
Oftentimes we complain about what is not going well on our behalf and all the things that we are unhappy about. We are a nation of complainers. Someone once said, “Take your complaints to the Lord on your knees.” Sometimes, it’s easier to complain than pray. Prayer takes the attention off you and places it on someone else or something else. For example, I have a family member who requires serious surgery before December is over. But instead of complaining my mindset is to pray; to pray that God will direct the hands of the doctors who will perform the surgery, and to thank - or PRAISE Him - for answering my prayers.
Having a mindset of praise is critical in the prayers of a believer. The Bible makes 340 references to praise. What is PRAISE? Praise is a response to God's revelation of Himself and our acknowledgement of who He is. Praising God originates in the heart and is not a mere outward show (Matthew 15:8). In the Old Testament, God said He wanted praise from the heart. Amos emphasizes that true praise is intricately linked to a person’s lifestyle (Amos 5:21-24), and Paul states that corporate praise is to be continued in an orderly manner (1 Corinthians 14:40).
Praise comes from the Latin word meaning ‘value’ or ‘price.’ Thus, to give praise to God is to proclaim His merit or worth. Many terms are used to express this in the Bible, including ‘glory,’ ‘blessing,’ ‘thanksgiving,’ and ‘hallelujah,’ the last named being a transliteration of the Hebrew for “Praise the Lord.” So, for all we encounter in the month of December, let us walk forward with paise on our lips.
Having a mindset of praise is critical in the prayers of a believer. The Bible makes 340 references to praise. What is PRAISE? Praise is a response to God's revelation of Himself and our acknowledgement of who He is. Praising God originates in the heart and is not a mere outward show (Matthew 15:8). In the Old Testament, God said He wanted praise from the heart. Amos emphasizes that true praise is intricately linked to a person’s lifestyle (Amos 5:21-24), and Paul states that corporate praise is to be continued in an orderly manner (1 Corinthians 14:40).
Praise comes from the Latin word meaning ‘value’ or ‘price.’ Thus, to give praise to God is to proclaim His merit or worth. Many terms are used to express this in the Bible, including ‘glory,’ ‘blessing,’ ‘thanksgiving,’ and ‘hallelujah,’ the last named being a transliteration of the Hebrew for “Praise the Lord.” So, for all we encounter in the month of December, let us walk forward with paise on our lips.