It’s easy to praise God when we see Him doing great things in our lives. It’s easy to praise Him when life is going well. But what about the times that are difficult or sad or those moments when God seems slow to answer prayer or when we wonder if God has forgotten us (which He hasn’t). How much different would our lives and our world be if we praised God at all times? In Psalm 34:1, the psalmist wrote: “I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.” In 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, we learn that we are to “Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” And in Psalm 150:6, the psalmist wrote: “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.” So if you are still breathing, you need to be praising the Lord. 
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Praising God simply means that we are showing Him our admiration and that we are exalting Him. It’s taking the time to celebrate God and boast about who He is: His greatness and the ways He has worked in our lives. There is always something we can praise Him for and if we can’t find something in a particular moment, then we can praise Him for what He’s done in our lives in the past and for his faithfulness, mercy, and love. Â (Click to tweet) We can praise Him because He never changes and He always keeps His promises. We can praise Him for forgiveness of sin. We can praise Him that He will never leave or forsake us. Whatever attribute of God that comes to mind – praise Him for it.
Even when we are feeling depressed, hurt, betrayed, worried, or ill, we can still praise God. In fact, if we spend more time praising God in the bad moments rather than grumbling and complaining, it becomes very difficult to stay in those negative moods and mindsets. It’s almost as if praising God and depression (or other negative emotions) can’t occupy the same time and space. The reason is when we are praising God our focus is on Him (where it should be), rather than on our circumstances  (Click to tweet)  and as we recall how God has been faithful to us in the past, it gives us assurance that He will do so again. So when the negative emotions threaten to take over, start writing a list of everything you can think of to praise God for and then start praising Him.
If God expects us to praise Him in all things, then what are some ways that we can praise Him? We praise God in many different ways. Some will belt out their praise before God in voices loud and strong. Others do so within the quietness of their hearts. We praise God as we sing worship songs that magnify Him. As we go through our day-to-day lives, we should be offering praise to God, whether it’s at home, work, church, school, grocery store, bank, or dentist’s office.
In the Bible, we can learn that praise was offered to God in several ways:
- Through the use of musical instruments and singing. Psalm 150:3-5 says, “Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre, praise him tambourine and dancing, praise him with the strings and flute, praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals.” And in Psalm 98:4-6 the psalmist writes: “Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music; make music to the Lord with the harp, with the harp and the sound of singing, with trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn – shout for joy before the Loke, the King.”
- With clapping of hands and shouts of joy. “Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy. How awesome is the Lord Most High, the great King over all the earth!” (Psalm 47:1-2)
- In an assembly of believers. “The whole assembly bowed in worship, while the singers sang and the trumpeters played.” (2 Chronicles 29:28)
- When we are alone. Psalm 22:22, “I will declare your name to by brothers; in the congregation I will praise you.”
- We can praise God in any position we are in. In Acts 2:1-2, they were sitting. In Psalms 95:6, we see an invitation to kneel before the Lord our Maker. In Exodus 33:10, the people stood and worshiped. In 1 Kings 18:39, the people “fell prostrate” (they laid down). In Nehemiah 8:6, they lifted their hands and bowed down with their faces to the ground. In 2 Chronicles 29:30, they sang praises with gladness and bowed their heads and worship. In Psalm 63:4, the psalmist declared that he would lift up his hands to praise God for as long as he lived. And in Psalm 149:3, they were dancing and making music as a form of praise.
- We can praise Him with our 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) We also praise Him with our words as we tell others about the great things God has done for us.
In Revelation 19: 5-7 we see that there is continual praise being offered to God.
“And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great. And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.”
There really isn’t a right or wrong way to praise God. What matters is that your praise be pure, heartfelt, genuine, and sincere. Going through the motions at church because everyone else is doing the same thing, is not praise – it’s just being a copy-cat – and God knows the motives of our heart. (Click to tweet) Don’t worry about what others are doing. Praise God in your own way for what He has personally done in your life and how your have experienced Him.
If you need something to get you started praising, read the lyrics to Eddie James’ song, “You Are Worthy.” You can also hear the song on YouTube at the link below.
You are worthy
You are worthy
You are, yes!
Only You are worthy
You are worthy to be praised
Holy
Righteous
Rock of Ages
Most High, yes!
Only you are worthy
Faithful teacher
Promise keeper
Savior, yes!
Only You are worthy
Shepherd
Father
My strong tower
Comfort, yes!
Only You are worthy
You are worthy to be praised
From the rising of the sun
Until the going down of the same
You are worthy
You are worthy
You are, yes!
Only You are worthy
I will lift my voice
And I will praise your holy name
You are worthy
You are worthy
You are, yes!
Only You are worthy
You are worthy to be praised
Mighty Warrior
Great Jehovah
Victor, yes!
Only you are worthy
Awesome helper
My redeemer
Healer, yes!
Only you are worthy
Sovereign Master
My creator
GOD YES!
Only you are worthy
You are worthy to be praised
Stricken and beaten
Crucified
On Calvary
Only you are worthy
Bled
Died
Buried in a
Borrowed tomb
Only you are worthy
With all power
In your hands
You rose again
Only you are worthy
You are worthy to be praised
From the rising of the sun
Until the going down of the same
You are worthy
You are worthy
You are, yes!
Only You are worthy
I will lift my voice
And I will praise your holy name
You are worthy
You are worthy
You are, yes!
Only You are worthy
You are worthy to be praised
We Praise You!
We Lift You Up!
We Honor You!
Magnify You!
Excellent!
Incredible!
Omnipotent!
Infallible!
We Praise You!
We Lift You Up!
We Honor You!
Magnify You!
Excellent!
Incredible!
Omnipotent!
Infallible!
You are worthy to be praised
What is your favorite way to praise God? What can you praise Him for right now? Take a moment now to offer your praise to God – and make His praise glorious.
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Julia is CEO of Wellspring Christian Ministries, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping people and couples develop a passionate relationship with God. A public speaker, conference trainer, event planner, and blog writer, Julia is a two-time graduate from Grand Canyon University with a bachelor in Psychology and a masters in Professional Counseling. Saved as a child and raised in church and in a Christian home and private Christian School as a Pastor’s kid, Julia has taught Sunday school, led music, played the piano, served as Children’s Director, and engaged her gifts in many other areas of church life. Previously employed with the Florida Baptist Convention, Julia organized events and led conferences for church ministry assistants.
Julia enjoys sharing her journey as a growing Christian with others looking for a deeper connection with God. Through Bible study and her own life experiences, God has given Julia a passion to help couples understand God’s design for marriage while they learn to place God first in their marriage, cultivate meaningful relationships, build intimacy, and address the tougher issues that come in every marriage so that they can experience a marriage that honors and glorifies God. Julia also loves mentoring, teaching, and working with women to help them learn to live as Godly women.
With her history and experience growing up in both small and large churches, Julia enjoys bringing top level quality events to churches of all sizes. Her father largely pastored small churches and therefore she understands that these vital parts of the believing community need to be good stewards of the resources God provides them with. This knowledge inspires her passion for being available with a fresh perspective for those who want to provide their congregations with meaningful spiritual growth opportunities.
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