What Is Praise and Worship

What is Praise and Worship? 

1. What is Praise?? Praise is not a difficult concept to understand, because it is part of our everyday life.  We give compliments to children, employees, and even pets.  As children of the Most High God, a Spiritual definition of Praise are compliments we direct to God or adoration we express to others about God.  Some of the definitions of Praise we will use for this study is celebrating God; to commend God; to entrust or to commend His Worth; approve of God; to have or express a favorable opinion of God; to bestow Honor, Praise to God; to Admire God; to extol in words or in song God’s Worth; to magnify or glorify God.
2. The Hebrew word for Praise is Hallel. It means to be clear, to lift up, to shine, to boast, to show, to rave, to celebrate, to be clamorously foolish.  Psalm 113:1-3
3. The Greek word for Praise is to sing, to tell of, to give, or to confess. It means to be thankful for God’s Blessings and declare the good news to God and to others.
4. What is the Highest Praise in Hebrew? Hallelujah, used as gratitude to God.
5. What is the difference between Praise and Worship? In essence, Praise is an expression of gratitude and adoration for God, through specifics actions and words. We can sing, dance, shout, use the clapping of hands etc.  Worship is a deeper, more profound state of reverence and submission, encompassing one’s entire being and lifestyle.  Praise is more outward, where as Worship is produced, in the heart. 
6. Note: Praise and Worship are not the same. However, they are similar, in the way they are outwardly expressed.  They are mutually cooperative activities and are frequently very similar in the way they are outwardly expressed.  Each has its own nature and purpose.  Some Churches are very vocal in their Praise, like us, but are very withdrawn when it comes to Worship.  And for others, it seems relatively easy to enter into sweetness, in Worship with God, but, have not learned the dynamics of Praise, yet.   However, Father will perfect our Praise. Balancing the two is easier once we recognize the distinctiveness and functions of both Praise and Worship.
7. What is Worship? – The Bible does not give a formal definition of Worship, the English word comes from Worth, and Ship which means Quality. So Worth ship is the quality of having Worth or of being Worthy.  Worship means to declare Worth.  Worship is to Glorify God. He is the only one Who is Worthy.  God’s Presence is the only essential ingredient in Worship. Praise brings Worship.  Worship brings Glory.  2 CH 5:11-14 Worship positions us at the feet of God. Rev 7:11-12; 5:11-12.
8. In Rev 11:1 John was instructed to measure the Worshippers. This was a standard of judgment and accountability.
9. Psalm 8:1-2/Matt 21:16 – Ordained Strength/Perfected Praise.
10. Psalm 8 – David speaking - Oh Lord, Jehovah Adonai (Jehovah our Sovereign God, Director, Ruler, Judge and Supporter). This Psalm begins and ends with Praise v1,9.  Ordained – To lay a foundation, appoint. His Name, JESUS is Superior, distinguished, outstanding, splendid and more remarkable than anything in Heaven or on the earth.

• Who set? God Set His Glory above the Heavens – Three Heavens 

• Why Babes: Out of the mouth of Babes (Hebrew baby, infant, child, suckling). Mouth in Hebrew – Mouthpiece, doorway, opening. 

Praise is so powerful even coming from Babes it can defeat satan Rom 1:16; 1Cor 1:18-24; 2:1-4. 

• He through perfected praise might honor Himself and quiet the mouth of the avenger Matt 21: 15-16
• He desires pure Praise Matt 11:25-27
• God may put to nothing the wisdom of the wise and the understanding of the prudent 1Cor 1:19
• That God’s least wisdom might be shown to excel man’s greatest 1Cor 1:25
• That the mighty man may be humbled 1 Cor 1:27.
• Mouth in Hebrew – Mouthpiece, doorway, opening.

 In Psalm 8:2 There are three negative categories of persons, our Praise (the perfected Praise God has given us ) works against the:

• Adversaries - Are those who are within
• Enemy – Enemy are those who are without
• Avenger – Go back and forth Job 1:6-8. (to and fro)
• Satan was within God’s Kingdom. Then, he became an enemy, without, outside the Kingdom of God.
• He is also the avenger going back and forth Job1:6-8. From God to us or among God’s people
• The Adversary, the Enemy and the Avenger are stopped by Praise. The Chinese translation says, “To shut up the mouth”.
• What did God do about these hinders to His Work? What is the tool He uses?  He established Praise.  He established Praise out of the mouth of babes and sucklings, the youngest and the oldest, the smallest and the weakest.
• Matt 18:1-4; 19:13-14.
• Matt 21:16 – God used the word Perfected Praise instead of Ordained Strength. We cannot Praise without Strength.
• Correct Praise means we have Strength in our mouths.

12. God has ordained Strength (PRAISE) from the mouth. Why?? Because of thine enemy!  Whose enemy? God’s enemy is our enemy.
13. That thou mayest “Still” (Hebrew sink down, let go of, stop, slacken and let drop)
14. Praise Stills the Enemy and the Avenger.
15. In God’s Salvation, the top consummation is to perfect Praise in the smallest and the weakest of His people!
16. His desire is to perfect our Praise!!
17. Praise is preoccupied with Who God Is and what He has done. It focuses on both His incomparable Character and His Wondrous Acts on behalf of us, His Children, His Inheritance.  And yet Praise is not simply our thankful response to His Provision; Praise is also very fitting even when we have no specific Gift of God in mind.  He is worthy to be Praised solely for Who He is.
18. One distinction of Praise concerns its extroverted nature. It is characterized by celebration and exhilaration and is expressed through singing, shouting, speaking forth, playing musical instruments, dancing, and other external forms.  Praise could be described as “Making much to-do about God.” 

19. Meditation is not Praise. Praise begins with a mindset of God, but these thoughts must be put into action to qualify as Praise.  With the folding of the arms, you can in no way Praise God.  There is no such thing as “My Way” of Praising God.  Praise must be declared or manifested.  Psalms 66:1-20.  Praise is not praise until it is vocalized or shown forth. V20. 

20. In other words, it is impossible to Praise God with the mouth shut, and the body slumped forward. In that position, we might be sleeping, resting, meditating or praying, but we are not Praising.  Is 40:9…lift up thy voice with strength, lift it up be not afraid, say to the cities, “Behold your God”. 

21. There are vocal and non-vocal forms of Praise, but whatever form, it must be demonstrated. 

22. God’s Praise is not restricted to fine voices. If a person says, they cannot sing, God’s praise could be spoken.  If one is mute, the countenance and body expressions can be used. 

23. Ps 28:2, 134:2, God’s does not want us to copy others praise, but for us to praise authentically and genuinely, incorporating the scriptural form of praise as a willing sacrifice. So, if we do not lift our hands at some point and time to Praise God, we are not Praising scripturally. We must Praise, until it becomes a natural and genuine part of our expression to God and for God. 

24. Praise is a function of one’s will, we must be determined to Praise Father, no matter what the circumstances are. Praise absolutely cannot be contingent upon our feeling; it must be based upon God’s greatness-and that never changes. 

25. A genuine Praise offering can carry with it the element of loss. God wants us to Praise Him during loss.

26. When we offer up Praise, we are losing something, we are offering a sacrifice to God. We cannot just offer praise when there is gain.  Pain is what God uses to make us real Praisers.  He causes us to learn through difficult circumstances.  This is genuine Praise.  This shows us the nature of Praise, in the eyes of God. 

27. Praise is the highest work carried out by God’s Children. The highest point of our lives is expressed by our Praise. 

28. Ps 22:3 - God’s Throne is in the highest point of the Universe, yet He inhabits, the Praises of His people. Means that God’s Presence is particularly felt and manifested when
    His people offer Him Praise and Worship.  We create the environment for His Presence to become more tangible and accessible. 2 Ch 5:11-14. 

29. Sometimes we must say, “Lord, I do not know what you are doing”, but I must speak to my soul as David did, Ps 103:1, 2, 20-22, when we are down in the dumps or dry spiritually.  It is in that time, we must serve notice on our soul.  And in those times, we must Praise according to our will, not our emotions.  Ps 42:5-11. 

30. The soul loves God and is always ready to praise Him, Songs 1:7; 3:1-4. 

31. Psalm 108:8 Judah (Praise) is my scepter (an ornamented staff carried by rulers on ceremonial occasions as a symbol of sovereignty). Stands for Sovereign Authority, a lawgiver. Esther 2:17; 5:2, When God sees us in the beauty of Praises, He raises His scepter to us and bids us to come into His Chambers. 

32. The Words of Martin Luther; “A person cannot praise God only, unless he understands that there is nothing in himself worthy of Praise. Praise is of God and from God.  But since God is eternally Praiseworthy, because He is the infinite, God and can never be exhausted, therefore we will Praise Him forever and ever. 

33. God formed us to Praise Him. Our chief goal is to praise God and to enjoy Him forever.  Is 43:21;1 Peter 2:9. 

34. W. Tozer has said. “The purpose of God in sending His Son to die and live and be at the right hand of God the Father was that he might restore us, the missing Jewels of Worship. 

35. The goal of Satan is to stop all Praise to God. Prayer is warfare, but Praise is victory.  Prayer is Spiritual Warfare, but Praise is Spiritual victory.  Satan hates Praise more than he hates Prayer.  When we Praise, he flees.  

36. The more we plead with God, the more bondage we feel. When we Pray, we are still in the midst of the situation.  When we Praise, we rise above it. Many times, Praise works where Prayers fail. 

37. When we are going through trials text Uber “Praise”, he’ll take you directly to the Throne of God, and you don’t need a card on file. It’s Free. 2 Ch 20:20-22! 

38. Prayer moves God! But Praise put you in the “Praise” Carpool Lane! 

39. The more we are tested, even if we are in something right, this moment, say, “Lord you are above everything, I praise you”!! Start praising loudly with praising that flow from a wounded heart, you will find the way of victory open up right before your eyes.