What Does It Mean to Praise the Lord?

April 30, 2022

By Brooke Holt

“Praise the Lord! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens! Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness! Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp! Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe! Praise him with sounding cymbals! Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!” (Psalm 150)

What does it mean to praise the Lord? Does it mean going to church once a week, praying before meals, or going overseas as a missionary? It can mean all these things, but praising the Lord is much more than Sunday worship, mealtime prayers, and sharing the Gospel. Praising the Lord is about offering up our hearts, minds, and spirits to the Lord—every moment of every day.

The psalmist understands this praise. He sees God’s handiwork in creation and praises him in the heavens. He acknowledges God’s mighty deeds done on his behalf. The psalmist calls himself and you to whole-hearted worship—with trumpets, lyres, harps, tambourines, dance, strings, pipes, and cymbals. There is no way to fully express adoration for the King of kings and Lord of lords.

You probably don’t use all these worship instruments for your morning devotions. So what does it look like to praise the Lord each day? There is no perfect formula for praise. But praise always begins with a choice to bring yourself before the Lord. Prayer is an excellent place to start, asking the Lord to help you love him with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength and bring that fullness to him in worship.

You can draw near to God each morning with a quiet time of reading the Bible. Pray that God would guide you, strengthen you, and give you wisdom for the day. You can humble yourself before the Lord as you work, asking for renewed vision or understanding for the circumstances you face. You can walk the dog and sing praise songs, listen to sermons, or pray along the way. You can offer simple prayers throughout your day, like “Thank you, Lord, for being with me.” You can pray for those in need, acknowledging that God sees them, knows them, and longs to bring them his presence and comfort.

There is no wrong way to praise the Lord—except not doing it. The Lord wants an intimate relationship with you. He wants to hear your thoughts, fears, anxieties, concerns, and joys. You can share everything with him in prayer and devote every moment to him in love. Praising the Lord means lifting your whole self to him, recognizing that he alone is worthy of our full worship and adoration.

Reflection:

What does it look like for you to praise the Lord today? Will you join with the psalmist and praise the Lord with your whole being? We would love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

Related Resource:

Follow the ancient way of the Psalms and find the life God has for you. A model for vibrant worship, the Psalms provide practical wisdom to traverse the circuitous path of life with trust and hope. Pilgrim’s Path: A Study of the Psalms traces our spiritual walk with God—from discovery and delight, through doubt and disappointment, into joyful confidence. Whether used for individual or group study, Pilgrim’s Path is for everyone who seeks to know and love God more and find life in him.