“Let everything that has breath, Praise the Lord” the scripture tells us. This is one of those statements that’s punctuated with an exclamation mark, not just a period. Praise is so important that a whole book is devoted to this – Psalms. And praise is so critical to our own mental health that it’s not just a suggestion.
Webster says that praise is: to glorify as in song. Scripture defines it as boasting about with words and singing, lauding, exalting, celebrating. However, it should be obvious that this is not something one does quietly in one’s head. Praise isn’t made for silence nor is it solely an intellectual exercise. Praise is an activity that is filled with joy and honor to the one being praised. The focus of praise is obvious – it is the Lord.
I cannot emphasize strongly enough the importance of praise. I know we are instructed to praise but the more I think about it the more I believe it’s for us, more that just a tribute to Him. There is ‘something’ that happens to us when we are praising. We are transported out of a focus on just ourselves and our situation into an acknowledgement and intentionality toward the one being praised.
The content of praise is important. I do not believe that we are to Praise the Lord for everything that happens but I do believe that we are to praise Him in all that happens.
