Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. —Philippians 4:4
“God is glorified in His people when we offer praise in the midst of problems and pain.” —David H. McKinley
“Praise of God is a frequent theme in the Psalms, the Hebrew title of which is Praises. Yet praise is a theme that pervades the whole of Scripture. Words that are often used as synonyms or in parallel with praise, and so help point to its meaning, are bless, exalt, extol, glorify, magnify, thank, and confess. To praise God is to call attention to His glory.” —Baker Bible Dictionary
# 1 Praise is Rooted in Who God is and Not Where I Am in Life
“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, 26 and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bonds were unfastened.” —Acts 16:25-26
#2 Praise is Reinforced Through Fellowship With One Another
“I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.” —Philippians 1:3-5
“So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.” —Philippians 2:1-2
#3 Praise is Recognition that God Works Grace and Glory Through Our Pain
“For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.” —Philippians 1:29-30
“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.” —1 Peter 5:6-11
#4 Praise is the Reliance of Faith Turned Inside Out
“O our God, will you not execute judgment on them? For we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” —2 Chronicles 20:12
“The first great and primary business… every day was to have my soul happy in the Lord.” —George Mueller
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; praise Him with loud clashing cymbals!
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord!
—Psalm 150
©2018 Warren Baptist Church
Portions of this post are excerpts from the message, The Principle of Praise, preached by David H. McKinley at Warren Baptist Church, Sunday, February 4, 2018.