Ways to Praise

Ways to Praise¹

Have you ever thought how strange praise must appear to those who don't know Christ? After all, why would anyone want to sing and carry on for a God they can't see or touch? People around you may never know you are worshiping God through the normal activities of your day. But if anyone happens to be nearby when you are compelled to praise, they will not only notice you, they will probably wonder what you could possibly be doing.

Say, for example, you are sitting at a red light. Your favorite praise CD is blaring. Before you know it, you're lost in the moment. You start lifting your hands, singing at the top of your lungs. For you this kind of behavior may be perfectly normal. But imagine what the guy beside you must be thinking. He can't hear what you're singing, but what he sees definitely has your attention. He's probably thinking, “Why does that person have her hands up? If she's trying to reach the sun visor, it would help if she opened her eyes!”

Praise, by its very nature, is outward, open, demonstrative, and obvious to anyone watching. We are exhorted numerous times in Psalms to praise the Lord publicly and outwardly: “Let them exalt him also in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders” (Psalm 107:32, KJV). “I will praise the Lord with my whole heart, in the assembly of the upright, and in the congregation” (Psalm 111:1, KJV).

David writes in Psalm 40:3, “He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what he has done and be amazed. They will put their trust in the Lord” (NLT). Apparently we are not only to praise God among the saints but also in front of those who have never placed their trust in the Lord. We are on this earth to make our God known through our praise.

I. Eight Expressions of Praise

Jack Taylor in his book, The Hallelujah Factor, has grouped them into categories to help us remember them. One category is vocal and indicates singing and shouting, as well as speaking. The second category is audible and includes clapping and playing instruments. A third category does not involve sounds. That group, called visible, includes kneeling, dancing, and raising our hands.

Let's consider visible expressions of praise over the next few days.

In the account of the worship service in 2 Chronicles 20:18, the Hebrew word used to describe how the children of Judah responded is shachaw. It's often translated as “worship,” but is also translated in the King James as “bow down,” “reverence,” “fall down,” “stoop,” and “crouch.” First Chronicles 16:29 says, “Bring an offering and come before him; worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness.”

Do you remember what the Magi did when they first saw the baby Jesus? Like the children of Judah, they knelt or stooped as an act of worship (Matthew 2:11). They had to physically bend the knee or somehow crouch down. These are both obvious and deliberate positions of the body. The Greek word for worship as used for what the Magi did is proskuneo which literally means “to kiss, like a dog licking his master's hand.” It is humbling and powerfully worshipful to bow down before our great Master.

My Daily Praise

If you are physically able, kneel where you are before the Lord. Raise both of your hands before Him. While your hands are lifted, sing one of your favorite praise songs to God, or simply tell Him how much you love Him.

My Daily Surrender

The Bible is clear that we should lift up “holy hands” to God in prayer, “without anger or disputing” (1 Timothy 2:8). Confess to God any sins you haven't already brought to Him. If God doesn't reveal an unconfessed sin to you, thank Him for His cleansing and ask Him to keep your hands and your heart clean.

1 This information comes from Dewayne Moore's book, Pure Praise (Loveland, CO: Group Publishing, 2009), 31-32.