Question 1

Why is it so important to praise God?

Accepted Answer

1 Chronicles 16:25-26Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise! He is to be feared above all gods. The gods of other nations are mere idols, but the Lord made the heavens!Psalm 89:5All heaven will praise your great wonders, Lord; myriads of angels will praise you for your faithfulness.Psalm 92:1It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to the Most High.Psalm 106:2Who can list the glorious miracles of the Lord? Who can ever praise him enough?Luke 19:36-40As he rode along, the crowds spread out their garments on the road ahead of him. When he reached the place where the road started down the Mount of Olives, all of his followers began to shout and sing as they walked along, praising God for all the wonderful miracles they had seen.Acts 16:22-25A mob quickly formed against Paul and Silas, and the city officials ordered them stripped and beaten with wooden rods. They were severely beaten, and then they were thrown into prison. . . . Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening.Consider how great God is—the awesome creator of the universe. Then consider how sinful and mortal you are. Then consider the greatness of God’s love for you. Make a habit to review these amazing facts, even when you are facing a difficult time. How can you help but praise him? He is powerful enough to sustain the universe and loving enough to redeem it.Psalm 103:1-5Let all that I am praise the Lord; with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name. Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me. He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies. He fills my life with good things. My youth is renewed like the eagle’s!Praise God for his forgiveness, healing, and salvation, which demonstrate his care for us now and forever.Psalm 145:3Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise! No one can measure his greatness.James 1:17Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.Praise God for his eternal and unchanging qualities, which give us the confidence that he will do what he has promised.

Question 2

If God has no needs, why does he require our praise?

Accepted Answer

Psalm 8:1-2O Lord, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth! Your glory is higher than the heavens. You have taught children and infants to tell of your strength, silencing your enemies and all who oppose you.Luke 19:36-40His [Jesus’] followers began to shout and sing as they walked along, praising God for all the wonderful miracles they had seen. “Blessings on the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven, and glory in highest heaven!” But some of the Pharisees among the crowd said, “Teacher, rebuke your followers for saying things like that!” He replied, “If they kept quiet, the stones along the road would burst into cheers!”If we fail to lift our voices in praise of Jesus as our Lord and King, the very rocks and stones will cry out! If we do not praise, we have turned away from a central aspect of the reason for our existence. God doesn’t accept our praise because he needs it; God accepts our praise because we need to offer praise. We are created for it. It’s part of our identity. When we praise him, we are accepting and expressing our unique identity as creatures who can consciously respond to our Creator.Ephesians 1:6-7So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins.Praise God for providing his gracious salvation. The world ignores the depth of its own depravity and offensiveness to God when it seeks out multiple means of earning salvation. They want to find way that gives them credit instead of humbly and gratefully accepting the amazing grace God has shown us by offering us one way of salvation when there is otherwise no hope.

Question 3

In what ways can I express my praise to God?

Accepted Answer

Psalm 35:10With every bone in my body I will praise him.Psalm 86:12With all my heart I will praise you, O Lord my God. I will give glory to your name forever,Express your praise to God wholeheartedly. This will require a deliberate setting aside of distractions, setting aside time for praise, and thoughtfully preparing for praise by answering questions like: Where have I noticed God at work recently? What has God shown me, done for me and others, or taught me recently? What is it about God that humbles me and fills me with joy?1 Chronicles 23:30Each morning and evening they stood before the Lord to sing songs of thanks and praise to him.Psalm 104:33I will sing to the Lord as long as I live. I will praise my God to my last breath!Praise the Lord as you begin your day, and at night as you remember his goodness during the past day. Praise him with a grateful heart until the day you die!Psalm 149:1Praise the Lord! Sing to the Lord a new song. Sing his praises in the assembly of the faithful.Acts 2:42-47All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer. A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity—all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.Romans 15:6Then all of you can join together with one voice, giving praise and glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.Express your praise to God through worship and fellowship with other believers.1 Chronicles 16:42They used their trumpets, cymbals, and other instruments to accompany their songs of praise to God.Psalm 33:3Sing a new song of praise to him; play skillfully on the harp, and sing with joy.Psalm 47:6-7Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises! For God is the King over all the earth. Praise him with a psalm.Psalm 150:3-5Praise him with a blast of the ram’s horn; praise him with the lyre and harp! Praise him with the tambourine and dancing; praise him with strings and flutes! Praise him with a clash of cymbals; praise him with loud clanging cymbals.God is the creator of music and he is pleased when we use it to express our heartfelt praise to him.1 Chronicles 29:6-20Then the family leaders, the leaders of the tribes of Israel, the generals and captains of the army, and the king’s administrative officers all gave willingly. . . . The people rejoiced over the offerings, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the Lord, and King David was filled with joy. Then David praised the Lord in the presence of the whole assembly: “O Lord, the God of our ancestor Israel, may you be praised forever and ever! Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours.”Psalm 54:6I will sacrifice a voluntary offering to you; I will praise your name, O Lord, for it is good.Express your praise with offerings to support God’s work.Isaiah 29:13-14And so the Lord says, “These people say they are mine. They honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. And their worship of me is nothing but man-made rules learned by rote. Because of this, I will once again astound these hypocrites with amazing wonders. The wisdom of the wise will pass away, and the intelligence of the intelligent will disappear.”Amos 5:21-24“I hate all your show and pretense—the hypocrisy of your religious festivals and solemn assemblies. . . . Away with your noisy hymns of praise! I will not listen to the music of your harps. Instead, I want to see a mighty flood of justice, an endless river of righteous living.”Your praise must be sincere and not hypocritical. Be careful not to let your praise become an empty spiritual ritual.Psalm 100:1-5Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth! Worship the Lord with gladness. Come before him, singing with joy. Acknowledge that the Lord is God! He made us, and we are his. We are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation.Psalm 149:1-9Praise the Lord! Sing to the Lord a new song. Sing his praises in the assembly of the faithful. O Israel, rejoice in your Maker. O people of Jerusalem, exult in your King. Praise his name with dancing, accompanied by tambourine and harp. For the Lord delights in his people; he crowns the humble with victory. Let the faithful rejoice that he honors them. Let them sing for joy as they lie on their beds. . . . This is the glorious privilege of his faithful ones. Praise the Lord!Psalm 150:6Let everything that breathes sing praises to the Lord!The people of God are called to praise the Lord with songs and music, expressed with great joy. This invitation is extended to the entire earth and all its creatures.Hebrews 13:15-16Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to his name. And don’t forget to do good and to share with those in need. These are the sacrifices that please God.Let us continually offer our sacrifice of praise to God by proclaiming the glory of his name. When we tell others about Christ and what he has done, along with helping those in need, we are offering him a sacrifice of praise.2 Chronicles 20:19Then the Levites from the clans of Kohath and Korah stood to praise the Lord, the God of Israel, with a very loud shout.Psalm 34:1I will praise the Lord at all times. I will constantly speak his praises.You can even express your praise with a loud shout!

Question 4

For what should I praise God?

Accepted Answer

Ephesians 1:3, 6All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. . . . So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son.1 Peter 1:3All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead.Revelation 1:5All glory to him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by shedding his blood for us.Praise God for providing salvation through the death and resurrection of Jesus, his Son. Then praise him for whatever else comes to mind.Exodus 15:2“The Lord is my strength and my song; he has given me victory. This is my God, and I will praise him—my father’s God, and I will exalt him!”Psalm 117:1-2Praise the Lord, all you nations. Praise him, all you people of the earth. For his unfailing love for us is powerful; the Lord’s faithfulness endures forever. Praise the Lord!Psalm 139:13-14You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.Praise God for creating you and loving you enough to be your God and for inviting you into a personal relationship with him.2 Chronicles 20:21After consulting the people, the king appointed singers to walk ahead of the army, singing to the Lord and praising him for his holy splendor. This is what they sang: “Give thanks to the Lord; his faithful love endures forever!”Psalm 68:35God is awesome in his sanctuary. The God of Israel gives power and strength to his people. Praise be to God!Psalm 77:13O God, your ways are holy. Is there any god as mighty as you?Praise God for his holiness and awesome power. In the manner of King Jehoshaphat, spend time with others talking about ways to praise God, and then engage in worship individually and corporately.Psalm 31:21Praise the Lord, for he has shown me the wonders of his unfailing love. He kept me safe when my city was under attack.Psalm 59:17O my Strength, to you I sing praises, for you, O God, are my refuge, the God who shows me unfailing love.Psalm 106:1Praise the Lord! Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.Praise God for his faithful and unfailing love for you. Practice expansiveness as well as specificity in praise.Psalm 28:6Praise the Lord! For he has heard my cry for mercy.Psalm 51:12-15Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you. Then I will teach your ways to rebels, and they will return to you. Forgive me for shedding blood, O God who saves; then I will joyfully sing of your forgiveness. Unseal my lips, O Lord, that my mouth may praise you.2 Corinthians 1:3All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort.Praise God for his mercy despite your sinfulness. Even in his great prayer of confession and repentance, David understood that God’s forgiveness would release him to praise the Lord with greater joy.Daniel 2:20“Praise the name of God forever and ever, for he has all wisdom and power.”Praise God for his wisdom, which is far beyond what we can know or understand. He knows our needs and makes his wisdom available to us in every situation.Genesis 24:48“Then I bowed low and worshiped the Lord. I praised the Lord, the God of my master, Abraham, because he had led me straight to my master’s niece to be his son’s wife.”Psalm 139:9-10If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me.Praise God for his guidance in your life. Base your confidence about the future on God’s faithfulness in the past.Psalm 119:108, 111Lord, accept my offering of praise, and teach me your regulations. . . . Your laws are my treasure; they are my heart’s delight.Praise God for giving us his Word to guide our lives each day.Psalm 107:8Let them praise the Lord for his great love and for the wonderful things he has done for them.Isaiah 25:1O Lord, I will honor and praise your name, for you are my God. You do such wonderful things! You planned them long ago, and now you have accomplished them.Praise God for all he has done for you and his people.

Question 5

Why is it important to praise others?

Accepted Answer

Proverbs 27:2Let someone else praise you, not your own mouth—a stranger, not your own lips.Proverbs 31:28Her children stand and bless her. Her husband praises her:Proverbs 31:31Reward her for all she has done. Let her deeds publicly declare her praise.Matthew 3:16-17After his baptism, as Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and settling on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.”Matthew 25:21“The master was full of praise. ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’”There is a difference between praising God, which is worship, and praising others, which is supporting and encouraging them through affirmation. It is important for us to feel that others care about us. Affirmation gives others a sense of worth, encouraging them to go on. But praising ourselves doesn’t produce encouragement, nor is it appreciated by others.

Question 6

How can I praise God when the tough times come?

Accepted Answer

Job 1:21-22He [Job] said, “I came naked from my mother’s womb, and I will be naked when I leave. The Lord gave me what I had, and the Lord has taken it away. Praise the name of the Lord!” In all of this, Job did not sin by blaming God.Job 2:8-10Job scraped his skin with a piece of broken pottery as he sat among the ashes. His wife said to him, “Are you still trying to maintain your integrity? Curse God and die.” But Job replied, “You talk like a foolish woman. Should we accept only good things from the hand of God and never anything bad?” So in all this, Job said nothing wrong.Ruth 4:13-16So Boaz took Ruth into his home, and she became his wife. When he slept with her, the Lord enabled her to become pregnant, and she gave birth to a son. Then the women of the town said to Naomi, “Praise the Lord, who has now provided a redeemer for your family! May this child be famous in Israel. May he restore your youth and care for you in your old age. For he is the son of your daughter-in-law who loves you and has been better to you than seven sons!” Naomi took the baby and cuddled him to her breast. And she cared for him as if he were her own.Since praise is about God, not us, it may be expressed while in difficult and painful circumstances. Job in particular understood that easy praise flows during times of ease but the real test of praise comes when we still acknowledge God when our way is dark and sad.Nehemiah 9:1-5On October 31 the people assembled again, and this time they fasted and dressed in burlap and sprinkled dust on their heads. . . . for three more hours they confessed their sins and worshiped the Lord their God. . . . Then the leaders of the Levites . . . called out to the people: “Stand up and praise the Lord your God, for he lives from everlasting to everlasting!” Then they prayed: “May your glorious name be praised! May it be exalted above all blessing and praise!It is appropriate to end our confession and repentance with praise. As we confess our sins, we are recognizing that we are fallible, but God never fails. We acknowledge God’s forgiving character by praising him.Psalm 28:6-7Praise the Lord! For he has heard my cry for mercy. The Lord is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.Psalm 71:14-16I will keep on hoping for your help; I will praise you more and more. I will tell everyone about your righteousness. All day long I will proclaim your saving power, though I am not skilled with words. I will praise your mighty deeds, O Sovereign Lord. I will tell everyone that you alone are just.Jeremiah 20:13Sing to the Lord! Praise the Lord! For though I was poor and needy, he rescued me from my oppressors. Praising God offers a way of expressing our trust, even in the middle of difficulties.Daniel 2:17-23Then Daniel went home and told his friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah what had happened. He urged them to ask the God of heaven to show them his mercy by telling them the secret, so they would not be executed along with the other wise men of Babylon. That night the secret was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven. He said, “Praise the name of God forever and ever, for he has all wisdom and power. He controls the course of world events; he removes kings and sets up other kings. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the scholars. He reveals deep and mysterious things and knows what lies hidden in darkness, though he is surrounded by light. I thank and praise you, God of my ancestors, for you have given me wisdom and strength. You have told me what we asked of you and revealed to us what the king demanded.”Philippians 4:6-8Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.When confronted with an impossible situation, take a moment to praise God. And continue to praise him as he leads you through the difficulties. Even when you are tempted to worry and struggling to pray, have a list in mind of things for which you know you can always praise God.