Christian Living

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I love to praise the Lord. Praise is to RAISE up every aspect of our being in acknowledgment of His Holiness and Sovereignty. Praise is to bring our human trinity (spirit, soul, and body) into complete consciousness of God. Our spirit cries out “Holy,” while our mind forms the audio of our heart. Our body displays adoration through our physical actions. True praise originates from our spirit. Our mind responds to the prompting of our spirit. Our body displays what our spirit and soul is acknowledging.

Worship comes out of praise. Many churches define worship around music and token physical displays. It is interesting that our praise and worship is subject to time restraints. We may set aside twenty to thirty minutes for making a joyful noise unto the Lord, but as quickly as we enter the “worship” experience, we exit with the same quickness. We incorporate “worship teams” whose purpose is to lead us into an experience of God consciousness. Some of the times, these “worship teams” become more of the focal point than the One whom we are to worship.

Praise brings us into the presence of God, while worship is what we do when we get there! When Believers come together for communal worship, we need to realize what is about to transpire, for we are there to worship with Jesus! Jesus said, “For where two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the midst of them.” (Matthew 18:20) Praise should be upon our lips as we enter His courts. (Psalm 100:4) We don’t need to have spiritual cheerleaders to get us ready for our “worship” experience, for we are already praising our way to the Throne Room of God. There are no time limits in Praise. However long it takes to release our adoration is of little or no concern. Worship begins when we enter the Holy of Holies. It is here where our spirits are bathed in His presence. “Holy, Holy, Holy” we cry out! Our interests and desires have been left at the door. The only consciousness we have is of our Creator and Lord. His Love engulfs us as we bask in the reality of His Grace. As with Praise, time is not a factor in our Worship. It is only when we have exhausted our resources that we leave the Throne Room and return to an atmosphere of encouraging one another.

I wonder how God feels when we exhibit our “cliff notes” mentality when it comes to our worship. How does He react to our lifted hands or our brief knocking on the door of His Throne Room? What about those that have found a short cut to the Holy of Holies and have begun to worship, only to excuse themselves within moments so they could return to their time framed service? Special music has become more of an entertainment experience. Applause rings out when the person or group is done. There is nothing wrong with showing appreciation, as long as it is addressed to the One they are singing about. Music plays an important role in praise as well as worship, but it must never be a substitute for one’s spiritual participation.

We must also realize that Praise and Worship is not limited to congregational services. It is powerful to join others in the Throne Room of God, but it is equally moving to enter His Gates and Courts with our own family. When is the last time a husband and wife had a true Praise and Worship experience? What about with our children?

Let us understand what True Praise is, and then let us be true praisers! Let us understand what True Worship is, and then let us be true worshippers!

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