Bible Study
Home
Bible Study
Articles
Video Lessons
Video Devotions
Audio Lessons
Podcasts
Topical Scripture Guide
eBooks
The Lord's Church
Salvation
Interactive Lessons
Games & Quizzes
Children's Bible Stories
Bible in a Year
FAQs
 
Reference
Articles
Topical Scripture Guide
eBooks
Geography
 
Links
Links: Audio Bible
Links: Bible Study
Links: eBooks
Links: Geography
Links: Greek
Links: Hebrew
Links: Maps
Links: Youth
 
Visit us on Facebook
Live Chat
Bookmark and Share

Are You Praising the Lord?
Part II
Bible study on praising the Lord.

In my last article we reviewed praising the Lord in our manner of life. In this article I would like to comment on a specific area of praising the Lord - by the words we speak.

Because of the commercialization of praising the Lord by which some folks have gained great worldly fortunes, we may hesitate to praise the Lord in our speech. We may be afraid that someone may judge our motives as impure if we glorify God in daily speech - outside of church.

But, the Holy Spirit teaches us to glorify and praise God in our speech. This goes beyond wholesome words to words that directly praise God. The problem before some of us is: How do we praise God without appearing to be an insincere get-rich-quick phoney?

It is incumbent upon all disciples to praise and glorify God with our words through which we acknowledge Him in all of our ways. Note these Scriptures which set forth this principal:

  • Rom. 15:7-11 Paul quotes O.T. Prophesies - Gentiles will glorify and praise God.
  • Matt. 21:14-16; Lk. 19:37-38 Disciples praise the Lord.
  • Lk. 24:50-53 Apostles praise God after ascension of Jesus.
  • Acts 2:46-47 Apostles and Christians praise God - church.
  • Heb. 13:15 Christians commanded to continually praise God with lips

It is also worthwhile to note that God is displeased when we do not glorify Him - those times when we keep the glory for ourselves. Luke records the death of Herod saying: "Now Herod had been very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon; but they came to him with one accord, and having made Blastus the King's chamberlain their friend, they asked for peace, because their country was supplied with food by the king's country. So on a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat on his throne and gave an oration to them. And the people kept shouting, 'The voice of a god and not of a man!' Then immediately an angel of the Lord struck him, because he did not give glory to God. And he was eaten by worms and died" (Acts 12:20-24).

Note that Herod was not a Christian. Yet, upon being glorified as a god, he was struck with a painfully slow death since he did not glorify God. The record of this event will stand forever as witness against those who keep the glory from men upon themselves and refuse to glorify God.

Now for our question: How do we praise God without appearing to be an insincere get-rich-quick phoney? This is a concern. It makes me sick to observe those who praise and glorify God as a means to pad their wallet. I'm sure you can relate to this. Just watch the music awards. A group will sing about fornication, drunkenness, suicide, or satanic ritual and then go to the podium to : "Thank the Lord!"

If we desire to sincerely praise the Lord, we must speak and act from a pure, cleansed, and honest heart. Herein lies the differences: We must live according to the will of God without pretention or purpose of personal gain; and we must seek to praise the Lord without calling attention to selves.

We should not allow those who speak praises of God from an evil heart for personal gain to keep us from praising our Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ. We cannot allow the sins in this world to interfere with our worship of God. The best examples of praising God in a perverse generation appear in the Bible. As you read the Bible, notice the ways that Jesus and His apostles praised God; and let us follow in their footsteps.