The Praise-Filled Lifeنموونە

Seeing God for Who He Is

By Michael Youssef, Ph.D.

Your view of God determines your praise, and your praise mirrors your view of God.

If you believe that He is your loving, patient, and forgiving heavenly Father, your praise will reflect those qualities of God.

If you believe that God cares about you every moment and in every circumstance and that no situation is beyond His notice and His care, then you are likely to praise God all the time! “Praise the Lord” will be something you say in one form or another countless times throughout the day.

If you are deeply grateful that God has saved you from the consequences of your sin, you will be filled with so much praise that you cannot express it all in just a few moments. Your praise will overflow because your gratitude is so great.

If you see God as fully willing to move heaven and earth on your behalf, your praise will be enthusiastic and heartfelt! Those who see God as being on their side, working always for their eternal benefit, are those who praise God with the most intensity and the greatest amount of faith.

God’s greatness can leave us speechless and in awe. His greatness can easily make the language of praise more difficult, but it also makes praise necessary. Praise brings us to a fuller recognition of God—not so that we might cower before Him, but so that we might bow before Him in humble worship. We worship God not so much to do something for Him, although He does desire our praise, but we worship Him to affirm His lordship over our lives.

The word worship comes from the word worth-ship, which means expressing to God His worth to us. How much do you value who God is? How much do you value what God has done for you? How much do you rely daily on what God promises to do for you? How much worth do you place on your relationship with Him?

Prayer: Heavenly Father, You are infinitely good. You are compassionate, slow to anger, and rich in love. Renew my mind to remember who You are and show me who I am as Your child. I want to see You rightly, that I may praise You rightly. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22-23).