Praising God is incredibly important for several reasons according to the Bible. First, praising God is an act of worship and brings glory to Him. The book of Psalms is filled with verses that encourage praising God through worship, song, and declaring His greatness (Psalm 34:1, Psalm 150:6). As God’s creations, one of our primary purposes is to worship Him and give Him the honor and glory He deserves as our Creator and Savior (Revelation 4:11).
Second, praising God demonstrates our trust and dependency on Him. When we sincerely praise God, especially during difficult times, it shows that our faith and hope is in Him alone. The book of Habakkuk beautifully illustrates this. When Habakkuk was worried about the sin and injustice around him, he ultimately declared, “Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will take joy in the God of my salvation” (Habakkuk 3:18). His praise was an act of deep faith in God.
Third, praising God remits our focus from earthly troubles to an eternal perspective. Praise takes our eyes off of ourselves and our circumstances and fixes them on the unchanging character and promises of God. Psalm 34:1 declares, “I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth.” When we make praising Godcentral in every season of life, it gives us an eternal perspective rather than an earthly one (Colossians 3:2).
Fourth, praise invites God’s presence. When believers praise God together, His presence dwells among them. Psalm 22:3 says, “Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel.” God manifests His presence in a special way when His people praise Him. Corporate praise invites His very Spirit into our lives and churches in a powerful way.
Fifth, praising God is a weapon against spiritual warfare. During times of oppression and attack from the enemy, praising God out loud focuses our mind on His power and protection. Spiritual breakthrough often happens when God’s people begin to praise Him in the midst of their battles. Psalm 8:2 says, “Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.”
Sixth, praise silences the enemy’s lies. Satan is the accuser (Revelation 12:10) and his demonic forces wage psychological warfare through condemnation and accusation. But praise silences these lies. Psalm 8:2 says God establishes a stronghold against our enemies through praise to “silence the foe and the avenger.” Praise is a powerful spiritual weapon against the lies Satan tries to degradation our identity as beloved children of God.
Seventh, praise opens the door for God to work mightily on our behalf. When God’s people praise Him for who He is and for His mighty works, it opens the door for Him to pour out His power. After Paul and Silas were unjustly imprisoned and beaten, they responded by praising God through praying and singing hymns. God responded with an earthquake that shook the prison and set them free (Acts 16:25-26). Their praise preceded a mighty deliverance.
Eighth, praise allows us to overcome fear and anxiety. Fear and anxiety attempt to overwhelm us in difficult times, but praise redirects our focus to the truth and hope of who God is. As we praise Him, anxiety and fear are replaced with confidence and peace. “What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me” (Psalm 56:3-4).
Ninth, praise leads to breakthrough, victory, and deliverance. The Old Testament records many accounts where praise led the way for God’s mighty deliverance. When King Jehoshaphat faced an overwhelming enemy army, he put singers and praisers on the front lines of the battle. As they began to praise God, the Lord caused confusion among the enemy and they defeated themselves (2 Chronicles 20:21-22). Our breakthrough often comes on the heels of praise.
Tenth, praise brings joy in the midst of trials. James instructs us to “count it all joy” when we encounter trials (James 1:2). Even in the midst of pain, praising God brings unspeakable joy. The apostles demonstrated this after being flogged and beaten for preaching the gospel. They left “rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor” for Jesus and “did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ” (Acts 5:40-42). Their praise produced joy in suffering.
Eleventh, praise highlights God’s glorious attributes. Throughout the Psalms and the rest of Scripture, praise focuses on God’s attributes like His holiness, power, faithfulness, justice, mercy, and love. Praise fixes our mind on who God is – His character, His heart, and His ways. In praise, we declare specific truths about God that remind us and those around us of His greatness (Psalm 145:1-13).
Twelfth, praise stills anxiety and calms the soul. Instead of being anxious, Philippians 4:6-7 instructs us, “Let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” As we turn our worries into praise, God fills us with supernatural peace. “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee” (Isaiah 26:3).
Thirteenth, praise allows us to enter God’s presence. Psalm 100:4 tells us to “enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise.” Praise prepares our hearts to enter God’s presence. It brings us before His throne of grace with thanksgiving (Hebrews 4:16). There is power in entering God’s presence with a heart of praise.
Fourteenth, praise reminds us of God’s blessings. Praising God helps us recall specific things He has done for us. The psalmist declared, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits” (Psalm 103:2). As we intentionally praise God, we remember the countless blessings in our lives that can only be credited to His grace and favor.
Fifteenth, praise leads to renewal and refreshing. Isaiah 40:31 promises, “those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Placing our hope in God through praise brings supernatural renewal when our strength runs out.
Sixteenth, praise cleanses our heart and restores proper perspective. Sometimes through sin or difficult circumstances, we can adopt a skewed perspective and wrong attitudes. But praise cleanses and renews our mind to see life from God’s point of view again (Psalm 51:10, Psalm 51:12).
Seventeenth, praise squeezes out grumbling and complaining. It’s easy to fall into negativity through ingratitude and complaining. But praise forces grumbling out of our system. God hates grumbling among His people, but loves to hear His children praise His name (Exodus 16:2, Philippians 2:14).
Eighteenth, praise shields our minds from destructive thoughts. Praise protects our minds from the toxic thoughts the enemy tries to implant. “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (Philippians 4:8).
Nineteenth, praise invites God’s peace to rule our hearts. Colossians 3:15 says, “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, for to this you were called as members of one body. And be thankful.” As we praise God with thankful hearts, His supernatural peace floods our souls.
Twentieth, praise invites God’s presence and power into every sphere of life. Through praise, we invite God into our work, relationships, difficulties, families, thought lives, past, present, and future. There is no area of life that praise does not touch when we sincerely worship Him.
In summary, praising God is hugely important for many reasons. It declares God’s worth, witnesses to who He is, defeat’s the enemy’s lies, purifies our hearts, ushers in God’s presence and power, brings deliverance and breakthrough, silences anxiety and fear, brings joy in trials, and so much more. Praise radically reorients life to proper perspective – that God alone is worthy and that He is intimately involved in every detail. The Bible consistently highlights praise as a primary focus for believers.
Praising God is not some boring religious ritual. It’s a powerful catalyst for living life to the fullest in the way God intended. We were created to praise Him. It’s only when praise becomes a natural reflex – in times of joy, pain, celebration, sadness, routine, suffering, and everything in between – that we experience the abundant life promised in Scripture. Praise should be like breathing for the believer. If our relationship with God does not include consistent heartfelt praise, we are missing out on His very purpose and plan for our lives. We will only discover our full God-given identity through lavish worship of our Creator.
