Just as it is difficult to truly thank God without praising Him for all that He is and does, it is nearly impossible to truly praise God without worshipping Him. I know what you’re thinking – ‘aren’t praise and worship the same thing? After all, we often refer to Praise and Worship as a single activity.’ Well, yes and no. Yes because I believe true praise ultimately results in worship, which means they are inseparable (and hence the joint reference). And No, because while Praise is a verbal expression of adoration, Worship is a physical one.
In the book Secrets of a Prayer Warrior, Bible teacher Derek Prince wrote, “Worship is not singing hymns or choruses; worship has to do with attitude. Most of the words translated ‘worship’ in the [Bible] describe primarily an attitude of the body. Thanksgiving and praise are vocal; worship is the attitude (or position of the body) in which we come.” Prince’s definition of worship tallies with Revelation 4:9-10’s description of worship in heaven, as well as ancient practices in which a noble person was worshiped or adored through kneeling, kissing or lifting/waving of hands.
Upon receiving the promise of God’s intervention in the battle, Jehoshaphat worshipped by bowing his face to the ground, along with all of Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 20:18). This act of adoration in response to the promise no doubt stimulated God’s decisive victory over their enemies (vv 22-23).
Worship is a response to the presence of God via a physical expression of our total awe of God’s majesty and acknowledgment of His omnipotence. If worship could curry the favor of earthly rulers, imagine what it can do for us in sight of the God of all creation.
So we have the trifecta of Thanksgiving, Praise and Worship, which invite God’s presence and give Him the reins to move unhindered in our lives. I don’t know about you, but I’d sure like to see what an unhindered move of God in my life looks like.
As we stand on the threshold of 2018, may we thank God for seeing us through 2017 and all that came before; Praise Him for what He has done, is doing and will do and worship Him as an expression of complete and utter reliance on His move in our lives. Then, stand back and be AMAZED at what He will do.
Blessings and Happy New Year!!
R
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Wordzpread 