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Praising God with a Grateful Heart in Worship

Praising God with a grateful heart in worship is a central theme throughout the biblical tradition, frequently emphasized in the Psalms and New Testament epistles. This act involves expressing thanks and adoration to God, often with a focus on sincerity and wholehearted engagement [1, 2, 3, 11].

The Bible commands believers to offer thanksgiving to God [6]. This is not merely an optional activity but a commanded duty, as seen in passages like Psalm 50:14 and Philippians 4:6 [6]. Thanksgiving is described as a "good thing" in Psalm 92:1 [6]. The practice of giving thanks is exemplified by Christ himself, who offered thanks on various occasions, such as before meals and significant events [6]. Heavenly beings are also depicted engaging in thanksgiving [6].

Praise is due to God for numerous aspects of His character and actions. These include His majesty, glory, excellency, greatness, holiness, wisdom, and power [4]. His goodness, mercy, and loving-kindness are also frequent reasons for praise [4, 9]. For instance, Psalm 107:8 encourages praise for God's goodness, and Psalm 136 repeatedly calls for thanks to the Lord, "for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever" [4]. Glorifying God is commanded and is due to Him for His holiness, mercy, truth, faithfulness, wondrous works, and judgments [7]. It is also a response to His deliverance and grace shown to others [7].

The manner of praise is significant. It should be offered "with my whole heart," as David declares in Psalm 9:1 [11]. This implies that the heart should be fully engaged in divine service and worship, whether in prayer or praise [11]. Matthew Henry emphasizes that praise should be performed with "lively affections" and "spiritual joy," which he describes as "the heart and soul of thankful praise" [12, 15]. He also notes that praise should be offered with "fixedness of heart," meaning that "wandering straggling thoughts must be gathered in, and kept close to the business" [14]. The tongue, or "glory," is also to be used in expressing praise freely and boldly [14].

Praise and thanksgiving are often intertwined with prayer. Prayer is defined as converse with God, an "intercourse of the soul with God" through direct address [8]. It can involve "bowing the knees," "lifting up the soul," or "pouring out the heart" [5, 8]. Both prayer and praise are to be offered to God, and through Christ [5, 6]. John Gill notes that a "cordial and sincere affection for one another is necessary to the worshipping of God with one consent," which includes both praying to God and praising Him [10]. This unity of mind and mouth is essential for glorifying God [10].

The New Testament further articulates the role of Christ in worship. Praise is acceptable through Christ [4], and thanksgiving should be offered through Him and in His name [6]. The apostle Paul encourages believers to give "thanks always for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God even the Father" [13]. This highlights the mediatorial role of Christ in bringing our worship to God. The act of praising God is also seen as a means of glorifying Him [7].

Sources

  1. Psalms “I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving. -- Psalms 69:30”
  2. Psalms “Let’s come before his presence with thanksgiving. Let’s extol him with songs! -- Psalms 95:2”
  3. Psalms “Psalms 109:30 (NASB) — With my mouth I will give thanks abundantly to the LORD; And in the midst of many I will praise Him.”
  4. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Praise — God is worthy of -- 2Sa 22:4. Christ is worthy of -- Re 5:12. God is glorified by -- Ps 22:23; 50:23. Offered to Christ -- Joh 12:13. Acceptable through Christ -- Heb 13:15. Is due to God on account of His majesty. -- Ps 96:1,6; Isa 24:14. His glory. -- Ps 138:5; Eze 3:12. His excellency. -- Ex 15:7; Ps 148:13. His greatness. -- 1Ch 16:25; Ps 145:3. His holiness. -- Ex 15:11; Isa 6:3. His wisdom. -- Da 2:20; Jude 1:25. His power. -- Ps 21:13. His goodness. -- Ps 107:8; 118:1; 136:1; Jer 33:11. His mercy. -- 2Ch 20:21; Ps 89:1; 118:1-4; 136:1-26. His loving-k”
  5. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Prayer — Commanded -- Isa 55:6; Mt 7:7; Php 4:6. To be offered To God. -- Ps 5:2; Mt 4:10. To Christ. -- Lu 23:42; Ac 7:59. To the Holy Spirit. -- 2Th 3:5. Through Christ. -- Eph 2:18; Heb 10:19. God hears -- Ps 10:17; 65:2. God answers -- Ps 99:6; Isa 58:9. Is described as Bowing the knees. -- Eph 3:14. Looking up. -- Ps 5:3. Lifting up the soul. -- Ps 25:1. Lifting up the heart. -- La 3:41. Pouring out the heart. -- Ps 62:8. Pouring out the soul. -- 1Sa 1:15. Calling upon the name of the Lord. -- Ge 12:8; Ps 116:4; Ac 22:16. Crying to God. -- Ps 27:7; 34:6. Drawing”
  6. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Thanksgiving — Christ set an example of -- Mt 11:25; 26:27; Joh 6:11; 11:41. The heavenly host engaged in -- Re 4:9; 7:11,12; 11:16,17. Commanded -- Ps 50:14; Php 4:6. Is a good thing -- Ps 92:1. Should be offered To God. -- Ps 50:14. To Christ. -- 1Ti 1:12. Through Christ. -- Ro 1:8; Col 3:17; Heb 13:15. In the name of Christ. -- Eph 5:20. In behalf of ministers. -- 2Co 1:11. In private worship. -- Da 6:10. In public worship. -- Ps 35:18. In everything. -- 1Th 5:18. Upon the completion of great undertakings. -- Ne 12:31,40. Before taking food. -- Joh 6:11; Ac 27:35.”
  7. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Glorifying God — Commanded -- 1Ch 16:28; Ps 22:23; Isa 42:12. Due to him -- 1Ch 16:29. For his Holiness. -- Ps 99:9; Re 15:4. Mercy and truth. -- Ps 115:1; Ro 15:9. Faithfulness and truth. -- Isa 25:1. Wondrous works. -- Mt 15:31; Ac 4:21. Judgments. -- Isa 25:3; Eze 28:22; Re 14:7. Deliverance. -- Ps 50:15. Grace to others. -- Ac 11:18; 2Co 9:13; Ga 1:24. Obligation of saints to -- 1Co 6:20. Is acceptable through Christ -- Php 1:11; 1Pe 4:11. Christ, an example of -- Joh 17:4. Accomplished by Relying on his promises. -- Ro 4:20. Praising him. -- Ps 50:23. Doing all ”
  8. Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Prayer — Is converse with God; the intercourse of the soul with God, not in contemplation or meditation, but in direct address to him. Prayer may be oral or mental, occasional or constant, ejaculatory or formal. It is a "beseeching the Lord" (Ex. 32:11); "pouring out the soul before the Lord" (1 Sam. 1:15); "praying and crying to heaven" (2 Chr. 32:20); "seeking unto God and making supplication" (Job 8:5); "drawing near to God" (Ps. 73:28); "bowing the knees" (Eph. 3:14). Prayer presupposes a belief in the personality of God, his ability and willingness to hold inter”
  9. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Loving-Kindness of God, The — Is through Christ -- Eph 2:7; Tit 3:4-6. Described as Great. -- Ne 9:17. Excellent. -- Ps 36:7. Good. -- Ps 69:16. Marvellous. -- Ps 17:7; 31:21. Multitudinous. -- Isa 63:7. Everlasting. -- Isa 54:8. Merciful. -- Ps 117:2. Better than life. -- Ps 63:3. Consideration of the dealings of God gives a knowledge of -- Ps 107:43. Saints Betrothed in. -- Ho 2:19. Drawn by. -- Jer 31:3. Preserved by. -- Ps 40:11. Quickened after. -- Ps 119:88. Comforted by. -- Ps 119:76. Look for mercy through. -- Ps 51:1. Receive mercy through. -- Isa 54:8. Are ”
  10. Romans (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Romans 15:5: That ye may with one mind and one mouth;.... This is the end for which the above request is made, and shows, that a cordial and sincere affection for one another is necessary to the worshipping of God with one consent, to a joining together in acts of religious service, both in praying to God, and in praising of him, which latter seems here chiefly designed; for how should there be an agreement of heart and voice, of mind and mouth, in praising God, unless there is a singleness of heart, and oneness of affection? This is necessary in order to glorify God, even the F”
  11. Psalms (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Psalms 9:1: I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole, heart,.... This is what is called in the New Testament making melody in the heart, or singing with grace in the heart, Eph 5:19; and yet does not signify mere mental singing, but vocal singing, the heart joining therein; for the word here used for praise signifies to confess, to speak out, to declare openly the praises of God in the public congregation, as David elsewhere determines to do, Psa 111:1; the heart ought to, be engaged in every, part of divine service and worship, whether in preaching or in hearing, or in prayer, o”
  12. Psalms (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Psalms 95:1: The psalmist here, as often elsewhere, stirs up himself and others to praise God; for it is a duty which ought to be performed with the most lively affections, and which we have great need to be excited to, being very often backward to it and cold in it. Observe, I. How God is to be praised. 1. With holy joy and delight in him. The praising song must be a joyful noise, Psa 95:1 and again Psa 95:2. Spiritual joy is the heart and soul of thankful praise. It is the will of God (such is the condescension of his grace) that when we give glory to him as a being infinite”
  13. CCEL/NPNF (Eastern Orthodox) “John Chrysostom, Homilies on Galatians–Colossians–Thessalonians: making melody with your heart to the Lord; giving thanks always for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God even the Father; subjecting yourselves one to another in the fear of Christ.” Dost thou wish, he says, to be cheerful, dost thou wish to employ the day? I give thee spiritual drink; for drunkenness even cuts off the articulate sound of our tongue; it makes us lisp and stammer, and distorts the eyes, and the whole frame together. Learn to sing psalms, and thou shalt see the delightfulness of the employment. Fo”
  14. Psalms (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Psalms 108:1: We may here learn how to praise God from the example of one who was master of the art. 1. We must praise God with fixedness of heart. Our heart must be employed in the duty (else we make nothing of it) and engaged to the duty (Psa 108:1): O God! my heart is fixed, and then I will sing and give praise. Wandering straggling thoughts must be gathered in, and kept close to the business; for they must be told that here is work enough for them all. 2. We must praise God with freeness of expression: I will praise him with my glory, that is, with my tongue. Our tongue is”
  15. Psalms (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Psalms 33:1: Four things the psalmist expresses in these verses: I. The great desire he had that God might be praised. He did not think he did it so well himself, but that he wished others also might be employed in this work; the more the better, in this concert: it is the more like heaven. 1. Holy joy is the heart and soul of praise, and that is here pressed upon all good people (Psa 33:1): Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous; so the foregoing psalm concluded and so this begins; for all our religious exercises should both begin and end with a holy complacency and triumph in Go”
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