"I will praise You, O LORD my God, with all my heart,
and I will glorify Your name forevermore."
Psalm 86:12
Bill Bright, the founder of Campus Crusade for Christ, said, "Praise is the language of heaven." As you read the Psalms, the hymn book of ancient Israel, you can see that praise to God is a constant theme. As we look in the book of Revelation, we get a look at worship in heaven. Notice chapters four and five. They prove Bill Bright to be right. The angelic host, and the redeemed of the ages, are praising God. The praise of God continues in heaven forever.
Once I served a church with a minister of music who said to me, "I believe that God put me on this planet to lead people to praise Him. That's my purpose for being here." I have remembered those words over the years. While God has not called everyone to be a minister of music, He has called all believers to praise Him in this life and forevermore. Our praise must come from a heart of gratitude for God's goodness and mercy in our lives. Our worship services in this life are only practice sessions for the praise which shall be forever!
Is praise a regular part of your life? God honors the praise of His people. The presence of God becomes real to us as we praise Him. One important part of prayer should be praise. Prayer includes confession, thanksgiving and petition, but praise should be foremost. Songs of praise should not only be a part of corporate worship, but also an important part of private worship. I have long used the Bible and the hymn book in my personal times of daily devotionals. Let the language of heaven be a part of your prayers and songs. Praise brings us into God's revealed presence.
Father, You are worthy of our praise now and forever!
