“But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and truth” (John 4:23-24).

“Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands! Serve the Land with gladness; Come before His presence with singing. Know that the Lord, He is God; It is He who made us, and not we ourselves. We are His people, the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him and bless His name” (Psalm 100:1-4).

We are called to worship God. It is what we do to honor Him. Our praises to the King of kings and Lord of lords is our way of giving the Highest of high thanks for all He has done for us. We go into the house of God and we are to offer up our praises and worship to Him. There are no perfect churches because there are no perfect people, but when you find a church where you can worship and be accepted you have found a church home.

Some people find it hard to lower themselves or submit to praise and worship. When we worship it is not about us but it is all about God. We are allowing His holy spirit to flow through us as believers. I am not perfect and I deal with a lot of shame and guilt because of the mental health challenges I face. When I worship God He does not see any of that. He sees me in submission to Him and offering up praises to Him and no matter how other people see it God accepts our praises.

Remember, He does not need perfection and with God, it is all about our heart. If our heart is in the right place the rest will follow. That was satan’s problem he was too full of pride to submit to God and for that, he was cast out of heaven.

A songwriter wrote, “praise is what I do when I want to be close to you”. This is true when we worship and praise God we feel His spirit within us and we often feel closer to God. When you enter the church and it’s time for worship remember you are offering up your worship to God. You are allowing Him to be glorified.

There are seasons in our lives where what we need to do more than anything is praise God. Do not wait until the prayer has been answered to praise God. Praise in spite of what you see. Praise because you are thanking God that you will get the victory. We owe God our praise. No need to hold back because when God answers our prayers He is not slack. He answers them with our cup always running over.

Those who believe in God understand the value of praise especially if you have ever needed God to bring you out of a circumstance that was bigger than you. Praise is our way of saying to God “I thank you” or “God I love you”. It takes us into a deeper relationship with God. It took me a while to understand praise is for me and God. It allows me to release the things I am holding and it allows God to be glorified.

No matter what anyone says about praise. The word teaches us that praise is what we are called to do. Be a worshipper in all seasons of your life and watch God touch every circumstance and get the glory He is due.