Psalm 100; Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.

For all of God’s people both in Bible times, down through history and into the present, the way of approach to God is through praise and thanksgiving. To come with joyful songs of celebration and a thankful heart even during times of personal difficulty and pressure is to come with a sacrifice of praise that brings great delight to God. For God cannot resist the heart of a worshipper.

John 4:23 tells us that God is “seeking worshippers” those who will “worship in spirit and truth” He’s not looking for anything else, just those who genuinely give themselves with a heart of worship. Praise takes us into that intimate place of worship where we can encounter and experience the wonders of who God truly is, to revel in His presence and enjoy His blessings.

– Prayer is often associated with our needs or interests.
– Praise is our acknowledgment of God’s goodness, promises and blessings.
– Worship however is our preoccupation and pursuit of who God is.

We become absorbed both with and in Him, lost in wonder, love and adoration. This is the picture we have in Revelation chapters 4-5 & 7 where the 24 elders, surrounded by created heavenly creatures, angels and a multitude of saints worship the One seated on the Throne of heaven with total abandonment. They seem oblivious to time, status or religious protocol. They fall on their faces in awe and gratitude to the One before them. This is not some glimpse into the distant future, but a scene of heaven now. Nor is it something that can only happen in heaven, Psalm 22:3 Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. Wherever people rise to praise God, there He is enthroned, wherever God is enthroned then His rule, His reign, His authority, power, justice, goodness and His character invade.

Psalm 23:6 Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. That is a clear promise of God’s abiding presence forever surrounding us and this is the promise for the worshipper. It is the Praiser who inherits, who goes in first to lead the way. It is the praiser who changes circumstances and atmosphere’s around them, who have authority, who are the first to enter God’s presence. It is the praiser who knows and brings freedom to others, who unites and encourages and who ultimately bears good fruit in their lives. “let everything that has breath praise the Lord”

FREEDOM LIFE—A PRAISING WORSHIPPING CHURCH