12/02/2023
Praise is the act of expressing approval or admiration which can be expressed either in words, prayer, or songs as an act of worship. Praise is used especially by Christians to glorify God through songs.
Research has shown that praise affects motivation positively (Henderlong & Lepper, 2002). Research also shows that praise affects the person who is praised as well as the one who receives praise depending on the positivity of the praise (Cheon et Al.,2014; Dore et Al.,2017). For example, Dore et Al, 2017 showed that helping others regulate their emotions predicted increased regulation of one’s own emotions and decreased symptoms of depression. They suggested that in helping others manage their emotional reactions to stressful situations through praise the praise could be more effective in the practice of their emotional regulation skills that could help them improve their emotional well-being.
What does the Bible say about praise?
The Bible emphasizes the importance of praising God because he is our protector and deliverer. Psalm 18:3 “ I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies”.
The book of Psalms in the Bible contains a collection of songs filled with praises to God.
“ Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! ( Psalm 150:6).
Paul emphasized the importance of praising God In Philippians 4:4 by emphasizing rejoicing twice” Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice”.
The hallmark of praising God that led to a great miracle in the Bible was seen in Acts 16:22-26. At midnight, Paul and Silas broke out in praise and worship of God while they were held captives in the prison. The Bible further tells us that during their praise and worship session, an earthquake occurred and the gates and doors of the prison were opened. This verse teaches us that when we praise God, walls will fall before us and chains will be broken.
The positive impact of praise.
1. Praise refocuses our minds on God and connects our hearts with his.
2. Praise boosts good feelings and our moods and can motivate us positively
3. Praise can lead to positive treatment of self and others.
4. Praise can inspire individuals to be more cooperative, persistent, and hardworking as well as to build self-esteem and self-worth.
When we sing praises it positively impacts our lives by elevating our mood and touching every area of our lives while glorifying God in the process.
We live In a world that is often plagued with so much negativity and often it seems the ungodly are getting more prominent. We hear so many negatives that most times can lead to depressive moods but we strive deliberately to stay positive to counter the negative. Praise is a great tool that comes in handy in situations like this.
We face a lot of tough circumstances in our lives and the pressure to behave and act in certain ways can hurt our well-being. But God told us in his word to respond differently by not letting our hearts be troubled. God gave us the option to choose (Deut.30:19).
Praise is not the foreseeable product that comes when everything is going right in our lives; it's the driving force. If we start praising God in the middle of our problems, our problems will shrink.
I implore you to start focusing on praising God in your day-to-day lives by thanking him for his blessings and your problems will become an afterthought.
Tess
