"Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to his name." ~ Hebrews 13:15
I think we often confuse praise and worship. Because we lump them together in our services they can often become confused and seen as the same thing. But praise and worship are two different things. And we are expected to bring both to God.The psalms are filled with David exhorting us to "Praise the Lord."
The definition of praise is to offer grateful homage to God as in words or song.
The definition of worship although similar is also vastly different: reverent honor or homage paid to God.
Why then is it a "sacrifice of praise" and not a sacrifice of worship? Because it's hard to be grateful when you're in the prison cell. It's not easy to offer grateful homage to God when you're bound in chains; and yet, this is exactly what we're called to do. We're called to offer "a continual sacrifice of praise." Praise to God is what's going to break the chains in your life. We need to have a spirit of rejoicing in every circumstance in our life. But so many times, we have a hum drum attitude; and even though, we know God can, we don't believe he will. So we offer him our worship because that's what we're supposed to do, but we withhold our praise because praise is difficult. Praise requires us to rejoice about being in chains. It requires us to rejoice when we'd rather crawl up in a ball and die.
In the book of Acts, Paul and Silas were thrust into the inner prison after being beaten. Yet the Bible says that "at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God" (16:25). I don't know about you, but after I've been beaten and thrown into prison I don't really feel like rejoicing and being grateful. And although I've never literally gone through this, life can often make us feel like we've been beat up and thrown into prison. So what do we do in those circumstances? Do we cry and accept our circumstances? Or do we rejoice in who God is? Paul and Silas chose to show gratitude to God in spite of their circumstances and what happened? "Suddenly there was an earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone's bands were loosed" (emphasis added, 16:26). Praise is an attitude of gratefulness to God despite your circumstances. Praise is what breaks chains and opens prison doors.
So many of us are bound and God is saying praise me in the circumstances. "Rejoice evermore" (1 Thessalonians 5:16). Praise allows us to enter God's throne room boldly. It allows us to rise up past our circumstances, past the things we see around us, and show our gratitude to God. It's easy to praise when we're on the mountain top. It's easy to praise when everything is going right. It's a lot harder to praise when we are in the inner prison cell and bound in chains.
We must have an attitude of gratitude. When I think of true gratitude, I think of a child. If a child comes to you and barely whispers thank you, refuses to look you in the eye, and walks away with shoulders slumped, do you really believe they're grateful for what you've done for them? How does their attitude make you feel? On the other hand, if a child comes to you with excitement, eyes alight with pleasure, and thanks you for what you've done barely able to contain themselves, do you believe they're grateful? How does that make you feel?
The Bible tells us that we are to be as little children. Our praise to God should be that as of a little child. We should be excited in our gratitude. We need to shout for joy. And sometimes that's hard. And yet, that's exactly what we need to do.
Has life beaten you up? Thrown you in prison? Are you bound by depression? Oppression? Sin? Then it's time to bring the sacrifice of praise. Lift up your voice in gratitude for all the things God has done, and is going to do. Shout. Dance. Sing. Give God the praise.
