Welcome again to my blog. I am delighted you have come to visit.
Teleios and other authors have shown Christian belief actually can improve personal wellbeing! Therefore, we are examining the Christian life in more detail to see if we can uncover some of the potential underlying causes for improved wellbeing.
We are discussing currently the practice of Christianity based in Acts 2:42-47. These wonderful verses describe the practice of the Christian walk within the early church. They are repeated throughout the Epistles and so are vital to us today. I call them the ‘5 tools to maturity’: prayer, fellowship/community, outreach, Bible study and praise.
Last week we covered Bible study. This week let’s expl
ore praise!
ore praise!
Definition of ‘praise’
Merriam-Webster dictionary defines ‘praise’ as:
- To express a favorable judgment of: commend
- To glorify (a god or saint) especially by the attribution of perfections
Content of praise
Therefore, as a Christian what should be the content of biblical praise? The Bible gives some hints:
- Acknowledgement of God's perfect character (Ephesians 1:6)
- Acknowledgement of God’s righteous actions (Psalm 139:14, Psalm 148)
- Thankfulness (Hebrews 13:15)
Reason we praise
Why do we praise God? The reasons are vital to our Christian life and are listed below:
- The Bible commands us to praise - It is our duty to praise God. However, God does not give us commands without reason, so several potential explanations follow below. (Psalm 150, Romans 15:11, Hebrews 13:15)
- He deserves praise - Our Father in Heaven is the almighty God who has provided for us salvation through his Son, Jesus Christ, as a free gift through faith that we could have eternal life. This salvation is a sure hope and anchor for our souls. Surely, He deserves glory, thanks, and praise. (1 Peter 4:11, Hebrews 6:19)
- It is good for us to praise - God made us! Therefore, He knows what is good for us. It is good for us to praise at least for the following reasons:
- God ordained order – Praise reminds us of the order of the universe. We are not the most important thing in creation. God’s goals and priorities are above, and better than, ours.
- Humility - Realizing that God’s plans are more important than ours might limit our complaining and remind us that we are here to serve our great God.
- Attitude – Praise teaches us thankfulness in realizing God’s gifts to us in creation, in Christ and His benefits in this life as our Father. These should promote an attitude of thankfulness and reduce expectations (Philippians 4:8).
We do indeed have a great God who is worthy of all praise! Thank you for joining me today.
For questions or to view more of our research…
Website http://teleiosresearch.com/
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