Our praise to God is a
cornerstone of our Christian life, commanded in scripture (Hebrews 13:15-16), but changing our mindset and
propelling us towards spiritual maturity.
Accordingly, Teleios
recently surveyed adolescents and millennials regarding their views about praise.
The survey was promoted on the Christian Instagram accounts, InstaPray and
GodsHolyScriptures. Of the 332 participants the majority were: female (78%),
<35 years old (73%), from the United States (52%), and evangelical (71%).
Three-quarters (74%) of participants said they praise God every day. Most commonly they praise God because it is due Him (79%), but it also makes them feel good (79%). Importantly, those who praise God every day reported better wellbeing than those who praised less (P<0.001).
Participants indicated they praise God by expressing their gratitude to Him for their blessings (85%), singing hymns (78%), and recognizing His holy character and actions (65%).
In contrast, they noted the Bible states praise is by expressing thanksgiving (84%), living a godly lifestyle (81%), and expressing to God (79%) as well as to other people (78%) His righteous character and actions.
Participants believed praise helps them by reminding them of God’s greater purposes and desires than their own (91%), giving them joy (85%), and causing them to be more humble (79%).
Participants indicated that praise is directed to God the Father (97%), Jesus (89%), and the Holy Spirit (79%), although the Bible only directs praise to God the Father.
This survey showed that young Christian believers generally have a solid concept of praise, being thankful, and recognizing God's righteous character and actions.
Three-quarters (74%) of participants said they praise God every day. Most commonly they praise God because it is due Him (79%), but it also makes them feel good (79%). Importantly, those who praise God every day reported better wellbeing than those who praised less (P<0.001).
Participants indicated they praise God by expressing their gratitude to Him for their blessings (85%), singing hymns (78%), and recognizing His holy character and actions (65%).
In contrast, they noted the Bible states praise is by expressing thanksgiving (84%), living a godly lifestyle (81%), and expressing to God (79%) as well as to other people (78%) His righteous character and actions.
Participants believed praise helps them by reminding them of God’s greater purposes and desires than their own (91%), giving them joy (85%), and causing them to be more humble (79%).
Participants indicated that praise is directed to God the Father (97%), Jesus (89%), and the Holy Spirit (79%), although the Bible only directs praise to God the Father.
This survey showed that young Christian believers generally have a solid concept of praise, being thankful, and recognizing God's righteous character and actions.
How then and why do we praise -
what does scripture say?
· Definition of ‘praise’ – Merriam-Webster dictionary defines ‘praise’
as:
- To express a favorable judgment
or 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:
- Acknowledgment of God’s perfect
character (Ephesians 1:6)
- Acknowledgment 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 precious Son,
Jesus Christ, as a free gift through faith to 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’s 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! Make praise a part of your daily life
and reap the benefits personally while giving God what He deserves.
All the findings of the
survey can be found here (https://teleiosresearch.com/do-young-christians-praise/).
For
questions or to view more of our research…
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