Praise and Worship
Psalm 95: 6
Come, let us adore and prostrate;
Let's kneel before the Lord our Maker.
Much is currently talked about praise and worship and is practiced, both in Christian churches and in movements within the Catholic Church as, for example, the charismatic movement. But there are many people, even within the areas mentioned, who can not yet differentiate between the meaning of praise and worship, and there are even those who confuse both terms into one. On the other hand, the sense that is currently used has become light and mainly focused on the musical aspect.
Given this situation, it is necessary to study and consider its meaning, its importance in the life of the believer, its practices and, above all, the impact that both praise and adoration should have on our lives.
PRAISE
In general, praise is the result of enunciating positive statements about someone, either privately or publicly. In the religious context, praises to God are an integral part of the liturgy, both as an internal and external expression, which can take a variety of forms, such as singing, enunciation, dance, thought, etc. The biblical book of Psalms is a collection of hymns and poems that mostly praise God.
The etymology of the word praise comes from the Hebrew halal, which means to make show, be clear, enlighten, be bright and celebrate. In religion, praise is given to God and Christians express it with exaltation and joy for all the good that God provides. Typically praise comes as a form of gratitude for your gifts, both material and spiritual. Therefore, only God is the only one worthy of praise. Whatever the Christian denomination, there are always common links in regard to the practice of praising God, either through vocal or musical means, or both together.
The reasons to praise God
Each one of us has experienced the manifestation of God in our own life, for which there are many reasons to offer praise to God. However, from the time of the Old Testament, we are mentioned some of the reasons we must keep in mind to praise God. Here are some of them:
Because of its creation: "Yours is the sky, the earth is yours, you founded the orb and everything it contains, you created the north and the south, the Tabor and the Hermon cheer you" (Psalm 89:12).
For his wonderful works: "I give you thanks for so many wonders, I am prodigy, your works are wonders" (Psalm 139: 14).
Because of its character and attributes: "Hallelujah, thank Yahweh because it is good, because his mercy is eternal!" (Psalm 106: 1)
Because it is fair: "I get up at midnight to thank you, for the justice of your rules" (Psalm
119: 62).
For their holiness: "They shouted to one another: holy, holy, holy, Yahweh Sabaoth: the whole earth is full of his glory" (Isaiah 6: 3).
For his redeeming work; "And every creature, from heaven, from earth, from under the earth and from the sea, and all that is in them, I heard that they answered: Him that sitteth on the throne and the Lamb, praise, honor, glory and to be able for ever and ever "(Revelation 5:13).
Because he is merciful: "Hallelujah! Give thanks to Yahweh because it is good, because it is eternal
mercy! "(Psalm 106: 1).
By his grace: "to the praise of the glory of his grace" (Ephesians 1: 6)
For his kindness: "Praise Yahweh because it is good, sign for his name, which is kind"
(Psalm 135: 3)
Praise in music
The word music is not mentioned as such in the Bible, except in the Gospel of Luke when it says: "His eldest son was in the field and, when he came back, when he approached the house, he heard music and dances" (Luke 15). : 25). However, this word comes from the Greek sumfonia, whose literal translation into Spanish is symphony.
Music plays a very important role in praise, even when it is not indispensable to praise God because we have our mouth to sing, hands to beat palms and feet to dance. But if we include a specific rhythm and musical instruments, then we will truly achieve a party for God, complementing everything with each other.
Biblically music also represents a means of communication, a language between the Christian and God: "Seven times I praise you, for the righteousness of your judgments" (Psalm 119: 164). It is also a means of communication between Christian brothers: "Recite among yourselves psalms, hymns and inspired songs, sing and sing in your heart to the Lord" (Ephesians 5:19). The music of God is what gives importance to the spirit, the soul and the body under divine purposes and even David himself formed a music ministry in honor of God.
But we must bear in mind that a world musician will never be able to honestly praise God, since his own ego will basically prevail over spirituality, and this could even discourage and cool many listeners. The true musician of the Lord must be a converted person and that his musical expression be so spiritual that he can reach God and infect others because he does not sing to the public, but to God.
conclusion
Praise is the way of expression of Christians to give glory and honor to the Lord. But it must be done intimately and spiritually, moving away from any human and mundane spectacle. That is, to convert praise into a direct communication with God instead of performing a show with it, which will please the listeners, but not God.
Praise is intimately linked to adoration and both complement each other. Necessarily they must merge into one to achieve the purpose of achieving full intimacy with God. If a Christian praises without adoration it can be compared to a resounding metal or a clanging cymbal. That is why the Lord wants worshipers in spirit and in truth, so that the Holy Spirit prepares them to worship God in holiness.
"I will bless Yahweh at all times, without ceasing in his mouth his praise" (Psalm 34: 2).
WORSHIP
To adore is to render a sacred cult and revere God with supreme honor, to freely give our love to Him in a sincere expression of submission and respect. The Anglo-Saxon word of worship is worthscripe from which the English term worship derives, which means worthy of respect. The word adoration comes from the Latin ad (a) and ora (mouth) and means to pay homage. The Romans used it, holding a hand to their mouth, throwing a kiss at the object of their adoration.
Formerly worshiping a deity meant accepting a way of life governed by the precepts imposed by that deity. Therefore, for us, worship is the attitude or inner intention of the person's heart towards God. The adoration does not imply a specific time of worship to God, but a form and a lifestyle of the person in communion with God, as John the Evangelist indicates: "God is a spirit, and those who adore him, must worship in spirit and truth "(John 4:24).
True worship can be done both individually and as a group, and should be centered intimately on God and not as a means of entertainment for others. There are many people who think that they are worshiping God, but in reality they are only creating an euphoric sense in themselves.
Characteristics of true worship
True worship must have a minimum of characteristics, which are detailed below:
Prostrate before God: according to the Bible the correct position to worship God is to prostrate. This shows a humble submission and is also the way to do it in heaven to worship God: "Then the twenty-four Elders and the four living ones prostrated themselves and worshiped God, who is seated on the throne, saying: Amen! Hallelujah! ! " (Revelation 19: 4)
Fear and reverence: we must be before God with fear and with reverence recognizing that He is the only God and almighty. It is an attitude of profound respect, in contrast to irreverence: "Only to Yahweh will you fear and serve him faithfully, with all your heart, because you have seen this portent he has performed with you" (Samuel 12:24). This motivates us to always live in holiness before Him: "Having, therefore, these promises, my beloved, let us purify ourselves from every stain of the flesh and the spirit, consummating sanctification in the fear of God" (2 Corinthians 7: 1). .
Physical and emotional expression in worship can result in dance and body movements. This is an appropriate response if the worship is flowing effortlessly and spontaneously. But it is inappropriate if it is something invented and superfluous, or if the focus is on dance or music and singing instead of being a true and intimate joy with the Lord.
This implies that there is true worship and false worship. False worship is done in ignorance and without taking into account what God has taught us, through the Bible, about worship. True worship is done based on what the Word of God says about worship, and that we have already seen in previous biblical quotes in this same work.
By way of summary we can say that false worship is external, following human customs and rules, and focused on certain activities. True worship is internal and spiritual, centered on an intimate relationship and person with God.
"But the time will come (we are already in it) when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, because that is what the Father wants those who worship him" (John 4:23).