DIFFERENCE: PRAISE & WORSHIP

DIFFERENCE: PRAISE AND WORSHIP

Christians praise and worship

John 4:24 AMP C “God is a Spirit (a spiritual Being) and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth (reality).”

The elements of worship are OUR SPIRIT, SOUL & BODY. We worship God with our Spirit but it also involves our Soul and Body.

Worship versus Praise.

Praise is about God, worship is to God. Praise is opening up, and worship is entering. Praise is boldly declaring, worship is humbly bowing in the presence of a Holy God. Praise applauds what God has done, worship is honoring God for who He is.

A young guy once asked me, “How come the Bible says in Psalm 150:6, “Let everything that has breath praise God, yet my puppy can’t praise and worship God as I do?” In my explanation to him, I said animals don’t have spirits and can’t worship God in spirit, as only humans can. God is a spirit; therefore, we can only worship Him and relate to Him from, and with, our spirits. This means not every living thing can worship Him.

Praise is simply lavishing encouragement upon someone for what they have accomplished, saying or writing good things about someone or something, or expressing approval. We can praise anyone or anything.

MEANING OF WORSHIP

The English word “worship” comes from two Old English words: weorth, which means worth, and scipe (or ship), which means quality or condition. So, worth-ship is the quality of having worth. Whatever we devote our time and energy to is what or who we worship. When we worship God, we are ascribing worth to Him and proclaiming that He alone is worthy. Worship is not always quiet and contemplative. Whether we think, imagine, sing, dance, clap, speak, whisper, or shout about how awesome our God is, worship should be reserved exclusively for Him. “Give unto the Lord the glory due to His name; Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.” (Psalm 29:2)

Praise seems to be a subset of worship. When we praise God for what He has done, this leads to praising Him for who He is.

A skillful and wise worship leader incorporates both praise and worship in such a way that it is seamless, provokes a response, and invites participation.

INVOLVEMENTS OF PRAISE AND WORSHIP

There are many ways to describe the worship experience, whether all alone or in the midst of a congregation of thousands — adoration, celebration, devotion, exaltation, and thanksgiving are a few words that come to mind. The Old Testament doesn’t present us with the dichotomy of praise or worship, in fact, there are several Hebrew words for ‘praise’ that include elements you may have thought applied exclusively to worship:

Barak to kneel and bless God as an act of adoration, implies a continual conscious giving place to God, to be attuned to His presence (Psalm 95:6)

Yadah to throw out, to worship with an extended hand (Psalm 63:4).

Karar to dance (2 Samuel 6:16)

Halal the root for our word hallelujah. It means to rave about, to boast, to celebrate, to be clamorously foolish. The literal translation is to spin like a top (Psalm 113:1).

Shabach a shout or command; to address in a loud tone (Psalm 145:4)

Taqa (Taqua) to clap hands (Psalm 47:1)

Todah (Towdah) same root as yadah, but literally means an extension of the hands in adoration (Psalm 50:14)

Zamar to touch strings, play an instrument in worship (Psalm 1:13)

Tehillah to sing a spontaneous, extemporaneous song. This is the praise described by John in Revelation.

CONCLUSION

“Enter his gates with thanksgiving, enter His courts with praise” (Psalm 100:4). The Old Testament paints a vivid picture of the stages of worship in describing the Jewish tabernacle. The tabernacle included three distinct areas: The outer court, where people mingled and prepared themselves to worship; the inner court, where the worshipper could meet with a priest, confess sins, and offer an acceptable sacrifice; and the Holy of Holies, where the glory of God dwelt. Back then if you came into the Holy of Holies unprepared you were struck dead. Jesus, our great High Priest, has made a way for us to come boldly to the throne of grace to receive help and mercy (Hebrews 4:16). NOW, OUR BORN AGAIN SPIRIT IS THE HOLY OF HOLIES where the Holy Spirit dwells.