How Embracing a Life of Praise Creates Joy and Strengthens Your Faith

Did you know that expressing gratitude and praise can significantly enhance your mental well-being and spiritual connection? It's true! Numerous studies support the idea that a lifestyle centered on praise not only brings joy but also deepens our relationship with God. In this 2-part post, we'll explore how embracing a life of praise can create joy, solidify your purpose, and enhance your covenant of love with Christ. We'll delve into practical ways to cultivate a heart of praise and discuss the spiritual benefits that flow from it. Let's embark on this transformative journey together!

Embracing a Life of Praise

Living a life of praise is more than just singing hymns or offering up thanksgivings during worship. It’s an entire paradigm shift—a way of approaching everything in life with an attitude of joy that honors God and exalts His holy name. When we choose to praise, we align ourselves with the abundant blessings that God bestows upon us. We are looking at the world and our circumstances through a “God” filter, instead of a “me” filter.

Defining Praise  

Praise can be defined as an expression of gratitude and admiration towards God. But we often define praise too narrowly. In the Bible, praise takes various forms, from songs and prayers to acts of kindness and service. Psalm 100:4 states, "Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name." This verse highlights the importance of praise in our relationship with God. Anything we do can be used as a form of praise when we bring glory to His name.

There are so many benefits to embracing a life of praise. It’s a powerful weapon for internal and external transformation. 

Let’s look at a few of the benefits of a life of praise.

Developing a Deeper Relationship with Christ  

Of all the benefits of praise, a deeper understanding of the character of Christ and the creativity of our heavenly father is the most important. Praise acts as a key to unlock a more intimate relationship with Christ. When we engage in heartfelt praise, we cultivate awareness of His presence in our lives and allow deeper revelation to growth and healing.  

• Creating Space for God: Daily moments of worship and thanksgiving free us from distraction, allowing us to listen and feel the Lord's guidance. 

• Experiencing God’s Love: Praise brings us closer to God. As we express love and honor towards Him, we begin to feel His ever-present love enveloping us.

• A Posture of Surrender: When we praise, we are wholly yielded to God and inviting Him to speak into our lives.

The Joy of Praise

Embracing a lifestyle of praise creates a sense of joy that permeates our entire being. Joy is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), and when we focus on praising God, we experience an overflow of love, joy, and peace. 

• Fostering a Positive Outlook: When life feels discouraging, praise can reframe our perspective. Instead of fixating on our challenges, we can acknowledge God’s unchanging nature and celebrate His goodness.

• Cultivating Authentic Relationship: Joy in praise not only strengthens our connection with God but also enhances our relationships with others. Happiness is contagious; as we share our praises, we create a supportive and uplifting atmosphere where relationships can thrive.  

Solidifying Our Purpose  

Finding purpose in life can often feel like a daunting task. However, a life of praise helps to illuminate our path and deepens our understanding of our God-given purpose.  

Understanding Your Calling: As we praise God and seek His will, we grow in clarity and insight about our life’s mission. Praise leads us to discover our unique talents and gifts that we can use to serve others.  

Mobilizing Your Gifts: When we recognize our blessings through praise, we naturally feel compelled to put our talents into action. Our praise transforms into service, guiding us to fulfill our purpose while building the kingdom of God.  

Solidifying Our Covenant of Love  

Our covenant with God is built on mutual love and commitment. Engaging in praise reminds us of this sacred bond. When we live in covenant, praise feeds this love and keeps us in one accord with our Savior.

Recognizing God’s Faithfulness: Praising God for His past faithfulness reinforces our trust in His future promises.  

Returning the Love: Praise is a way of honoring this covenant. The more we praise God, the more we deepen our love for Him and recognize His work in our lives.

Living a Life of Gratitude

The bible tells us to be grateful in all circumstances. A life full of praise also leads to a life full of gratitude. We know God is worthy of of our praise, let’s also tell Him he’s worthy of our love by being grateful for all He has given us.

Recognizing God’s Desire to Bless Us: There is no doubt that God goes out of His way to bless us because of His unfathomable love. Praise frees up the love we have in return and reflects our deep gratitude for all He gives us.

A Positive Focus: Living a life full of profound gratitude spills over into every other aspect of your life, and particularly your relationships. You are able to focus on living a life full of grace for all those in your life.

There are so many benefits in not only growing our own spiritual walk through praise, but in helping others grow as well. This list is by no means exhaustive, I’m sure when you sit and think about it, you can thank of specific benefits of praise in your own life.

In fact, that’s your journal prompt for today:

What are the benefits of praise that are most valuable in your life?

In Part 2, we’ll explore Living A Life of Joyful Praise!