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“Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name” — Hebrews 13:15, NIV
For many people, receiving praise is a treasured experience that makes us happy or proud. However, how often do we ourselves give praise? More specifically, how often do we give praise to God for all He has done for us?
Hebrews 13:15 tells us to “offer to God a sacrifice of praise.” In the Christian community, praise may often be associated with singing and worship. However, praise can also go beyond this. Praise relates to having a thankful heart and declaring our gratitude, and this can be through the form of music or other expressions.
“I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips.” — Psalm 34:1, NIV
We can choose to praise God no matter where we are in life. If we are in a season full of blessings, excitement and fulfilled dreams, we can offer a sacrifice of praise to the Lord. If we are in a season of pain, confusion and heartache, we can still offer praise to God.
Unfortunately, it is not always easy to offer praise to God. It requires us to have the right mindset and intentions. If we are struggling to praise God, it can be helpful to do the following in order to get our heart in the right place:
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“They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, ‘Hosanna!’ ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’ ‘Blessed is the king of Israel!’” — John 12:13, NIV
There are many instances in the Bible where people offer praise to God. When Jesus was born, “the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told” (Luke 2:20, NIV). The shepherds were so full of joy and gratitude toward God that they went home with spirits of praise toward God.
Another such instance of praise is on Palm Sunday as Jesus is traveling to Jerusalem in John 12. A crowd of people beginning shouting praise to Jesus as he walked the street. They called out Hosanna, lifting their voices in praise.
We too can lift our praises to Jesus for all he has done. He sacrificed his own life for us and if that should invoke our gratitude and thankfulness that overflows like with the shepherds and people in Jerusalem.
