Worship and praise are vital parts of our faith as Christians. So much of our relationship with God involves rest; we rest in God’s grace, knowing He is working things out in our favor. We rest at night, knowing God is faithful and will bring us to another day. We rest in the midst of our storm, because we know God is there with us. 

But praise and worship are different because they require action—not just spiritual, through prayer or fasting or trusting and believing. Praise and worship are physical acts involving every part of our bodies. We sing songs of worship, we lift our hands in praise, we bow our heads in reverence, we dance to the sound of tambourines and usher in the Holy Spirit. 

 There is a reason praise and worship services are held before the Pastor’s sermon in many churches. This is because our praise affects us as much as it affects the Lord. When we worship the Lord, nothing else and no one else but Christ Jesus is on our minds. It is the act of worship that opens our hearts to the Lord before we hear the Word. Even deeper than that, songs and dance and praise are how we welcome the presence of the Lord. God responds to our praise and worship. 

In Acts 16:25-26, Paul and Silas were praying and singing to the Lord when a great earthquake shook the prison so violently that the chains were removed and the doors were opened! This is how God responds when we worship His name. 

Think of it this way; ladies, we sometimes refer to our husbands as our “heroes,” but that isn’t because it’s a trend—its because our spouses behave that way. Our husbands may not fight criminals during the night, but they do their best to take care of their families and, if necessary, to protect them at all costs. The same goes for God, our hero!

Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not telling you that if you keep saying something about God then it will eventually come true just because. I’m saying when you acknowledge God through praise and worship, He acknowledges you. 

We have all heard the saying, Praises go up and blessings come down. This famous quote is not actually in the Bible, but it is undeniably true. God blesses us when we praise Him. That is why the Word is constantly telling us to praise God, to worship God, to give thanks to God, to honor God. There is a reason for that! And it is because God is an all-powerful, everlasting God who has MORE THAN WE COULD EVER NEED, and He WANTS to share it with us—but WE REFUSE TO ASK!

So instead of waiting for all the pious little chickens to get over themselves and their forced humility, God has instilled a way to bless us without us asking! That is called praise and worship.

Many people don’t like to hear about prosperity as Christians. We have been brainwashed into thinking it is wrong to ask the Lord for blessings—yet, that is what God has promised us over and over! Remember, it was Christ Himself who announced that He came so we may have life abundantly [John 10:10]. You can’t have an abundant life if you are unhealthy or jobless or living in terrible conditions. But you can still be used by God even if you are experiencing these situations. 

Please do not misunderstand me. I am not saying that God is a genie in a bottle ready for you to whisper praises to Him so He can give you all the money and riches in the world. I am explaining to you that praise and worship is a way to connect with God and acknowledge God. And when you acknowledge God and welcome Him into your life as your healer, your provider, your way maker, then you can expect Him to act as such when you call on Him with an earnest heart. 

My friend, there is NOTHING wrong with asking God for blessings or expecting blessings from Him. Hebrews 11:6 says God rewards those who earnestly seek Him. What do you think a reward is?? It is a BLESSING! Whether it be material, marital, spiritual, or otherwise. A reward is a reward and I’ll take it in any form! I’ll happily receive wisdom from God as much as a promotion at my job. I’ll take healing just as much as I’ll take restoration of my finances. 

Expecting or asking for blessings isn’t wrong; it becomes wrong when you focus solely on blessings and nothing else. My friends, you must always remember to keep Christ at the center of your lives and at the center of everything you do. When you are focused on Christ, material things become less and less important. 

Praise and worship is not the secret key to blessings and riches and glory. It is a way to welcome the presence of the Lord into your life or your situation and, naturally, when God arrives, blessings and goodness follow. Expect good things from your Father because HE IS GOOD! But praise Him nonetheless. In good times and bad, praise the Lord. On the hills or in the valley, praise the Lord. In everything you do, praise the Lord [Psalm 150:6].