Don’t have time for an online lesson, you can purchase the complete book on Amazon: “Are You Worshipping In Spirit and In Truth? Praise and Worship Bible Study by Shelena Griffiths”(Paperback)
What Is The Difference Between Praise And Worship?
“Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness (Psalm 29:2).” Stand in awe before the glory, in awe before God’s visible power. The Lord God is good and worthy of our praise and worship. Just so you know, praise and worship are not about music. They are two words found in the Holy Bible. Yes, there is a difference between praise and worship? Worship is almost always confused with Praise, even by people who ought to know better. Praise is giving honor in verbal or physical expression to God, as well as, Worship which is admiration and giving respect to Him. Now that we have defined what praise and worship are. Can you tell them apart?
Although in a broad sense everything we do for God out of love from our hearts can be considered worship, we do not necessarily have to physically do anything to worship God. However, praise always requires action because it is an outward expression of our inner faith. In fact in the broad sense of the word, praise could be considered worship.
When we go to church and have worship service praise is included. In the narrow sense of the word, praise is very distinct from worship, because praise doesn’t necessarily have to be directed towards God. We can praise God amongst ourselves by declaring his goodness, but worship must be directed towards God. It could be said that praise can be horizontal; worship is always vertical, as you see in the cross. Praise can be sung about God, but worship must always be sung directly to Him. The bible talks about a sacrifice of praise that is found in Hebrews 13:15 and Jeremiah 33:11, but there is NO sacrifice of worship. Let’s look at these verses of scripture from the Amplified Bible:
“[There shall be heard again] the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bride, the voices of those who sing as they bring sacrifices of thanksgiving into the house of the Lord, give praise and thanks to the Lord of hosts, for the Lord is good; for His mercy and kindness and steadfast love endure forever!….” Jeremiah 33:11
They brought sacrifices of thanksgiving into the house of the Lord. Do you know that if you do not understand something you read in the bible? Most of the time, it is explained to you, if you keep reading on. What did they do? They gave praise and thanksgiving in the house of the Lord for His goodness.
“Through Him (Jesus Christ), therefore, let us constantly and at all times offer up to God a sacrifice of praise, which is the fruit of lips that thankfully acknowledge and confess and glorify His name.” Hebrews 13:15
Every time you think about it, you should offer thanksgiving to God. If you are saved by the grace of God, the Holy Bible states that it is your reasonable service (see lesson 11). How do I begin to praise God? By opening up your mouth, express gratitude for being alive and many other things in your life!
Worship is adoration toward God. You love Him and want to have a personal relationship with the Lord. This communication can be in action or not. What do I mean by this? Just like a child with their Daddy, he or she will come to their father to talk, and share their thoughts and feelings; which is praise, but there are times when the child just wants to be close to him without saying one word; which is worship. Usually, we do not have a problem understanding this, but something is misdirected in who we are to worship. The bible clearly said in Exodus 20:2, “Worship Only God.” Our problem is this little word called “Sacrifice.” Most of the Saints do not know or understand the word sacrifice in Hebrews 13:15? Sacrifice means to give up, forgo, forfeit, let go, and surrender. We do not want to do that for the most part. To give away something of value, No way! Well, guess what? The Creator God did by sending Jesus for you! This is what Jesus Christ did on the cross for you and me — He sacrificed His life so that we may live unto righteousness. Amen.
The next time you heard music being played at your local assembly from what I have stated to you about comparing praise and worship to the cross (see article Praise & Worship Songs Evaluation: What song is this?). Praise is horizontal acts of worship; where we talk to the congregation about God, other people, and so on. Well, worship is always vertical, with your head looking towards heaven and talking to God, Jesus, or the Holy Spirit directly. If you remember this small tip, you will always recognize the differences between praise and worship.
Suggested Book: What Is Praise and Worship? by Pamela Johnson
Suggested Book: Praise and Worship Changes Everything by Eugene Carvalho
Praise and Worship Bible Study Lessons for Personal Use Only.
We strongly recommend that you look up each reference of the Holy Scriptures from your own Bible. (We recommend using one of the following translations: King James, New King James, American Standard, New American Standard, or Amplified).
Lesson 13 Quiz Questions
Click on the “Start” button. 80% is passing. If you do not pass, try again until you do!
Suggested Book: The Beginner’s Guide to Praise and Worship by Gary Kinnaman
When you have completed this course, please continue to the next online course.
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All Bible Scriptures are from the King James Version unless otherwise stated. Public Domain. All Suggested Links Land on Amazon’s Website.
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