Praise

I still have the first trophy I ever got. It was at the end of my fourth grade year. I received the award for being at the top of my class academically. I was excited and proud and did not know how to handle the attention. It sat on the mantle for a year until my neighbor won the award for that year. Then Dad took it off the mantle and gave it to me to put in my room. Praise we receive is temporary.

Praise takes many different forms. When someone tells you that you did a good job, or pats you on the back we are encouraged by that kind of praise. Praise is a way of saying that it was not only the deed that was good but also the act was in character of the person who did it. Praise is an affirmation, the giving of credit, and complimenting a person.

Praise should always be directed toward God. He is worthy of praise. Praise can usually be distinguished from thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is the act of being thankful for what God has done. Praise is an acknowledgement of who God is, His character.

The second phrase of the Lord’s Prayer states, “…Hallowed be your name.” (Matthew 6:9b) Jesus taught us to begin prayer with praise for the character of God’s holy name. This phrase not only emphasizes God’s holiness but also specifically addresses God’s holy character. In the thought of that day a person’s name represented his character. Today when we talk about a person having a good name we are referring to his reputation and character. God’s character is holy. He is separate from us and above us and we need to recognize his holy name every day.

When false things are spread about someone we call that defamation of character. Once when I heard some bad things being said about someone I heard a person near me wonder if what was being said was defamation of character or a definition of character. That little play on words can make a big difference. Truth, whether good or bad, is a definition of character. It is praise only if it is good truth. False praise comes from false statements or from a false and insincere heart. God always knows if our praise is true or false.

Praise opens the door to worship and prayer. Praise sets our mind on the character of God so that when we pray we are directing our prayer to the one who listens and answers our prayer. Praise determines our sincerity. It is the only thing we can do to get God’s attention in a positive way. Praising God has eternal consequences.

My trophy is in a box in the attic. Such is the destination of man’s praise. Every morning I sit down to pray and begin with the Lord’s Prayer. I look over the lists and think about the needs and the many answers to prayer I see. This is the destination of our praise of God. “Hallowed be your name!”

Bro. Robin