Prayer - Praise and Thankfulness

When we talk about thankfulness and praise, it is important to distinguish between the two. There is in fact a difference, even though it is small.

Praise is to glorify, or show admiration for; Thanks are used to express gratitude.

When we pray, it is important to show both. I have always used praise and thanks in my prayers; however I haven’t always done it correctly.

Thanks and gratitude is given for things of the past. Thanks is something given to God in verbal form for some blessing in our lives. Gratitude is something secret, or passive, kept inside. Gratitude is heart felt, and gives way to thanks, it is the inward expression.

When we thank God for our blessings, it is important that we truly understand what we are thanking God for, that the thanks is heart felt. Think of it in this sense: at Christmas, when you’re opening presents, and you get something you really like. You show expressions of thanks far greater than when you have received something you do not appreciate. “Oh, uh, thanks for the sweater….” Is not the same as “OH WOW, I cant believe you got me this, its freakin sweet!!”

Phil. 4:6 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

We must be sure we understand the importance of the blessing, and its effect on our lives to show true thanksgiving, and true thanksgiving comes from true gratitude.

Praise is a little easier, however much more important. Praise can be sung, like many of the Psalms. This brings me to a point of something I must address: congregational praise. Singing in church is of high importance, it is the church praising God. I have a personal disgust for fake praises. At the end of a sermon, and the music pastor sings the last song, and a person is moved to stand and raise their hands to praise God, this does not mean the entire congregation needs to do the same. This is not praising God.

It is also my belief that much of modern music removes much praise from God. Singing the same phrase over and over does not seem to grasp the entirety of praise.

Praise cannot be created by song or music; it derives from the grace of God in ones heart. However, the grace of God in ones heart can certainly create music and song.

It is amazing that God asks us to praise and give thanks to Him. We are the lowly sinner, unworthy of anything we might have, and yet it is our Lord and Savior who wants us to sing praises to Him. A song sung for eternity could not tell of all the praise due to God.