The Difference Between Praise And True Worship

“God who made the world and everything in it, is Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in man-made temples. Nor does he need anything that we can supply by working for him, since it is he himself who gives life and breath and everything else to everyone. From one man he created all races of mankind and made them live throughout the whole earth. He himself fixed beforehand the exact times and the limits of the places where they would live. He did this so that they felt about him. Yet God is actually not far from any one of us.” (Acts 17 v 24-27)

A dictionary definition of worship is "reverence tendered to a divine being" and "an act expressing such reverence." The word worship comes from an Old English word meaning worth-ship and refers to worthiness, respect and reverence directed toward God. Worship relates to God’s holiness in giving him thanks for his goodness.

Praise is a word which means to exalt, glorify and honour, which relates to God’s greatness. Praise does not depend on our visible situations, circumstances, or feelings. It is based on eternal unchangeable facts. God’s mercy is everlasting, His truth endures to all generations.

True worship is God-centred. Many people tend to get caught up in where they should worship, what music they should sing in worship, and how the worship looks to other people. Focusing on these things completely misses the point. The Bible instructs us to worship God in spirit and in truth (John 4 v 24). This means we must worship from a pure heart!

 An act of worship may be performed individually, or in a group. Expressions of worship vary but typically include one or more of the following:

 Prayer, meditation, scripture reading, sermons, music, devotional song, dance, dining, fasting, or simply private individual acts of devotion.

 True worship is not confined to singing in church or open praise (although these things are both good and we are told to do them in the Bible), but it is the heartfelt acknowledgment of God and all His power and glory in the things we do. To truly worship God, we must know Him and not be ignorant of His good and glorious nature. Worship is to glorify and exalt God; to show our loyalty and admiration to our Heavenly Father!

Worship can include praying, reading the Bible with an open heart, singing, participating in communion, and serving others. It's not limited to one act, but is done properly when the heart and attitude of the person is in the right place.

Worship and praise are reserved only for God. Only He is worthy; not any of his servants (Revelation 19 v 10). We are not to worship saints, prophets, statues, idols, angels, or any other false gods. We shouldn't worship for the expectation of something in return, such as a miraculous healing. Worship is done for God, and God's pleasure alone! Worship can be praise to God, where we can proclaim through music and praise our adoration and thankfulness to Him and what He has done for us. True worship is felt inwardly, and then comes out through our actions. "Going through the motions" out of obligation is unpleasing to God, and is done completely in vain. He can see through all the hypocrisy, and He hates heartless worship!