Home Bible Study: The Importance of Praise

Music is an important part of life. Songs are played at funerals and weddings. Music is constant in all occasions.

To make music, people need instruments or voices. There are four main categories of instruments: brass, strings, woodwinds, and percussions. It is estimated there are over 1,500 different types of instruments.

In addition to musical instruments, people sing. Sometimes they sing a solo or they can sing with a choir. People sing different parts, when sung together, makes harmony.

However, the purpose of music is for more than showcasing talent or serving as a favorite pastime. God has provided musical instruments and abilities for one sole purpose: to praise Him.

We sing in church, not to fill space in a service or to give a platform for musically inclined people. Instead, it is to glorify God, who alone is worthy of our praise.

In our study, we will see the importance of praise. The people of God faced a battle with three different armies opposing them. Through this, God showed His people the importance of praise.

Why do you think it is important to praise God?

What is your favorite song we sing at church?

Praise

2 Chronicles 20:3–6 NKJV

3 And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. 4 So Judah gathered together to ask help from the Lord; and from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord. 5 Then Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord, before the new court, 6 and said: “O Lord God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven, and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations, and in Your hand is there not power and might, so that no one is able to withstand You?

At a critical time in the nation of Judah, three nations created an alliance and sought to destroy God’s people. In great fear, the king went to the Lord for help.

He started by calling on everyone to fast, or abstain from food to seek God for His guidance and help. After some time he called all of the people togeth to speak to them.

When the people were in front of the king, he turned his attention to God and began to speak. If we were to read all of the verses, we would see that the king took time to praise God.

Praise and prayer can sometimes intersect. However, they are two different parts of our walk with God.

Prayer— can be seen as communication with God. We share with God our difficulties and burdens and God speaks to us.

Praise— literally means to price or appraise something or someone. When we praise God, we are responding to His worthiness.

God is without value or price. We could never give Him all He deserves. Therefore, we must take time to let Him know how much He means to us.

The king did that by describing to God what He meant to and what He has done for His people.

As followers of Christ, we should spend as much time telling God what He means to us as we do telling God what we mean from Him. He deserves our praise and expects us to praise Him.

How do you define praise?

What ways can we praise God?

Presence

2 Chronicles 20:12–14 NKJV

12 O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.” 13 Now all Judah, with their little ones, their wives, and their children, stood before the Lord. 14 Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly.

After describing God’s worth to Him. The king declared their need for His help. They did not know what to do, so they looked to Him for help.

With everyone together, something supernatural happened as a result of their praise and prayer. Notice verse fourteen, “the Spirit of the Lord came...”

God responds when we praise Him. Praise sets the atmosphere for us to become aware of His presence. The presence of God is not something we see, rather it is something we feel.

Psalm 100:1–2 NKJV

1 Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands! 2 Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before His presence with singing.

When God’s presence comes, the fear and worry we feel grows smaller in light of who He is and how He helps us. There are moments in God’s presence where we respond to Him.

Sometimes we cry, other times we sing more, we might lift our hands, we may begin to pray in tongues, some people might feel joy and begin to laugh, while others may feel overwhelmed and sit in silence.

We all respond to God’s presence differently. However, there is a in God where we can go where we sense Him with us, even though we cannot see Him.

According to scripture, it is our praise that brings His presence closer to us.

Why should we make time in God’s presence a priority?

Describe a time where you knew you were in the presence of God.

Protection

2 Chronicles 20:15–17 NKJV

15 And he said, “Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the Lord to you: ‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. 16 Tomorrow go down against them. They will surely come up by the Ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the brook before the Wilderness of Jeruel. 17 You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you.”

After praising God, the presence of God fell on the people, and the Spirit of the Lord began to speak through a man named Jahaziel. He was a Levite, which meant he was one of the people responsible to lead others in praise to God.

With God’s presence evident, he boldly declared a promise from God. They did not need to fear the three armies that came against them. God responded to their praise, prayers, and through His presence He promised protection.

They were to go to the battle against the others armies, but God would protect and help them, for the battle was not theirs, it belonged to God.

The next day when it was time for battle, the king did something different. Instead of sending out the strongest in the army, he called on the musicians and singers.

2 Chronicles 20:21–23 NKJV

21 And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who should sing to the Lord, and who should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army and were saying: “Praise the Lord, For His mercy endures forever.” 22 Now when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated. 23 For the people of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir to utterly kill and destroy them. And when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, they helped to destroy one another.

They were not armed with weapons, but with worship. They led the army singing praises to God. As they praised the Lord, He supernaturally protected them.

Their enemies began to disagree and fight against each other, eventually killing each other. All the while, God’s people stood their and did not have to fight.

The Lord protected them because they chose to praise God instead of panic. He showed them the supernatural protection that comes with telling God how much He means.

How do think their enemies felt when they heard God’s people singing?

How has the Lord protected you or your family as a result of praising Him?

Challenge

Praising God is not an option. He does not excuse those who do not like singing or have limited musical talent. Furthermore, praising God is not about our style of music of preference in songs.

Praise is not about us at all. Praise is all about showing God through our voices how good He is to us. Regardless of our talent or lack of talent, we all have a reason to praise God.

Therefore, whether everything in life is good or we feel panicked, we must praise God until His presence come. For in His presence comes peace, protection, and help from heaven.

What has God done for you that deserves your praise?

How often should we praise the Lord?

Take this time as a family and vocally praise God together. Whether it is through song or individually telling God in your own words, spend some times praising the Lord together.