Introduction

What happens when you don't sense or feel God's presence? Sometimes we think that He's abandoned us to handle things on our own, but that's never the case.

Choosing to praise God has a powerful way of getting you reconnected to His presence. When you feel distant from God, praise refocuses your heart and mind on His goodness, fills you with peace, and takes your eyes off your situation and back onto the answer!

This eBook will cover five of the incredible benefits of choosing to praise, even when we might not feel like it. Every chapter will illustrate the power you can walk in when you add praise and worship as an important part of your daily routine

Praise Puts You in God's Presence

Christians often assume that God’s presence is something that comes and goes—that it can suddenly fill the room and can leave just as quickly. The trouble with this belief is it causes us to think that God’s presence is fleeting, that it’s unpredictable, and that we don’t have any control over whether or not His presence is with us.

The truth is that God’s presence is always with us. His spirit lives within us; He doesn’t come and go. What comes and goes is our awareness of Him. Becoming aware of the presence of God takes a conscious effort. And praise isn’t something you do just when you feel like it. Praise is a function of the will, and it’s often most powerful during those times when you don’t feel like praising God at all.

This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.
Psalm 118:24 (NLT)

As believers, we don’t live by our feelings. Our feelings don’t dictate our behaviour or our attitudes. This verse in Psalm 118 doesn’t say, “This is the day the Lord has made. I feel like rejoicing.” It says, “I will rejoice and be glad in it.”

When you choose to rejoice, even when you don’t feel like it, you become aware of God’s presence. You begin to sense His power in you, and then the good feelings come and you start to feel glad about your day. It’s not the other way around.

The next time you’re feeling down, put on some life-giving worship music and start giving thanks to God. Decide that you’re going to live every day of your life praised up, because praise helps to create an atmosphere where the miraculous can happen.

Praise Magnifies God

According to Psalm 22:3, God dwells in the praises of His people. Does this mean that if we don’t praise God, He isn’t with us? Of course not!

But You are holy, enthroned in the praises of Israel.
Psalm 22:3 (NKJV)

First, let’s take a look at God’s Kingdom. The Kingdom of God exists in two places: planet Earth and the place called Heaven. In Heaven, there’s nothing we have to do to experience God’s presence. Nothing exists there to separate us from Him. Spirit, soul, and body, we will be forever in His presence.

Here on Earth, according to Jesus in Luke 17:21, we can have God’s Kingdom within us. It comes by receiving Him as our Saviour. It’s a choice. Although His presence is always with us and in us as believers, we have to choose to consciously cultivate His presence—to bring Him into our everyday living.

Psalm 100:4 (NKJV) says that we “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise.” In other words, one choice we make to cultivate God’s presence is the choice to praise Him. God is always with us and in us as believers, but praising Him brings our attention to Him, which causes us to experience the benefits of that presence. As Psalm 34:3 (NKJV) teaches, we “magnify the Lord” when we “exalt His name,” which means we make Him bigger in our lives by causing Him to take up a bigger piece of our attention.

You can praise God every day! Remember, praise doesn’t make God feel better about Himself. Praise is for your benefit. It keeps you in the environment where you function best: His presence.

Praise Puts God First

What is praising God all about? This quote by Myles Munroe sums it up well: “Praise is celebrating God as our heart’s true home.”

And why is praise so vital? Because praise puts our focus on God, and it puts Him in first place. Often we put other things first in our lives. When we’re facing a problem, we put that problem first. It’s the first thing on our minds in the morning and it’s the last thing we think about at night.

Now, that doesn't mean you shouldn’t deal with your problems. Ignoring a problem doesn’t make it go away; however, when you take the time to put God first by praising Him, you become empowered to solve that problem. When something is pushing against you, the louder you praise, the more quickly you'll feel empowered to overcome it!

Praise the Lord! Praise, O servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord!
Psalm 113:1 (ESV)

Day by day, we need to guard our hearts so other things don’t move into first place. A new job, a new relationship, a new baby, a new home... many things vie for our attention. Praise puts God first. When you get up in the morning, before you do anything else, get yourself into the right environment. While brushing your teeth or on your commute to work, blast your favourite worship song or just praise Him. Say, “Praise You Father. Thank You for being so awesome. Thank You for the amazing day You’ve planned for me. You’re incredible, and I just want to thank You right now for all You’ve done.”

You need God’s presence, so praise Him today and remind yourself that He’s first in your life!

Praise Strengthens Your Relationship

When someone who doesn’t know you very well compliments something you’ve done, it feels nice. But when someone who’s seen a lot of your work says, “Wow, that’s some of your best work yet,” it’s even better. The better you know someone, the more specific, personal, and powerful your praise of them is.

The same is true with God. The more you get to know Him, the more you have to praise Him about and the deeper and more personal your praise becomes. You see, as you get to know Him, you grow more aware of the fact that God isn’t just your Creator and Saviour; He’s also your friend, and He’s there for you always.

“I do not call you servants any longer, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you [My] friends, because I have revealed to you everything that I have heard from My Father.”
John 15:15 (AMP)

Jesus refers to us as His friends. Do you ever think about that? God doesn’t want to control you or rule over you like a dictator. He doesn’t look down on you or focus on your flaws. God sees you as a friend—someone He’s in a relationship with, in partnership with, someone He loves.

When we worship God, praise flows from the friendship we have with Him. Praise can be just as natural as giving your loved ones a compliment. You can praise God in church, but you can just as easily praise Him at home, at work, in your car, or at school—either out loud or silently.

Wherever you go, praise God. Remember, you’re not doing it for His benefit. You’re doing it to put Him first and to remind yourself of how awesome He is, because He is worthy of all our praise!

Praise Expresses Your Faith

Praise is an expression of our faith. One of the most touching things to witness is someone who is going through a crisis, yet still lifts their hands in praise at church.

Praise sends such a powerful message during tough times because we know these people aren’t praising God for their situation. He didn’t create it. We know they aren’t praising God because they feel like praising Him. They’re praising God in spite of the situation. They’re saying, “I don’t know why this is happening, but I know that You’re my God, You are good, and I trust in You to get me through!”

If your health is under attack, there’s still a lot to praise God about. You can praise Him for the fact that when Jesus went to the cross, He took all our sickness and disease and healing became ours. You can praise God for His promises of health and healing because they belong to you!

When they began singing and praising, the Lord set ambushes against the sons of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; so they were struck down [in defeat].
2 Chronicles 20:22 (AMP)

As you praise and thank God for who He is and what He has done, your faith is strengthened and released. You see, the Bible says that faith without action on our part is dead, so praise is an important part of the faith process. It causes you to become aware that God is in you, which creates an atmosphere for the miraculous to happen.

Praise begins to release the power of God in your life. If you want to see miracles, signs, and wonders, if you want to see doors of financial blessing open and healing take place, cultivate the presence of God by praising Him!

Conclusion

As you've read through the last five chapters, we pray that you've gained some new perspectives on praise and the power it holds for every area of your life.

Here's a recap of what each chapter covered so that you don't forget all the benefits that are yours when you make genuine praise a priority:

• Chapter 1: Choosing to praise God even when you don't feel like it makes you more aware of His presence.
• Chapter 2: Praise keeps you in the environment where you function best: God's presence.
• Chapter 3: Praise helps you keep God in first place in your life.
• Chapter 4: When your relationship with God is thriving, you'll more easily step into an atmosphere of praise and worship.
• Chapter 5: Praise serves as an expression of your faith and releases God's incredible power into whatever situation that comes your way.

By incorporating intentional praise into your daily life, you not only invite God's presence, but also open yourself to the miraculous and transformative power that accompanies it.

Today, think of tangible ways you can choose to praise. You'll be pleasantly surprised how much it impacts the rest of your day!