Let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to his name. —Hebrews 13:15 NLT
Hebrews 13:15 teaches us a lot about praise. First, the word “proclaim” indicates that praise is something that we do verbally. Other versions use the phrase “the fruit of lips,” to translate the original Hebrew word. Praise cannot be contained in silence. It bubbles up from the heart and spills out through the lips.
The second lesson we can learn from this verse is that praise ought to be continual. Praise extends far beyond what we do at church on Sundays. And it encompasses much more than singing a worship song.
Another thing the Bible urges us to do continually is to pray. The two are not unrelated. Praise is a huge part of prayer. When it comes right down to it, prayer is simply talking to God, and praise is simply expressing what we love about Him. Praise increases our delight in Him—which, in turn, increases our praise. That’s why we are told to praise Him all the time.
Make it Personal
What are some ways you could increase your praise to God?