Being in The Presence of God Through The Transforming Power of Praise (Part 2)
In last week’s article ‘A Fruitful Prayer Life of Thanksgiving, Praise, and Worship’ we learned how to foster a fruitful prayer life through thanksgiving . This week we look into prayers of praise and how it opens the gateway to the presence of God.
Just as thanksgiving turns our hearts toward God’s gifts, praise shifts our gaze to God Himself—His character, majesty, and matchless works. When we open prayer with gratitude, we acknowledge what the Lord has done for us; when we move on to praise, we acknowledge who He is. This deliberate progression is more than liturgical formality. It realigns our perspective, reminding us that the One we approach is the Creator who set galaxies spinning yet chooses to dwell with us.
Praise invites reverence, silences self‑centered anxieties, and enlarges our faith by rehearsing God’s attributes—His holiness, mercy, power, and faithfulness. In making praise the second step of prayer, we follow the pattern of the psalmists who often moved from “Give thanks to the Lord” to “Bless the Lord, O my soul,” allowing adoration to build on gratitude and usher us deeper into communion with God.
Examples of praises commonly heard (this is just a very small sample set):
“Lord your power is beyond measure”
“Lord your understanding is infinite”
“Lord we exalt Your holy name forever”
“Lord thank You for Your unending love and mercy toward us”
“Lord You are the source of all hope and joy”
“Praise to the Lord, our strength, our shield, our refuge”
“We exalt Your goodness, for Your kindness endures eternally”
When praise becomes more than an occasional prayer component—when it turns into a daily reflex—it settles the soul in a way nothing else can. Speaking words of adoration reminds us that the weight of the world does not rest on our shoulders but on the sovereign shoulders of a God who “has it all.” Every time we acknowledge His strength, wisdom, and unfailing love, we trade panic for perspective.
Repeated praise trains our minds to default to God’s greatness instead of our limitations, and the result is a quiet confidence that persists even when circumstances roar. Over time, this habit reshapes our inner landscape: anxiety loses its grip, gratitude gains depth, and an unshakable peace—rooted in who God is—takes residence in our hearts.
Life has a way of pitching curveballs—economic downturns, health crises, fractured relationships, cultural upheavals. Yet every upheaval serves to highlight a stunning truth: God never changes. “I the Lord do not change” (Mal. 3:6) and “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Heb. 13:8).
Praise reminds us of this constancy. By naming God’s eternal attributes—His steadfast love, perfect justice, and unfading mercy—we tether our hearts to a Rock that is impervious to time and circumstance. The world may spin, and our emotions may fluctuate, but the One who spoke the cosmos into being remains immovable.
Recognizing that unchanging nature doesn’t erase adversity, but it reframes it: challenges become temporary chapters in a story already secured by an Author who will never be caught off guard. In praise we anchor our hope, drawing deep comfort from the God whose character is forever the same, even as everything else shifts around us.
Cultivating a Lifestyle of Praise
Cultivating a habit of praise acts like a spiritual lens‑change: instead of zooming in on today’s frustrations, we zoom out to behold God’s eternal goodness. When we intentionally speak of His compassion, wisdom, and faithfulness, the glare of daily difficulties dims. Praise does not deny pain; it simply refuses to grant it center stage.
By magnifying the Lord, we shrink the perceived size of our problems, placing them in the broader context of His sovereign, loving purposes. Over time this reorientation becomes reflexive—our first instinct in hardship is not to spiral into self‑pity but to proclaim, “Yet I will praise You.” That declaration lifts our eyes above the waves to the One who walks on them.
The mind can ruminate on only so much at once. Every moment spent exalting God is a moment not surrendered to worry, anxiety, or stress. Praise functions like light flooding a dark room: as the brightness increases, shadows retreat. By rehearsing God’s deeds and promises—aloud, in song, or silently—we give our mental and emotional energy a healthier object of attention.
Neuroscience confirms what Scripture has long implied: repeated focus rewires thought patterns. The more we praise, the more our neural pathways reinforce trust instead of fear, gratitude instead of complaint. Eventually, peace becomes our mental default, because our minds are habitually occupied with the greatness of God rather than the uncertainties of life.
Discovering the Supernatural Power Hidden in Praise
Before we dive into specific passages, pause and consider what’s at stake: praise is not merely an uplifting mood‑booster—it is a conduit for God’s power to break into the natural realm. Scripture overflows with scenes where walls crumble, chains fall off, and enemies scatter when God’s people lift their voices in adoration.
As we dissect these texts in the sections ahead, watch for the pattern: whenever praise rises, heaven responds. The miracles may vary, but the principle is consistent—praising God invites the supernatural into the ordinary, turning underestimated moments of worship into catalysts for divine intervention.
Praise on The Front Lines: Jehoshaphat’s Choir Wins the War
Few stories capture the raw, supernatural potency of praise like King Jehoshaphat’s showdown with a three‑nation alliance in 2 Chronicles 20. Outnumbered and out‑gunned, Judah’s first move is not to sharpen swords but to call a nationwide fast and prayer meeting. God’s answer is as unexpected as it is bold: put the worship team in front of the army. As singers march ahead, they declare, “Give thanks to the Lord, for His steadfast love endures forever.” Those simple notes unleash seismic power in the unseen realm.
The enemy coalition suddenly turns on itself in confusion, and by the time Judah’s soldiers reach the battlefield, all they find are lifeless foes and abundant plunder. No arrows launched, no blades drawn—only songs lifted. The account is more than ancient history; it is a living template that reveals how praise can shift battles we could never win in our own strength. When our voices exalt God’s greatness, He steps in with strategies that confound human logic, turning imminent defeat into effortless victory.
From Mourning to Dancing: Praise that Celebrates a Victory Already Won
Psalm 30:11-12 You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent. Lord my God, I will praise you forever.
David’s jubilant confession in this verse unpacks praise from a fresh angle. Here God’s deliverance is not merely a rescue; it is a transformation engineered for praise. The Lord lifts us from grief and outfits us in joy so that we can do what we were created to do: exalt Him. Notice the tense—You turned, You removed, You clothed.
Praise is not a plea for future miracles but a celebration of victories already secured. When we lift our voices, we announce that sin, death, and the enemy have been decisively defeated by Christ. The battle line lies behind us, not ahead of us, and our worship functions like a banner proclaiming, “It is finished.” That certainty brings profound comfort: unlike a suspense film where the hero’s fate is unclear, we already know how this story ends. Praise simply invites us to live—and to sing—out of that settled triumph.
Praises That Silences the Accuser
Psalm 8:2 Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.
With one verse, David pulls back the curtain on spiritual warfare and reveals praise as a weapon potent enough to hush hell itself. God does not require sophisticated arguments or thunderous choirs; the simple, sincere worship of a child erects a fortress that muzzles Satan’s accusations. Every halting “Jesus loves me” carries more authority than the enemy’s most articulate lies.
When we join that chorus—whether young or old—we participate in heaven’s strategy to impose silence on the accuser. Praise, then, is not merely therapeutic; it is judicial. It issues a gag order in the courtroom of our minds, overruling the whispers of condemnation with the louder truth of God’s victory. The next time guilt or fear begins to speak, answer with adoration. Let the sound of praise—pure, trusting, childlike—drown the devil’s voice until only God’s faith‑filled melody remains.
The Sacrifice of Praise: Worship That Overflows Into Generosity
Hebrews 13:15-16 Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.
Hebrews exhorts us to "continually offer the sacrifice of praise"—not sporadic applause but a lifestyle of verbal worship fueled "by Him," Christ, our great High Priest. Yet the passage refuses to let praise remain only on the lips; it immediately adds, "Do not forget to do good and to share."
In God’s economy, authentic adoration inevitably spills into tangible kindness and open‑handed generosity. That overflow explains why praise is called a sacrifice: it costs us comfort, time, resources, and self‑focus. We lay down our preference for isolation and convenience, choosing instead to mirror the lavish goodness of the One we worship. Every shared meal, donated dollar, or compassionate act becomes another verse in our hymn, pleasing to God precisely because it unites doxology with love.
Praise Builds a Throne for God’s Presence
Psalm 22:3 But thou art holy, O thou that inhabit the praises of Israel
The Hebrew verb yāšab—often rendered “inhabit”—also means “sit” or “dwell,” painting a vivid picture of God taking His seat upon a throne fashioned from our worship. Praise, then, is more than expression; it is construction. Each sincere word of adoration adds another jewel to the throne room where the King chooses to manifest His presence. This reality explodes the notion that God’s dwelling is limited to bricks and mortar.
Whether in a cathedral or a kitchen, heartfelt praise creates a spiritual sanctuary where heaven meets earth. When we exalt God, we both honor Him and open space for His power to work in and through us—reminding our souls that the gateway to divine encounter is as close as our next song of thanksgiving.
Remember Mercy, Responsive Praise
Psalm 106:47 Save us, Lord our God, and gather us from the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name and glory in your praise.
Spoken by a people who had repeatedly wandered, this plea reveals that God’s deliverance is designed to draw His children back into grateful intimacy. Israel’s history proves that even chronic disobedience cannot exhaust divine mercy—but rescue is never the end of the story. It calls for a response.
Thanksgiving and praise become acts of covenant loyalty, a way of reciprocating grace with glad obedience. In worship we acknowledge not only what God has done but also who He is: the faithful Redeemer who keeps gathering His scattered ones. Each word of thanks therefore re‑stakes our identity in Him and reaffirms the relationship for which we were saved—a living cycle of mercy received and praise returned.
The Gate Called Praise
The late Bible teacher Derek Prince memorably observed that to reach God’s presence we must first “pass through the gate called Praise.” Gates are not destinations; they are access points, and they remain useful only when they stay open. Continuous, intentional worship is the way we keep that gate un‑latched, inviting the King’s nearness into every corner of life.
Think of how human relationships flourish: celebration of one another’s wins, shared laughter, support in hardship—these rhythms cultivate intimacy. Likewise, our walk with God deepens when we regularly exalt His character and thank Him for His works.
Praise becomes the ongoing response that activates the fullness of His presence; the more we lift Him up, the more tangibly we sense Him. For anyone who, like many of us, has ever felt distant from God, this metaphor is liberating: you are only a song of gratitude away from stepping back through the gate into a deep, rich, ongoing communion with God.
Spiritual Transformation Through the Power of Praise
Deliberate, daily praise does more than lift our mood—it re‑educates our spiritual eyesight. Every time we voice God’s power, holiness, mercy, and love, we reinforce those truths in our own consciousness, etching His character onto the walls of memory.
Like a compass continually recalibrated to true north, habitual adoration keeps our focus on the One who is eternal and unchanging rather than on the swirl of temporary circumstances. The result is a steady heart that sees problems through the lens of an all‑sufficient God instead of viewing God through the lens of pressing problems.
Every good gift in our lives—health, breath, relationships, provision—arrives stamped with the word grace. We did not earn these blessings; they flow from the generous heart of God. When we answer with praise and thanksgiving, we are not paying Him back (as though divine favors required reimbursement).
Instead, our gratitude is a declaration of dependence: "Everything I have is Yours, and everything I need comes from Your hand." Such worship trusts His providence and rests in His mercy. It celebrates salvation as an unmerited gift and refuses to treat God like a vending machine. In giving thanks, we honor the Giver more than the gifts, delighting in His character rather than bargaining for more benefits.
True worship trains the heart to move from “God, answer my request” to “God, You have already done marvelous things.” In that shift, praise dismantles attitudes of entitlement, complaint, and indifference and rebuilds us in humility and reverence. Deliberately thanking Him for past mercies and present graces pivots our focus from self‑interest to God’s glory and keeps the gate of communion wide open.
Over time, this practice reconditions our reflexes so that, when challenges arise, our first response is worship rather than worry. Such instinctive adoration marks a life transformed: hope deepens, humility blossoms, and we find ourselves anchored in the assurance that the God who rescued us yesterday remains our unfailing strength and salvation today.
In the end, praise does far more than glorify God—though that alone would be reason enough. It also draws us into a richer, more satisfying walk with Him. Every expression of adoration invites us further up and further in, awakening fresh wonder and strengthening intimacy.
As we celebrate His greatness, the Holy Spirit expands our capacity to experience His love, guidance, and power. The practice that magnifies God simultaneously enlarges our souls, turning everyday moments into encounters with the divine and transforming an ordinary life into an extraordinary pilgrimage of joy.