What Happens When You Actually Raise Your Praise (It's Not What You Think)
When's the last time you were genuinely excited to worship God?
Be honest. Not the polite, eyes-closed, swaying-along-to-the-music kind of worship. I'm talking about the kind where you can't help but lift your hands, where your soul feels like it's going to burst if you don't express what's inside.
If you can't remember the last time you felt that way, you're not alone. But here's what I've discovered: you're missing out on one of the most powerful spiritual forces available to you.
Praise isn't just a nice Sunday morning ritual. It's not filler time before the sermon. Praise is your lifeline to God—and it has the power to completely transform your life.
Your Worship Is Your Witness
Here's something most people don't realize: When you genuinely worship God, unbelievers can feel it.
Paul wrote about this phenomenon—when an unbeliever walks into authentic worship, they recognize that God is actually present. Not because of the music production or the lighting, but because genuine praise creates an atmosphere where the presence of God becomes tangible.
Think about that. Your worship doesn't just benefit you. It's a witness to everyone around you that God is real.
Even the Rocks Are Ready to Praise
Jesus made a stunning statement once: If His followers stayed silent, even the stones would cry out in worship.
Read that again. The rocks. The literal stones on the ground would start praising God if people wouldn't.
All of creation points to Jesus. The sunset praises Him. The mountains declare His majesty. The oceans roar His glory. Even inanimate objects are hardwired to worship their Creator.
So here's the uncomfortable question: If creation itself is ready to burst into praise, why are we—His beloved children—so quiet?
Your Church Should Be Your Happy Place
David wrote in Psalm 122, "I was glad when they said to me, 'Let us go to the house of the Lord.'"
The Hebrew word for "glad" here means exhilaration. Strong excitement. Joy that can't be contained.
Now, I know we don't all wake up Sunday morning jumping out of bed with that level of enthusiasm. But there's a deeper truth here: Church should be where miracles happen, where lives change, where you encounter God's supernatural presence.
Think of church not as an obligation, but as a recalibration point for your soul. It's where you:
Get back on track when life has knocked you sideways
Make necessary adjustments in your attitudes and relationships
Remember the foundational truth that God loves you
When you see it that way, it changes everything.
What to Do When Praise Feels Impossible
Life gets heavy. Challenges pile up. Sometimes the last thing you feel like doing is praising God.
That's exactly when you need to do it most.
David understood this. In Psalm 103, he literally talked to himself: "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name."
Notice he didn't wait to feel like it. He commanded his soul to praise God.
Why? Because praise is your spiritual lifeline. It's what keeps you connected to God's power.
Without it, you're trying to navigate life's storms in your own limited strength. And that's a losing battle.
The Rivers Inside You
Jesus made this promise: Those who believe in Him would have "rivers of living water" flowing from within them (John 7:38).
Not a trickle. Not a stream. Rivers. Plural. Multiple rivers of:
Mercy
Grace
Thanksgiving
Love
Hope
All flowing from your innermost being.
But here's the thing—those rivers flow when you stay connected to the source through praise.
Cut off your praise, and you cut off the flow. It's that simple and that critical.
Praise Changes Your Perspective (Not Just Your Mood)
When you focus on praising God, something shifts. Your problems start to look smaller in comparison to His greatness.
It's a spiritual principle: whatever you focus on grows in your perception.
Focus on your problems? They become all you can see.
Focus on God? Your problems shrink in His shadow.
This isn't about ignoring reality or toxic positivity. It's about getting the right perspective on reality. Your circumstances may not change immediately, but your ability to handle them absolutely will.
Biblical Proof That Praise Works
Let me give you three examples that prove praise is more than just a feel-good activity:
David lost his son and chose to worship. In his darkest moment, he didn't curse God—he worshiped Him.
Paul and Silas were in prison, beaten and bound, and at midnight they sang hymns. The result? An earthquake that broke their chains and opened the prison doors.
Mary Magdalene anointed Jesus' feet with expensive perfume and her tears. Jesus said her extravagant worship would be remembered wherever the gospel is preached. And here we are, 2,000 years later, talking about it.
The lesson? Praise isn't dependent on circumstances. Praise changes circumstances.
God Lives in Your Praise
Psalm 22:3 says God "inhabits the praises of His people."
Think of it this way: Every time you praise God, you're building a space for Him to dwell.
The more you praise, the bigger the space. The bigger the space, the more of His presence you experience.
It's like building a mansion for God through your worship. Why would you settle for building Him a tiny shed when you could create a palace?
Praise Isn't Just for Church
Here's where this gets really practical: The principle of praise works everywhere.
Praise your spouse? Watch your marriage improve.
Encourage your kids with positive words? Watch their confidence grow.
Speak well of your coworkers? Watch your work environment transform.
When you cultivate a lifestyle of praise—not just on Sundays, but every day—every aspect of your life is affected.
Don't Miss Your Moment
Remember Martha and Mary? Martha was so busy preparing for Jesus that she missed actually being with Jesus. Mary chose to sit at His feet and worship.
Jesus gently corrected Martha: "Mary has chosen the better part."
You can be in God's presence and still miss the opportunity to truly worship. Don't let busyness, distraction, or even "serving God" keep you from actually connecting with God.
When You're Running on Empty
If you're finding it hard to:
Pray
Read your Bible
Feel connected to God
Get through the day
It's time to raise your praise.
Not because you feel like it. Not because circumstances are good. But because praise is what reconnects you to the power source.
Think of it like charging your phone. When the battery is at 1%, you don't keep using it until it dies. You plug it back in. Praise is how you plug back into Jesus.
Breaking Through the Heaviness
Feeling depressed? Weighed down? Like there's a spirit of heaviness on you?
Isaiah 61:3 talks about exchanging "the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness."
Praise is what breaks through that barrier. Not positive thinking. Not self-help. Praise.
When you lift your voice in worship—even when you don't feel like it, especially when you don't feel like it—you're pushing back darkness and inviting light.
Your Worship Moves God's Heart
Remember Mary Magdalene's extravagant worship? She poured out expensive perfume and wept over Jesus' feet.
The religious people criticized her. Called it wasteful. But Jesus? Jesus was moved.
He said her worship would be remembered forever. And it has been.
That's what happens when you worship from a place of genuine love and gratitude. It doesn't just change you—it moves the heart of God.
Time to Come Out of Hiding
Here's my challenge to you: It's time to come out of the spiritual witness protection program.
Stop hiding your praise. Stop being embarrassed about your faith. Stop keeping your worship confined to church buildings.
If even the rocks are ready to cry out in worship, how much more should we—His beloved children—let our praise resound?
What This Looks Like Today
So what does "raising your praise" actually mean for you right now, today?
It might mean:
Turning off the podcast and turning on worship music on your commute
Taking five minutes this morning to thank God for specific things
Lifting your hands in church even though you usually keep them by your sides
Choosing to speak words of gratitude instead of complaint
Making worship a non-negotiable part of your daily routine
Start somewhere. Start small if you need to. But start.
The Promise
Here's what happens when you raise your praise consistently:
Your perspective shifts.
Your problems shrink.
Your connection to God deepens.
Your joy increases.
Your witness strengthens.
Your life transforms.
Not because the music is good or the lyrics are catchy, but because you're positioning yourself in the presence of God.
And when you're in His presence, everything changes.
So today, right now, make the decision to plug back into Jesus. Let go of whatever burden you're carrying and embrace the garment of praise.
Open your heart. Lift your voice. Raise your praise.
Watch what God does.