I am not really a big fan of sports. I would much rather curl up on the couch with a big cup of hot chocolate and read a book! However, every once in a while I do enjoy watching a good game of basketball or soccer, especially when it is a championship game. Championship games are a lot of fun to watch because the players want to win first place really, really bad, and wanting to win makes them play very hard. Everyone does their best, and even the fans scream and cheer hard for their favorite teams to win. Their cheers and excitement are how they encourage the players. Some fans scream so loud that they even lose their voices!
Have you ever done that? Screamed so loud for something or someone that you lost your voice? Whether you like sports or not, I am sure you can think of something that makes you so excited that you just cannot control yourself—jumping up and down, spinning in circles, or even crying.
That kind of excitement and energy is just what God wants you to have for Him! God wants you to be so excited for what He is doing in your life that you just have to celebrate. Showing your excitement and appreciation for God is called praise!
Hebrews 13:15 says, “Through Jesus…let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name.” The Bible tells us God loves it when His children praise Him. Praise is how we show God how grateful we are to Him and how excited we are about His love and what He is doing in our lives!
Just like fans at a sports game, everyone shows their excitement differently. You don’t have to praise God the same way your friends do. The gratitude you have in your heart shows your excitement, and that can come out in a lot of different ways. It could be dancing. It could be singing. And you might not understand it, but for some it could be sitting quietly and thinking!
Praising God is personal. How you praise Him is a special part of your relationship with Him! How do you praise God? Do you have something to praise Him for today?
Dear God, thank You for giving me Jesus, who is the best reason to praise! Help me to remember each day to show You my thanks, no matter how it comes out. In Jesus’s name, amen.