Often times, we have a very interesting view of praise and worship. The two have been so connected in our church tradition that people constantly mistake them for identical twins. But really they are 1st cousins. In essence, I can "praise" anyone; not just God. I can praise God for all of the wonderful things he has done and then turn around and praise my spouse. Praise is recognition that is based in performance. After all, no one is praising people for being failures! You give credit where credit is due. Praise is the universal language that everyone speaks when it comes to showing gratitude and honor to individuals, both human and divine, that have done amazing things. And it goes without saying...GOD HAS DONE SOME AMAZING THINGS!
But worship??? Worship is very different. While praise is rooted in performance, worship is rooted in person. When we transition from praise to worship, we remove the focus from what God does and place the emphasis on WHO HE IS. This is a game changer! What would happen if we stopped calculating the worth of God solely on what he can do for us and begin to place the significance of "I AM" in Him simply being God? When was the last time you thanked God for being God? When was the last time you worshiped him for being him? When was the last time you said. "Thank you God for having all power and using it wisely!"?
God deserves more than superficial praise that we only give IF he heals us or IF he approves the loan. God deserves a worship that says if I don't have the loan or if I never get healed....thank you. This takes great faith and great sacrifice. Choose this day...that your worship is for real!