Into His courts with praise
Give thanks to the Lord, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the peoples, proclaim that his name is exalted. (Isaiah 12:4 ESV)
Praise is foundational to worship as we verbally acknowledge God’s worth. When we praise God, we are worshipping Him for who He is. Thanksgiving is an integral part of worship as well. We give thanks to God for everything He has done and continues to do, and especially for our salvation. “I will recount all of Your wonderful deeds. I will be glad and exult in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.”
When we come before the Lord, worshipping Him for who He is and what He’s done, we often become more acutely aware of our “humanness,” especially our limitations, weaknesses, shortcomings, and sins. This puts us in an attitude of humility and contrition.
As we enter into His gates with thanksgiving, into His courts with praise; as we give thanks to Him and bless His name and all He is; as we express our deep love for Him; as we reverence and honor Him and extol His excellence; and as we come before Him in humility and contrition, we worship God as He seeks to be worshipped, in spirit and in truth.
As believers, we are called to worship both privately and publicly or corporately. The expectation is that we will worship together with other Christians at times. When we gather with others to praise the Lord and to pray together, there are elements which are not present when we worship and pray alone. [1]
To worship means to perceive the greatness, beauty, and goodness of God and His presence. - Padre Raniero Cantalamessa
[1] Anchor Praise and Worship
