Praise is when we tell God in thought or word or song how much we love and appreciate Him. We can also praise Him with motions, like lifting our hands heavenward.

          But have you ever wondered what the purpose of praising God is? Why does the all-powerful God even want or need our praises? Does He even appreciate them? I’m convinced that He does, based on the simple truth that we are made in God’s own image (Genesis 1:27). We love to be appreciated, and since God patterned us after Himself, certainly He must enjoy our thanks and appreciation just as much, don’t you think?

          The Bible has lots to say about praising God (222 references in the Old Testament alone), and it was nearly always a spontaneous act on someone’s part, like all the times King David praised God for His power and goodness in the book of Psalms.

          Praise is something we initiate because we want to, like saying thank you when someone gives you a present. The giver shouldn’t have to say, “Thank me!” Words of thanks should come naturally.  

We praise Him because He hears and answers us.

          “I will praise You, for You have answered me, and have become my salvation” (Psalm 118:21).

          He hears us whenever we pray, but it seems we appreciate that most when we’re asking Him to get us out of a tough situation, like one that took place in the city of Basel, Switzerland, in 1815.

          Napoleon had just escaped from exile on the Island of Elba. As soon as he landed in France, he regrouped his army and resumed his campaign to conquer all of Europe. In his army’s path to Belgium was the city of Basel. One of Napoleon’s generals, Barbanègre, had besieged the city and threatened to raze it if they did not surrender.

What would I do if I knew I would be blind tomorrow?

          Instead, a group of Christians in Basel convinced city officials to give God a chance to work. They prayed earnestly for God to intervene for them, and they began thanking Him in advance by pledging to start a school to train Christian workers after He did.

          Soon Russian and Hungarian forces arrived and attacked the French. Then a sudden thunderstorm caused the French cannons to get bogged down in mud. General Barbanègre had no choice but to surrender—and Basel was spared.

          Because God had heard and answered their plea in their hour of desperate need, the people of Basel made good on their promise and put their thanks into action by training and sending hundreds of Christian workers around the world—an operation that is still going strong today.

We praise Him because He is good.

          “Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good” (Psalm 135:3). “I will praise Your name for Your loving kindness and Your truth” (Psalm 138:2).

          Isn’t it great to know that we have a loving and kind God who can forgive all of our sins and shortcomings? And isn’t it wonderful that God gives us so much truth to help us live our lives to the fullest? We’d really be lost without Him! How could we not be grateful, like just about everyone in the following story?

          A judge and a general were traveling together when they stopped for a rest. There they observed several Christian women taking care of some lepers. The judge was impressed with the love and concern that the women showed the lepers, but he couldn’t understand why they would risk their own health and happiness for the sake of a few wretched lepers. “Why do you suppose that is?” he asked the general.

          “It’s because they have the gratitude attitude,” the general replied.

          “Gratitude! What have those lepers ever done for them that these women should feel gratitude?”

          “I’d have to explain that with a story,” said the general. “I once knew a man who was in deep trouble financially. If he didn’t repay his debts in full within two days, his house and all of his possessions would be sold to pay off his creditors and the man would be left destitute. But a kind stranger paid his debts, and he was saved from ruin.”

          “And who was the benefactor?” the judge asked.

          The general smiled. He had been discovered. “I had to help him,” the general explained. “You see, a similar thing happened to me many years ago, and someone paid a debt for me. I am forever grateful, and that attitude compels me to keep giving to others. In the same way, we are grateful to Jesus Christ our Savior for paying our debts and freeing us from death. These women feel the same way that I do, and they have only one motive in helping the lepers—to show their gratitude to Him who paid their debts.”

We praise Him because His works are wonderful.

          “I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well” (Psalms 139:14). “O Lord, You are my God. I will exalt You, I will praise Your name, for You have done wonderful things” (Isaiah 25:1).

          Once while visiting my parents, I found one of my elementary school compositions entitled, “What Would I Do If I Knew I Would Be Blind Tomorrow?” My answer was that I would go into the forest and admire nature. I would take in every bit of it that I could during that last day of sight. God’s creation is marvelous, fascinating, awe-inspiring, yet how often do we thank God for it, or for the gift of sight to be able to see it, like the man in this next story?

          A group of visitors at a mountain resort stood and watched the sunset from a lobby window. A large rough-looking man lingered until the last glow faded, and seemed thrilled through and through by the beauty of it all.

          Afterwards one of the other visitors, more observant than the rest, said to the man, “You certainly enjoyed that sunset. Are you an artist?”

          “No, I’m a plumber,” he replied with a slow grin, “but I was blind for five years.”

          There are a multitude of other reasons why we should praise God, not the least of which is that it deepens our relationship with Him. Try it, and you’ll be sold on praise!