The Sacrifice of Praise

“Through Him then, let’s continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips praising His name.” Hebrews 13:15

Some weeks it is easy to sing. Some weeks it is easy to praise. “Thank you, Lord, for how You have moved. How I have seen You work miracles. How I have seen Your faithfulness this week. For this song I love.”

But what about the other weeks? What about the weeks my emotions have kept me from seeing how God is working? What about the weeks I don’t care for the songs sung during the service? What about the weeks I doubt or feel dismayed? What about the weeks I don’t feel this love I am singing about?

A few weeks ago, I had a week like this. I was in church and I was tired. I was frustrated about other things. I didn’t love the song we were singing (in the words of my two year old, “it’s not my favorite”). I felt myself emotionally withdraw and I sat back. My mouth was singing as my heart tuned down. “I’ll try again next song” was my attitude. And then, conviction… a challenge…

What if this, right here and now, is the moment that my praise truly becomes a sacrifice that I can offer back to God?

• When I don’t love the song and yet I press in, I sing louder, I lift my hands and give Him my whole heart in song — There is the sacrifice of praise.
• When we are singing my very favorite worship song of all time and I sing it out with voice strong and mighty — There is the sacrifice of praise.
• When my life is so burdened I can hardly function and I choose to lift my hands and voice in worship anyway, declaring His great faithfulness and love— There is the sacrifice of praise.
• When I have sin to confess and I kneel my heart in true conviction as I sing — There is the sacrifice of praise.
• When I know I cannot sing on key but I choose to sing anyway — There is the sacrifice of praise.
• When I am so saddened by life that I cannot sing and I quietly allow my church body to sing over me — There is the sacrifice of praise.
• When I feel joyful and God uses that strength to lift the heart of a brother or sister in the church and I sing over them — There is the sacrifice of praise.

Sometimes the truth of praise to our God literally burns and stings inside our souls and from this a soothing aroma of sacrifice to our God fills the air. In this glorious and churchly space, where heaven touches earth if only for a second, we have the privilege to offer sacrifices — sacrifices of praise that glorify our God.

And so, my friend, SING! PRAISE the Lord Who made you and Who loves and cares for you! If you are in the fire, stand and sing louder of His great faithfulness. And if your soul is so burdened that you cannot sing, come, and we will sing over you a song of praise to our God.