THIS YEAR I'M GOING TO BE THE PRAISE & WORSHIP LEADER

OVERSEERS’ TEACHABLE MOMENT

THIS YEAR I’M GOING TO BE THE PRAISE & WORSHIP LEADER

This year we are going to praise God like never before!

PRAISE

Praise means to say good things about God and to extol, to honor and worship

It is the joyful thanking and adoring of God and the celebration of His goodness and grace

PRAISE WITH WORDS

Praise him with words (Psalms 92:1-2)

GOD IS WORTHY OF PRAISE

God deserves to be praised and he is worthy to receive our praise

(Psalms 90:4, Psalms 145:3, 2 Sam 22:4, Rev 4:110

THE GREATNESS OF GOD

By praising God we are reminded of the greatness of God

(Psalms 135:3)

PRAISE STRENGTHENS FAITH

Praise charges strength to your faith which causes God to move.

(Psalms 8:2)

TRANSFORMS THE ENVIRONMENT

Praising God transforms the spiritual the environment.

(2 Chronicles 5:13-14)

GOD INHABITS THE ATMOSPHERE

(Psalms 22:3)

7 WAYS TO PRAISE

Yadah (yaw-daw’)

This means to show reverence or praise with extended hands. It literally means to extend the hands, or to shoot and arrow. Psalm 42:5, The Dedication of The Temple in 2 Chronicles 7 uses this expression of praise (visualize Levites blowing the trumpets and calling everyone to worship and the “praise” that everyone is expressing is through standing and lifted hands).

Towdah (to-daw’)

This word is very similar to yadah, but has a slightly different flavor. It means to show agreement with by extending the right hand. The idea is that it is usually associated with sacrifice (specifically things given up to show thankfulness to God). Psalm 50:23 (the thank offering NIV, KJV uses the phrase praiseth)

Barak (baw-rak’)

This flavor of praise is one that we commonly see around altars. It means to kneel down. It means to bow low as a sign of adoration and reverence. It carries with it the idea of humbling yourself to a place that is lower than the recipient of your worship (God). Psalm 95:6 (expresses this idea literally); Psalm 103 (uses the phrase “bless the Lord” to convey this expression)

Tehillah (tel-hil-law’)

This type of praise is singing, but not just any type of singing. It’s the singing that bubbles up from your heart. It’s a spontaneous type of singing. These songs are unrehearsed and unprepared. They are straight to God. Psalm 22:3 (these are the types of “praises” that God enthrones or inhabits, which is interesting because it’s so specific: God literally lives in the SPONTANEOUS praises of His people!); Psalm 33:1 (this type of praise is “fitting” for God’s people, or it literally makes them “look good”); When Isaiah talks about trading garments of ashes and mourning for garments of joy and praise, the word praise their literally means SPONTANEOUS praises!)

Zamar (zaw-mar’)

This literally means to pluck the strings, to celebrate in song and music. Basically it’s probably the most common form of “praise” we have across the world in our churches. It’s just singing songs put to music. It is usually translated as “sing praises.” Psalm 150 (this psalm illustrates a picture of instrumental worship).

Halal (haw-lal’)

This form of praise because it requires one to step outside of “dignity” for a moment. It means to be clamorously foolish. To boast. To shine. This is the kind of praise that David exhibited when he danced for joy at the return of the Ark of The Covenant to Israel. It’s also the form of praise that prompted his wife to ridicule him for his lack of dignity. This is also where we get the word Halellujah from. It literally means “Praise the Lord” but even more literally it means to BE CLAMOROUSLY FOOLISH unto the Lord! This includes dancing and laughing and leaping and twirling before the Lord, but it also (and probably more accurately) includes the state of the heart before God. A heart that is turned towards God and not afraid to BOAST in and of God is a “halal” heart. Halal is not only demonstrative praise, but can also be the force behind any of these other forms of praise. You can sing or shout or even play an instrument as a halal. This word appears over 100 times in the Old Testament. 1 Chronicles 16:4 (there were actual appointed musicians to “halal” before the Lord); Nehemiah 12:24 (an example of call and response halal)

Shabach (Shaw-bakh’)

Are you ready to get loud? Shabach means to address in a loud tone. It’s typically associated with freedom or triumph. But it’s more than just a loud shout, it’s the idea of putting everything you have into it. An attitude of wholehearted praise. Psalm 63:3-4 (We typically look at this psalm as soft cry of thirst in a dry place, but the words in these verses literally mean to SHOUT praises!).