3 Surprising Benefits of Praise

Do you wonder why you feel better after you worship? Expressing our gratitude to God feels uplifting, and it turns out there’s a reason behind it. Glenn Fox, an expert in the science of gratitude says, “Benefits associated with gratitude include better sleep, more exercise, reduced symptoms of physical pain, lower levels of inflammation, lower blood pressure, and a host of other things we associate with better health.” 

Robert Emmons, another leading gratitude researcher, studied the link between gratitude and well-being. His research shows that gratitude effectively increases happiness and reduces depression. In addition to the emotional and health benefits of gratitude and worship, we also find spiritual benefits explained in God’s Word. Here are a few: 

1. Praise Is the Pathway Into God’s Presence

When we’re going through a hard time, we tend to magnify the problem. We talk about, overanalyze, and worry about the problem. While much of that is normal, worrying will do nothing about our situation, except make it worse. The key to rising above our problem is to start focusing on the promise—the promise in God’s Word that He will never leave or forsake us, or the promise that He will carry us through whatever we’re going through. These promises and more are exactly what we sing about when we worship. 

Worship is the prescribed pathway into God’s presence. Psalm 22:3 tells us, “God inhabits the praises of his people.” And Psalm 16:11 says, “In His presence is fullness of joy.” 

Every time we worship, God changes our perspective. This perspective adjustment happens because praise carries you to the presence of God, and helps you see your problem in light of His power and greatness. 

2. Praise Strengthens Our Faith 

When we find ourselves in a difficult place, we need to be reminded that nothing is impossible for God. Praise reminds us of God’s power, we remember who God is and what He can do.

Sometimes we come to church and our faith is strong. But other times, our faith is weak. It happens to all of us. The Apostle Paul says in Romans 1:12, “I want us to help each other with the faith that we have. Your faith will help me, and my faith will help you.” As we worship together, that’s exactly what happens—we join our faith together. That’s why worshiping together each week is so impactful.

When we feel weak in our faith or don’t feel close to God, we might not think to go to church—but that’s exactly where we need to be. Church is the place that helps us look up to God and His promises, and where we find people to pray for us and encourage us—and their faith strengthens our faith. 

3. Praise Positions Us to Hear God’s Voice

Worship has a way of silencing voices of fear and worry and allowing us to hear God’s voice. Psalm 8:2 says, “From the lips of children and infants, you have ordained praise because of your enemies, to silence the foe and avenger...” 

God has ordained or established praise for a purpose—it will silence the foe and avenger. Who is the “foe and avenger?” The enemy, the devil, the one that harasses us with fear and worry. Praise silences his voice. The word silence is the same root word for Shabbat or Sabbath, which means “to stop and rest.” So what this Scripture means is that when we praise God, it makes our enemy stop. He has to take a sabbath rest. He cannot do his work while we’re praising God. The devil has to shut his mouth and listen to our praise. And when his voice is silenced, and fear and worry are no longer shouting, it’s easier to hear God’s voice.

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