THE PURPOSE OF PRAISE

Text: Psalm 34:1  
Theme: Why praise matters and what it accomplishes in the life of a believer. 
 
I. Praise Acknowledges Who God Is 
Psalm 96:4 — “For great is the Lord and greatly to be praised.” 

• Praise declares God’s character: holy, faithful, powerful, merciful, good. 
• Praise confronts the lies of fear, doubt, and culture. 
• Praise is truth-telling — naming God correctly. 
• When we praise, we magnify God above our circumstances. 

Key Thought: Praise restores a right view of God. 
 
II. Praise Remembers What God Has Done 
Psalm 145:4 — “One generation shall praise Your works to another.” 

• Praise is testimony — recalling God’s past faithfulness. 
• Praise protects us from spiritual forgetfulness. 
• Remembering God’s works strengthens faith for today’s battles. 
• Praise says: “If God did it before, He can do it again.” 

Key Thought: Praise keeps God’s track record in front of us. 
 
III. Praise Reorients the Human Heart 
Psalm 42:5 — “Why are you downcast…? I will yet praise Him.” 

• Praise shifts focus from problems to God’s promises. 
• Praise is an act of faith, not emotion. 
• Praise realigns our thoughts, emotions, and expectations. 
• David praised in caves, valleys, and battles — before the breakthrough. 

Key Thought: Praise is a spiritual compass that points the heart back to God. 
 
IV. Praise Invites God’s Presence and Power 
Psalm 22:3 (KJV) — “Thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.” 

• God dwells where He is praised. 
• Praise opens the door for God’s intervention. 
• Biblical examples:  
• Paul & Silas in prison 
• Jehoshaphat’s singers in battle 
• Jericho’s walls falling after a shout 
• Praise is spiritual warfare — it breaks chains and lifts heaviness. 

Key Thought: Where praise is lifted, God’s presence and power are revealed. 
 
V. Praise Is Our Created Purpose 
Isaiah 43:21 — “This people I have formed for Myself; they shall declare My praise.” 

• We were created to praise. 
• We were redeemed to praise. 
• We will spend eternity praising. 
• Praise is not a moment — it is a lifestyle. 

 
APPLICATION 

• Praise intentionally — choose to praise even when you don’t feel it. 
• Praise specifically — name God’s attributes and His works. 
• Praise continually — let praise become your default response. 

 
CONCLUSION 
Praise is more than music.
Praise is more than emotion.
Praise is a spiritual act with spiritual purpose.
When we understand the purpose of praise, we stop waiting for a good day to praise God — and start praising God to make it a good day.