Praise-giving at Thanksgiving

In the bible, the word “praise” occurs 248 times. We see it used in songs throughout the bible after a pivotal event to show appreciation to God.

Moses and Miriam praised God immediately after parting the Red Sea in Exodus 15.

Hannah praised God after being blessed with the miraculous birth of Samuel.

Mary praised God after being given favor to birth the Son of God in Luke 1

David praised God for his protection and mercy throughout Psalms.

What is “praise” and does it differ from giving “thanks”?
The definition of “thanks” is an expression of gratitude. The definition of “praise” is the expression of gratitude but with the added expression of approval, admiration, and respect.

Praise goes even deeper than giving “thanks”.
In the bible, this is illustrated in Psalm 100:4 where it says, “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise.”

This speaks of approaching the Temple in Jerusalem. An individual is thankful for simply entering the gate, but as they enter deeper into the Temple courts, this thankfulness transforms into “praise” full of admiration and respect for the “Holy of Holies”.

How do we apply this to our relationship with people and to our relationship with God?
We should certainly give thanks for things given to us. But we can also give appreciation for the individual bestowing their personal attributes, skills and character upon us.

For example, we tell someone “thank you” for making a meal for us. But giving them “praise” would be telling that same person they are wonderfully talented at preparing meals and we appreciate the time and care they put into it.

When we give “thanks” to God, we can go deeper by expressing our appreciation for his wisdom, goodness, mercy, truth and faithfulness. And express our adoration for Him and give Him our awe and praise for all He has done.

In closing, let’s look at David’s praise of God in Psalms 71:5-8
“For you have been my hope, Sovereign LORD, my confidence since my youth. From birth I have relied on you; you brought me forth from my mother’s womb. I will ever praise you. I have become a sign to many; you are my strong refuge. My mouth is filled with your praise, declaring your splendor all day long.”

This Thanksgiving, let’s go DEEPER and turn it into “Praise-giving” by expressing our admiration, appreciation and respect for God, family and friends all day long.