The Narrow Path Ministries

What's the difference between praise and worship? Thoughts?

Well, some of my thoughts, more or less off the cuff:

Praise - verbal expression (singing or not) to God of thanksgiving, love, wonder, awe etc (I guess it could also be postural, like raising hands, clapping)

Worship - encompassing all of the above, (plus ?bowing down, kneeling, prostration -visibly paying homage to God), but more than just those occasions, worshipping God by maintaining an attitude of submission in living an obedient lifestyle.

In support of Suzana's definition of worship (with praise as a subset), I offer the following words of Paul:

I appeal to you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. (Romans 12:1 RSV)

Thank you for this, Paidion.
I appeal to you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. (Romans 12:1 RSV)

This scripture brings to mind what worship has been becoming to me since hearing the idea that in the Jewish culture that worship is study, and then I heard a women speaking of stopping to ‘do devotions’ when she and the children were running late getting ready for church as though it was more important to get to church full of anxiety. And then there is, in addition to the above scripture, this gem in John 4:

Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father . . .
23 But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him.
24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”

What is worshipping in spirit and truth?
In presenting our bodies as a living sacrifice, we are giving all that we are in worship, and this would include washing dishes – would it not?

So I am coming to the idea that devotion is not a set act that one does every day, or in church every week, but more like a lifestyle. I’m still working on it. What do you all think?

Jepne wrote:So I am coming to the idea that devotion is not a set act that one does every day, or in church every week, but more like a lifestyle. I’m still working on it. What do you all think?

I agree. It takes some diligence to get in the mindset of doing everything in worship to God (and I am not as far along as I'd like to be in that exercise). The book "Practice of the Presence of God" is a classic work that describes this kind of lifestyle.

you can read it here(if you haven't already) : http://www.ccel.org/ccel/lawrence/pract ... epage.html