If you’ve ever been to a church worship service, you have likely heard about the need to praise God. This is not a bad thing, in fact, the Bible encourages corporate worship (Psalm 67 below). I’ve often thought of church praise as a “rehearsal” for when we get to heaven. The Bible tells us that in heaven we will witness the angels praising and worshipping God. I imagine our time in church is preparation for the corporate praise and worship experience of heaven.
However, I believe we need to rehearse for our rehearsal. What does that mean? An example may help...
I play bass guitar and when I have an engagement to play for, there are normally rehearsals. One thing that I’ve done throughout the years is I practice the songs at home first in order to be efficient at rehearsal. Any musician or singer will tell you that you don’t wait until you get to rehearsal to learn the material. You learn how to play the material in private! When you get to the rehearsal, you are just perfecting what you’ve already rehearsed and learning how to perform with others.
In our lives, we ought to be rehearsing for rehearsal as well. Our praise in private should be just as vibrant, consistent, and authentic as we desire it to be on a Sunday morning and one day in heaven. If you’re like me, you’ve got some things you can give God praise for... Don’t wait until you get to heaven and don’t wait until Sunday morning, rehearse your praise right now! Hallelujah!!! (translation: Praise God!)
God, we desire to praise you at all times. Let your praises continually be in our mouths (Psalm 34:1). Please remind us of the need for private praise, worship, and devotion. Help us to praise in public like we do in private. We look forward to heaven, but we do not look past earth. We were created to give you glory here as we will glorify You there. Until that day, we will rehearse with the enthusiasm of the angels!
-jag
(An afterthought) Dress rehearsals: Dress rehearsals are the actual production of the show before showtime. There are usually few people there, but the show resembles exactly what will happen. Regarding praise, how will you praise when it looks like showtime, but it’s not quite showtime yet? Or rather, how will you praise when the end seems near?... when you’ve lost your job and all seems lost... when your marriage is fading fast... when you get a bad doctor’s report... How will you praise then? The true challenge is to keep praising through hard times.
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For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A psalm. A song.
1 May God be gracious to us and bless us
and make his face shine on us—
2 so that your ways may be known on earth,
your salvation among all nations.
3 May the peoples praise you, God;
may all the peoples praise you.
4 May the nations be glad and sing for joy,
for you rule the peoples with equity
and guide the nations of the earth.
5 May the peoples praise you, God;
may all the peoples praise you.
6 The land yields its harvest;
God, our God, blesses us.
7 May God bless us still,
so that all the ends of the earth will fear him.
Psalm 34:1
I will extol the LORD at all times;
his praise will always be on my lips
and make his face shine on us—
2 so that your ways may be known on earth,
your salvation among all nations.
3 May the peoples praise you, God;
may all the peoples praise you.
4 May the nations be glad and sing for joy,
for you rule the peoples with equity
and guide the nations of the earth.
5 May the peoples praise you, God;
may all the peoples praise you.
6 The land yields its harvest;
God, our God, blesses us.
7 May God bless us still,
so that all the ends of the earth will fear him.
Psalm 34:1
I will extol the LORD at all times;
his praise will always be on my lips
