Why does god require praise?

[DArceri]

We praise Him because He is Lord of Lords, King of Kings.
We lift up His name for He is worthy to be praised.
He is Savior and Lord, God of Wonders, Lord of all creation, Lord of Heaven and earth.
He sits on Heaven's mercy seat....
Hallelujah.

 

[Zeena]

We praise Him because He is Lord of Lords, King of Kings.
We lift up His name for He is worthy to be praised.
He is Savior and Lord, God of Wonders, Lord of all creation, Lord of Heaven and earth.
He sits on Heaven's mercy seat....
Hallelujah.

AMEN!

We Praise you Lord!

 

[heron]

Praise also tends to clear out the cobwebs. If you consider that there might be evil forces lurking about, hearing our praise creates an uncomfortable environment for ghoulies. It's a totally different topic, but one reason that some Christians praise with intensity.

 

[Zeena]

Praise also tends to clear out the cobwebs. If you consider that there might be evil forces lurking about, hearing our praise creates an uncomfortable environment for ghoulies. It's a totally different topic, but one reason that some Christians praise with intensity.

Indeed it does!

1 Samuel 16:23
And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took an harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.

 

[heron]

Ha! I'd forgotten that example! Good one.

 

[Confess]

How about this analogy:

Lets say you have a great relationship with your mother.
What kind of things would you say about her when talking about her to your friends, other family members or your children?

You would remember all the great things she has done for you, you would remark on her kindness and generosity. You would express all the times she willingly sacrificed for you and how she always made time to talk to you. You would tell others all the things she taught you and all the great foods she made for you.


Praising a wonderful Mother is no different in praising God.

You do it because you acknowledge all the great things he has done and continues to do for you. It is something that you desire to do. Just as praising your mother gives you a rewarding feeling, so too does praising God.

 

[Catherineanne]

In the Bible your god apparently created the world as a praising ground for him.

This is not true. God did not create the world to meet any need of his, least of all his need for gratification.

My question is, why does god need this self gratification?

Self gratification is by definition given by the self to the self. I presume you do not mean self gratification, therefore, but outside gratification, from his creation?

The simple answer is, God does not need it. Neither is he one great big ego which is in need of constant praise. The praise is offered by the angels and the company of heaven out of love, rather than demanded as a price.

I do not claim to be able to speak for God, but perhaps you could wonder why we bother having children. Is it for self gratification, or to provide for us in our old age? Or is it perhaps something to do with delighting in relationship, and in particular the intimacy of close relationship? What we might call the joy of parenthood.

I suspect here you have something of why God created mankind. Not to fulfill a need, but to delight in our company, and in seeing us grow, day by day.

 

[Catherineanne]

MY FRIEND,



It occurs to me that the process of Praising God benefits those who do the praising, not God who receives the praise but does not really need it.

WE, OF COURSE, ARE VERY MUCH IN NEED OF GIVING PRAISE, IF FOR NO OTHER REASON THAN SO OUR HUMILITY BEFORE GOD REMAINS INTACT.​

Actually, I do not think this is true. God in not interested in my praising him, come rain or shine. For one thing that would get intensely boring for both of us. And for another, it would be dishonest.

What God wants from us is that we turn to him at every moment, and offer him our hearts as they are, whether full of praise or full of despair. He wants us to be honest, and he wants us to trust him to accept us as we are at all times.

If this means that some days there is no praise anywhere to be found, that does not damage the relationship with God one bit. What would damage it would be my manufacturing a fake enthusiasm for God when my life is falling apart, out of some misguided belief that he is all ego, and no compassion.

So, by all means praise, if you can. But if you cannot, then your tears are just as acceptable to the Lord. Most of all, what he wants is our honesty. Imho.

 

[Ymeg]

Self gratification is by definition given by the self to the self. I presume you do not mean self gratification, therefore, but outside gratification, from his creation?

If god created us then is all powerful he owns everything. Your god is the universe.

 

[Zeena]

God is NOT the universe.
The universe is created, He is the creator

 

[Shubunkin]

There is nothing wrong with praising God and thanking him for the blessings and mercy we have received.

 

[heron]

If god created us then is all powerful he owns everything. Your god is the universe.

I get your point, but that wouldn't explain evil influences, unless you tried to assign them to God. Notice that He steps back and allows certain things to happen. He also has choices. We appreciate both His choices to protect and provide for us, and His choice to listen to our requests for help and guidance. We appreciate this because we know He had that choice -- He could have just said, "These humans look like ants. Let's pour apple juice in their homes and see what happens."

 

[Catherineanne]

If god created us then is all powerful he owns everything. Your god is the universe.

If I create a clay pot I do not become the clay pot, although I may well retain ownership of it.

And if I do not become what I create, then neither does God. Where are you getting your logic from?