1 Samuel 2:1–2 (NLT)

Hannah’s Prayer of Praise

Then Hannah prayed:

“My heart rejoices in the Lord!

The Lord has made me strong.

Now I have an answer for my enemies;

I rejoice because you rescued me.

² No one is holy like the Lord!

There is no one besides you;

there is no Rock like our God.

Praising God will increase your faith in such times.

See, as we spend time praising God, we can recount the great things

He has done in our lives, other people’s lives, and even the great things the Lord did in the Bible.

When we do this, our souls are reminded of God’s goodness, which builds our faith.

Praise stems from recognizing the good acts of God but worship is not a function of the acts of God.

Worship comes from the core of who the worshipper is and what God means to the them.

Beloved, if you understand the difference between the two, you will have a better understanding of honoring God.

Praise is appreciating of God, especially in songs.

It is joyfully recounting everything that God has done and showing him gratitude for it.

Praise usually goes along with thanksgiving, appreciating God for all the might and good works He has done in our lives.

Praise is a universal thing and can be applied to anybody.

It doesn’t require much from us other than the acknowledgement of the righteous acts of God.

In the Bible, praise is usually presented as highly-spirited, joyful and uninhibited.

God asks all creation to praise him. {Let everything that have breathe to praise ye the Lord}

Worship, on the other hand, goes deeper than praise.

It is something that comes from the spirit.

It is often said that it is an attitude or state of the heart.

In the Bible, Jesus spoke about worship in John 4 verse 23.

But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.

Worship for Christians goes beyond singing.

Songs are just tools for worshipping.

Praise stems from recognizing the good acts of God but worship is not a function of the acts of God.

Worship comes from the core of who the worshipper is and what God means to the them.

In true worship, a Christian is required to surrender himself/herself totally to God and adore Him not just for what He has done but for who He is.

Beloved, when talking about the meaning of worship, it involves bowing low before the Lord, not only physically, but also in the heart.

Real and true worship is insightful and reflective.

Worship is a lifestyle, and it is not just limited to when people raise their hands to sing to God in church.

And praise comes from a heart of worship.

Praise and worship are not limited to just Christians.

People sing praises of other people also and even praises to false gods.

People also worship other fellow human beings, especially when that person means everything to them.

So, worship can also be seen as an act of reverence and honor for someone or something that a person places his/her faith in.

This morning we have another woman who had experience the awe of God by his mighty act.

Hannah had suffered by not having any children.

Hannah had been humiliated by not having any children.

Hannah had been seen as not being complete by not having any children.

Hannah lost her self esteem and self worth because felt she was a failure in life.

Life needs purpose and in the Old Testament times a woman purpose was to give her husband a child and especially a son.

Beloved, Hannan was unable to produce.

Hannan was on the verge of depression.

Jehovah rescued her by giving her a purpose and meaning to want to live.

Jehovah Jireh My Provider. You are more than enough for me.

Jehovah Raepha You’re my healer. By your stripes I’ve been set free.

Jehovah Shammah You are with me. To Supply All My Needs. You are more than enough. More than enough.

Jehovah Shalom You are my peace.

Hannan who life was changed by one act from God.

Psalm 34:1–6 (NLT)

¹ I will praise the Lord at all times.

I will constantly speak his praises.

² I will boast only in the Lord;

let all who are helpless take heart.

³ Come, let us tell of the Lord’s greatness;

let us exalt his name together.

⁴ I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me.

He freed me from all my fears.

⁵ Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy;

no shadow of shame will darken their faces.

⁶ In my desperation I prayed, and the Lord listened;

he saved me from all my troubles.

Now let me just break it down!

Luke 4:8

⁸ And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

You can Praise God and not serve Him but you cannot Worship God and not Serve Him.

Matthew 6:24 (KJV)
No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.