The Book of Psalms (30-Day Journey)ਨਮੂਨਾ

A Guide to Right Praise

Traditionally, in the Greek Christian Church, Psalm 66 is recited on Easter Sunday. In the Greek Bible, it is known as a "Psalm of the Resurrection" because it prophetically anticipates the renewal of the world through the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the conversion of the Gentiles. Beyond its prophetic meaning, Psalm 66 also serves as a powerful manual on how to praise God rightly. Written by a worship leader, this psalm offers practical instruction on how we are to approach God in worship—what our attitude should be, what words we are to speak, and what outcomes we can expect from right praise. Praise and worship are important, but right praise — praise that aligns with God’s truth and character — is what brings true honor to God and internal transformation to his creation.

Imagine trying to compliment someone on their jacket when they’re not even wearing one. Not only would your words be confusing, but they would obviously lack sincerity and meaning. In the same way, we often bring words to God that don’t align with truth—or we offer them from a heart disconnected from who He really is. True worship requires both truth and sincerity.

Psalm 66 opens by reminding us that God is not just the God of Israel but the God of all the earth. When we worship, we must come with a right sense of His majesty and scope. He is bigger than our circumstances, our culture, or our traditions and our worship should reflect that awe-inspiring bigness.

While worship includes many expressions—acts of service, obedience, prayer—singing is one of its most powerful forms. The psalmist calls everyone to “sing out the honor of His name” and to do it in a way that makes God’s praise glorious. Worship that glorifies God is rooted in both truth and passion. Honoring His name consistently in our worship means acknowledging His character, power, and goodness. The psalm also teaches us to come before God with joy. Worship isn’t meant to be a burden or a duty we carry out reluctantly. Given all that God has done for us, joy should be the most natural response. God desires joyful praise, not forced ritual.

The psalmist goes on to provide specific words of praise—not to be recited mechanically, but to help guide our hearts and mouths when we don’t know what to say. While there is a place for silent, unspoken reverence (as seen in Psalm 65:1), verbal praise—whether spoken or sung—is vital. A great starting point is to declare God’s greatness in creation, salvation, and restoration. Many modern worship songs do exactly this by drawing directly from Scripture. Verse 4 declares, “All the earth shall worship You." (Psalm 66:4 NKJV) This is not only a prophetic vision of God’s ultimate triumph, but also a powerful reminder of His worthiness. The psalmist points to God’s name being praised—something deeply significant in Jewish thought, where a name reflects character and identity. Right praise isn’t just about saying good things about God—it’s about praising Him directly for who He truly is.

And so, right praise begins with a right view of God. If we see Him clearly—as Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer—our praise will naturally reflect His greatness. But if our view of God is small or distorted, our worship will be shallow or misguided. That’s why the psalmist invites us to “Come and see the works of God.” To witness and experience God's power firsthand is to fuel true worship. There’s a difference between admiring God from a distance and walking closely with Him in awe.

The psalm continues our praise training with a call to remember what God has done. He recounts how God turned the sea into dry land, referring to the parting of the Red Sea and the Jordan River (Exodus 14, Joshua 3). This act of remembering is central to worship. Our praise should be rooted not in our opinions or emotions, but in the truth of Scripture and God’s revealed deeds. The more we remember, the more we are moved to worship rightly.

Psalm 66 also teaches that worship is both personal and communal. It uses both “I will praise” and “we will praise,” showing that while worship begins in the individual heart, it is meant to overflow into the life of the community. Private devotion fuels public worship—and together, the people of God declare His worth.

In closing, Psalm 66 calls us to keep the reasons for praise ever before us: God sustains us, protects us, gives us freedom, corrects and refines us, and showers us with blessing. History has shown that when God’s people forget His goodness, they drift into false worship, but when we remember, we return to the kind of worship that delights His heart and transforms ours. Let Psalm 66 be for you what it was meant to be, both a song of joy and a teacher of truth, guiding us into worship that is full of wonder, grounded in Scripture, and worthy of the God we serve.