Words of Praise

One of my favorite books is “Holy Roar” by Chris Tomlin and Darren Whitehead. It goes through seven words of praise that ancient Hebrew people used to express praise and honor to God. We can also use these words to change our daily worship and draw us closer to God. Today let’s look at the Hebrew word: BARAK.

No, not the President!!

BARAK: To kneel. To bless God (as an act of adoration). To praise, To salute. To thank.

In American culture, kneeling isn’t a trendy thing. Kneeling is usually reserved for kneeling to fix the kitchen sink, to reach that lost sock that somehow ended up behind the dresser, or to kneel in respect of an injured player on the field. We really don’t like to kneel. But in Europe, when the King or Queen passes by, people take a stance of reverence. They pause what they are doing and make themselves low to show respect to the Royals. Or, if someone is being granted a higher position in the government, they often kneel before the King or Queen to receive this new title. It’s a beautiful thing. So why are we so hesitant to kneel?

I think it’s because it’s a vulnerable position to be in.

It shows that we are bowing down our life to someone or something greater than ourselves. It’s a posture of surrender. But don’t just take my word for it. We can see that kneeling at the feet of the Father is found throughout the Bible.

Psalm 95:6- “Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!”

Philippians 2:10-11, “…that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the Earth and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Romans 14:11- “It is written, “‘As I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge God.’”

Daniel 6:10- “Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks before his God, as he had done before.”

Family, what would happen if we began kneeling and submitting to God every day? How might we encounter the Father if our eyes focus solely on the King of Kings? Let’s start to live our lives in a posture of praise and adoration as we seek to kneel before the Lord, our Maker, humbly.

Love you all!