Why does God command His children to praise Him continually (Hebrews 13:15)? Because praise is the expression of His outgoing love. In praising God for His actions and attributes we learn increasingly more about the Father and Jesus Christ— to “understand and know God”— and become like Him (Matthew 5:45). The Psalms or Book of Praises expands the instruction Christ gives us in the model prayer (the Lord’s Prayer) on how and what to pray, so we should follow His example of using them as guides to our own prayers. The principle of praise—the expression of God’s fundamental spirit of outgoing love, of goodwill to all, giving, building up and glorifying— was always and will forever be the foundational building block of the Kingdom of God through eternity, pictured by this final Holy Day. God commands us always and forever: Praise ye the LORD!

Mitchell Knapp

United Church of God Pastor

Mitchell Knapp is a graduate of Ambassador College with a BA in Theology. He has served congregations in California and several Midwestern states over the last 50 years and currently serves as the pastor of churches in Omaha, Nebraska, and Des Moines, Iowa. He and his wife, Linda, reside in Omaha, Nebraska.