Understanding My Praise Series: Hallel Edition

Key Scriptures

Psalm 150:6 (NKJV)
“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!”

Psalm 118:24 (NKJV)
“This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.”

Praise is my outward expression of my inward recognition of who God is and what the Lord has done.

Today’s Hebrew Word: Hallel

Hallel is celebrating God out loud because He’s been too good to stay silent.

Introduction

Throughout this series, we’ve discovered that praise is much more than singing songs before the sermon. Praise has a language.

The Bible uses several Hebrew words for praise, each revealing a unique way God’s people express their worship. As we’ve learned, praise is our outward expression of our inward recognition of who God is and what He has done.

Praise always begins on the inside before it is seen on the outside.

• Before we lift our hands, our hearts have already recognized His goodness.
• Before we shout, our souls have already remembered His faithfulness.
• Before we worship with our mouths, our spirits have already reflected on His mercy.

Today we continue our journey by exploring another Hebrew word for praise: Hallel.

If you’ve ever said “Hallelujah,” you’ve already spoken this word. Hallelujah simply means “Praise the Lord.”

1. If You’ve Got Breath, You’ve Got a Reason

Psalm 150:6

“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!”

Notice what God requires for praise.

He doesn’t ask how much money you have.

He doesn’t ask what your GPA is.

He doesn’t ask how many followers you have.

He simply asks one question:

Do you have breath?

If you’re breathing, you’re already blessed.

Every breath is proof that God wasn’t finished with you when you went to sleep.

Every breath is evidence that His mercy reached you one more time.

Don’t wait for another blessing before you praise God.

Your next breath is already enough.

If you’ve got breath, you’ve got a reason for Hallel.

2. Choose Joy Before You Feel Joy

Psalm 118:24

“This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.”

Notice what Scripture says.

It doesn’t say:

• We might rejoice.
• We’ll rejoice if everything goes our way.

It says:

“We will rejoice.”

That’s a decision.

Feelings change.

Friends change.

Circumstances change.

But God never changes.

3. Don’t Keep God’s Goodness Quiet

Remember our definition:

Praise is my outward expression of my inward recognition of who God is and what the Lord has done.

If that’s true, then Hallel is what happens when your recognition becomes your celebration.

Think about it.

When your favorite team wins, everyone knows.

When you pass a test, everyone knows.

When you finally get something you’ve been waiting for, everyone knows.

So why should everyone know about everything except what God has done?

Hallel declares:

“God has been too good for me to stay quiet.”

Your praise isn’t about showing yourself off.

It’s about showing God off.

Conclusion: Celebrate the One Who Gives Life

Imagine going to a birthday party where everyone stood silently.

That wouldn’t make sense.

When someone is worth celebrating, people clap.

They sing. They cheer. They smile. They celebrate.

So why do we often celebrate people louder than we celebrate God?

The psalmist reminds us: “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.”

Then he says: “This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.”

Think about what God has already given you today:

• He gave you breath.
• He gave you another day.

Those are gifts no one else could have given you.

You didn’t wake yourself up.

You didn’t command your heart to keep beating.

You didn’t tell your lungs to keep breathing.

God did.

And if God has given you breath and another day, then He has already given you more than enough reason to praise Him.

Take a deep breath.

Let that breath remind you that God isn’t finished with you yet.

Then let your outward expression match your inward recognition of who He is and what He has done.

If God has been too good for you to stay silent, then join with believers around the world and declare:

Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!

That’s Hallel—

Celebrating God out loud because He’s been too good to stay silent.