Praise

Worship should be ardent and emotional, and there is no better way to generate emotional power than by praising God in songs and chants. Praise is a natural expression of our love for Him.

Hymns and psalms give a poetic and heartfelt voice to the word, penetrating the soul more deeply than any theological discourse. Singing can elevate us into an exalted spiritual state where we experience the mystic glories of heavenly choirs of angels.

Chanting a sacred syllable or repeating the Lord’s holy names attunes our mind to Ultimate Reality and calls forth its mystic power.

On the Value of Praise

He is the Living One; there is no god but He: call upon Him, giving Him sincere devotion. Praise be to God, Lord of the Worlds! Qur’an 40.65

I know that my greatest good is to worship the Wise Lord and those that have been and are.18 By their names will I worship them And come before them with praise. Avesta, Yasna 51.22 (Zoroastrianism)

Enthusiasm: The ancient kings made music in order to honor merit, and offered it with splendor to the Supreme Deity, inviting their ancestors to be present. I Ching 16: Enthusiasm (Confucianism)

The words dearest to God are four: Glory be to God, Praise be to God, There is no god but God, and God is most great.19 Hadith of Muslim (Islam)

The word which all the Vedas extol, Toward which all asceticism points, In quest of which men live disciplined lives, That will I tell you, that is “OM.”This syllable, indeed, is imperishable Brahman; This syllable, indeed, is the End supreme. The one who knows this selfsame syllable Will surely obtain whatever he desires.20 Katha Upanishad 1.2.15-16 (Hinduism)

The elements of word OM are fourths, the elements: the letter A, the letter U, the letter M. The waking state, the common-to-all-men, is the letter A… the dreaming state, the Brilliant, is the letter U… the deep-sleep state, the Cognitional, is the letter M… The fourth is without an element, with which there can be no dealing, the cessation of phenomena, benign, without a second. This AUM is the Self indeed.21 Mandukya Upanishad (Hinduism)

All Buddhas in the universe throughout past, present, and future invariably attain Buddhahood with the seed of the five characters of “Namu Myo Ho Renge Kyo.”22 Nichiren (Buddhism)

If man, with constant endeavor, praise the Lord of the Universe, the unlimited Supreme Being, with His Thousand Names,23 if he worships daily and with devotion the same imperishable Being, meditating on Him, praising Him, bowing to Him, and making offerings to Him, if he sings daily the praise of Vishnu, the Great Lord of the whole universe who has neither beginning nor end and presides over the world, he overcomes all unhappiness. Mahabharata, Anusasana Parva 254 (Hinduism)

When, indeed the Holy Spirit saw the human race was guided only with difficulty toward virtue, and that, because of our inclination toward pleasure, we were neglectful of an upright life, what did He do? The delight of melody He mingled with the doctrines so that by the pleasantness and softness of the sound heard we might receive without perceiving it, the benefit of the words… A psalm implies serenity of the soul; it is the author of peace, which calms bewildering and seething thoughts. For it softens the wrath of the soul, and what is unbridled it chastens. As psalm forms friendships, unites those separated, and conciliates those at enmity. Who, indeed, can still consider him an enemy with whom he has uttered the same prayer to God? So that psalmody, bringing about choral singing, a bond, as it were, toward unity, and joining the people into a harmonious union of one choir, produces also the greatest of blessings, charity. Saint Basil (Christianity)

Teachings of Sun Myung Moon
Song is the material basis for harmonizing with God. That is why when you sing you should be intoxicated with joy. (16:289, July 31, 1966)

Hymns sung with deep emotion are the best form of entreaty and spirit-filled prayer. If you look into the eyes of people singing and praying, you will see something moving in them. You feel, “Ah, from here, God’s work begins!” (17:21, November 6, 1966)

Prayer is a time to be in harmony with God. From this perspective, prayer by singing can be more moving than prayer in words. When singing hymns, you can quickly experience the feeling of being drawn into a world of mystery. (270:19, May 3, 1995)

Buddhist monks chant and beat the wood block. We listen to sermons and sing hymns. They are all conditions. (January 5, 1999)

All creation praises God: even the insects, birds, fish and beasts praise Him. (269:171, April 17, 1995)

May we become Thy sons and daughters who sing songs of Thy love, after fulfilling all Thy hopes and all Thy Will!… May we become true children who comfort our Father with songs of joy and glory, who have accomplished Thy hope, Thy work and Thy thought, and who forever live with Thee! (5:280, February 22, 1958)

Hymns and Psalms of Praise

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the lands! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! Know that the Lord is God! It is he that made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him, bless his name! For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations. Psalm 100

Sing you all, and sing aloud! Devotees, sing your songs. Let children, too, sing. Sing to Him who is like a mighty fortress. Let the viol send down its strains, the lute raise its voice around, the bow string strike its echoing sound: to Indra is our hymn upraised. Rig Veda 8.69.8-9 (Hinduism)

I will extol thee, my God and my King, and bless thy name forever and ever. Every day I will bless thee, and praise thy name forever and ever. Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable. One generation shall laud thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts.

On the glorious splendor of thy majesty, and on thy wondrous works, I will meditate. Men shall proclaim the might of thy terrible acts, and I will declare thy greatness. They shall pour forth the fame of thy abundant goodness, and shall sing aloud of thy righteousness. Psalm 145.1-7

He is God, there is no god but He. He is the knower of the Unseen and the Visible; He is the All-merciful, the All-compassionate. He is God; there is no God but He. He is the King, the All-holy, the All-peaceable, The All-faithful, the All-preserver, The All-mighty, the All-compeller, the All-sublime. Glory be to God, above that they associate! He is God, the Creator, the Maker, the Shaper. To Him belong the Names Most Beautiful. All that is in the heavens and the earth magnifies Him; He is the All-mighty, the All-wise.24 Qur’an 59.22-24

Come together, you all, with the power of spirit, to the Lord of heaven, who is One, the Guest of the people. He, the ancient, desires to come to the new. To Him all pathways turn; verily He is One. We all here are Thine, O Indra, praised by many, We who go about, attached to Thee, Lord of wealth! O Lover of song, none but Thee receives our songs. Love these our words as the earth loves her creatures. Loud songs have sounded to the bounteous Indra, One worthy of praise, the Supporter of mankind, to the much invoked, waxing strong with lovely hymns, and the immortal One who is sung day by day. Towards Indra have all our loving songs, joined to the heavenly light, proceeded in unison; as a wife embraces her husband, comely bridegroom, so they encompass the bounteous One for His grace. Sama Veda 372-375 (Hinduism)

Teachings of Sun Myung Moon
Grace filling me with golden light, measureless blessing divine; God gives eternal life to me, perfect rejoicing is mine.

Glorious the song ringing in my heart for my Father above; Gratefully I give offering to Him, triumph and glorious love. Joy surging like an ocean wave, flowing so deep in my soul; Hope rises as I go in praise, knowing that man will be whole.

Glorious the song ringing in my heart for my Father above; Gratefully I give offering to Him, triumph and glorious love. High, limitless, eternal life, touching the top of the sky; Praise filling every part of me, blessing that never will die.

Glorious the song ringing in my heart for my Father above; Gratefully I give offering to Him, triumph and glorious love. You’ve chosen me to do Your will, thankful, I vow to be true; I’m pledging in my heart of hearts, “Father, my life is for You.” Glorious the song ringing in my heart for my Father above; Gratefully I give offering to Him, triumph and glorious love. (Grace of the Holy Garden)

Now the light of glory arises like the sun that shines on high; now awaken into freedom, O revive, you spirits, O revive! Wake the mountains and the valleys; bring alive the springs of the earth.

Light the world forever with the light of your rebirth. Light the world forever with the light of your rebirth. We are called to bring back the glory to the life of God above; Now the Lord in His greatness fills the universe with tender love, Ever seeking souls awakened, ever calling them to be free. How shall I attend to Him who is calling to me?

How shall I attend to Him who is calling to me? From the dark of death I awaken and rejoice to live in grace; when the One who came to save me holds me tenderly in His embrace, how can I return the blessing?

Though in all my life I will try. I can never stop feeling how unworthy I am. I can never stop feeling how unworthy I am! (Blessing of Glory)