Why Would A Deity Need To Be Praised?

There was popular a hymn when I was kid, I think called For He Alone is Worthy. I also thought there was something off about that sentiment and it puzzled me for a long time. It never made sense that an all knowing, all powerful, all present deity would need the puny praise and worship and basic sucking up of humans. Needing ego stroking is something humans need when they are insecure, depressed, or lonely. Praising is what you do to placate an abuser or distract and calm a child that’s having a temper tantrum. Worshipping is something a human wants. Seems to suggest that deities are made in man's image.

It was this kind of stuff that lead me to reject Abrahamic religions, and deities in general.

How do believers understand this need?

 

@D'Ellyn Dottir

To answer from an opposing direction, non-believers have learned how to live unsupported by mental "crutches", where believers have not.

Frank

 

I agree with you!!
God has no need to be praised. It is IMO a silly man-made statement about an anthropomorphic god some made up. There are many things about organized man made religion that I reject but I do still consider myself a Christian. I was raised Catholic but no longer practice. My earlier learning involved Jesus. Since then I have studied many different religions and philosophies and find the truth in all. I still call myself Christian though I love concepts from Buddhism, Taoism, and others.

 

I think it was the way things were viewed by more primitive peoples. Kings thrived on the praise of their people, so God must also. I don't know why the practice continues other than ongoing tradition.

 

This is a good thread, which calls for some in-depth thinking, and I have given much thought to this in my experiences. But, in contrast to some replies, I believe that there is an alternate answer to the question of why we give praise to God.

When one offers praise to God, then the emphasis is off oneself, which is good for us. In other words, God knows that if we are wrapped up in our own world of woes and difficulties, we will not be able to help our neighbors in need. As we magnify God, we become smaller and thus we allow God to be God and work in us and in our lives. So, praise of God has benefits to US, and God knows that, as we see in many verses in scripture, such as Isaiah 61:3. (parentheses mine)

“to provide for those who mourn in Zion— (believers) to give them a garland (A wreath, or crown, made of branches, flowers, or feathers, and precious stones, worn on the head), the oil of gladness instead of mourning, (as when one is depressed) the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit (in a downcast mood). They will be called oaks (or stalwarts) of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, to display his glory. “

As an example of this, suppose one is obsessed with some disappointment and can't shake the downward mood that results (I've been there many times). What has helped me over the hump in many cases, is to do something for others (maybe a visit, a phone call, a card showing you care, or other acts of kindness). What it does is to get the worries out of my head, since others are often going through problems worse than mine. Admit it, you know what I am talking about.

 

@Joan Kuper we're not far apart in our thinking on this, although I don't identify with any organized religion. Thanks for adding your thoughts.

Good point @Don Alaska . Praising the king was pretty much the "social contract" in that kind of monarchical system, the more so the more the king was a tyrant. Reminds of how North Koreans must incessantly praise their dear leader.

Yes, expressing gratitude is huge for mental / emotional / spiritual health, as well as good interpersonal relationships. Interesting @Yvonne Smith, that you equate that with praise, as that's something I haven't considered. Thanks for your response.

 

I view gratitude and thanks as being different from praise. I have even heard "Bless His Holy Name" in some hymns. I have asked myself, as did @D'Ellyn Dottir , how could a lowly human bless an omnipotent God? I do view prayers of thanks as the only real valid form of prayer, as an omniscient God should know what you need. Jesus validated an "ask" form however in The Lord's Prayer and preached that you should be persistent in your requests, so His thought always trumps my own.

 

Thanks for your thoughts on this, @Hugh Manely.

 

I'm not sure I would go so far to say that prayers of gratitude are the only valid form of prayer, albeit they are very important. Even Buddhists -- who do not worship or praise the Buddha per se in the sects more common in the West -- and Pagans who may or may not believe in or honor deities, have forms of intercessory prayer, of asking for help in some ways. The difference though, as I understand it, is that while the proper attitude is always one of humility, there is not the aspect of making oneself insignificant or unempowered. It's more of asking for greater awareness to remove obstacles or just for all beings to be free from suffering.

 

Along the same line of thought as Yvonne’s post, do note that God has the exact same emotions as we do so He can indeed be “blessed” as in….made happy.

Now, so far as praising God I say why not?
We’re supposed to have a relationship with God for He is indeed the Father and as it says in the 1st chapter of John, “For as many as received Him (Jesus Christ) to them gave He the power to become sons of God.”. I have a Father who loves me.
He’s personal. He’s not some far off deity who can’t be reached.

My Father has given me life and viewing my much younger history, it is indeed much more abundant than I deserve. I should have died many times over but because there is NO other explanation as to why I AM alive, He obviously had other plans for me.
If nothing else, I praise Him just for the work He has done in me and for the work I was able to do in rescue missions all over the U.S. for which there is nothing I can give in return except those praises and thanks.

If anyone here had seen half of the miracles and blessings that I have witnessed in the ministries where I have served, then there would be no question about who deserves to be praised and who deserves to be thanked.

Ref. Mal 3:16. Look it up and do remember to always read the verses before and after.

 

I remember a song from Sunday school many years ago. "Praise Him, Praise Him, all ye little children! God is love. God is love."

 

Others here have done a good job of explaining some of the reasons and benefits of praising and glorifying God, so I'll address a different point that should be noted.

There are many points of faith, character features of God, or Bible versus that people don't understand, but skeptics are too often willing to use them as an excuse to reject God's existence. The evidence for God does not rest on our understanding or liking of everything that we read or hear; it's exhibited by the awesome universe that we observe and the scriptural features embedded within the Bible.

For this thread, it's clear that there are rational reasons why God would require or want worship and glory for himself. While this may be cause for some to dislike his nature, its not a just cause to deny his existence.

 

Basically its giving thanks for His protection.
I see it throughout history to those who worshipped lived longer in most cases as did their nations.It is a healthier lifestyle than just going by our own human nature.
Most who criicize or question have not studied enough to really form an opnion.
We create children who also need guidence and decipline.
Since we left God its has been chaos and strife.