Praise & Worship OR Praise, then Worship?
Praise and worship. Two words which are often misunderstood, misinterpreted, and misplaced (swapping one for the other).
The bible speaks on receiving a "garment of praise" for a "spirit of heaviness". I've witnessed this to be true in my life even today. Not feeling well, something / someone got you in a foul mood, etc...."put a praise on it". By encouraging / strengthening your Spirit-man / woman, you change what's going on in the natural (e.g. How you feel, aches / pains, etc) by transforming in the spiritual.
"To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified." (Isa. 61:3)
(Notice the exchanges in this verse provided by the servant / ministry alluded to in Isa. 61)
Now, the spirit of heaviness is waaaaay deeper than a headache or foul mood.
I remember returning to Pittsburgh to finish my master's degree and I just couldn't shake this dark cloud from above me. Fear I'd fail again, shame I didn't finish on time, and trying to make myself feel better by indulging in various sins....nothing seemed to work! And then out of nowhere I start singing. Singing when I woke up and getting ready for bed. Feeding my spirit "spiritual songs" throughout the course of the day (See: Ephesians 5:19).
When we praise we are expressing ourselves to God for a number of reasons...
When we worship we are essentially "paying tribute" to God for who He is along with what He's done.
Praise comes from within us...whereas Worship has its' focus completely on God and the "things of God", such that we eventually lose ourselves in the process.
Resources:
1) Spirit of Heaviness
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