The Free Will to Praise

Revelation 4:8 gives us a glimpse into the awe-inspiring scene surrounding the throne of God through the eyes of the apostle John: “Day and night they never stop saying, ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,’ who was, and is, and is to come.” These living beings - angelic creatures born of God’s breath and dwelling continually in His presence - praise Him without ceasing. Their worship is not driven by faith or hope, but by a transcendent and experiential knowledge of who God is. They see Him face to face as they dwell with Him throughout eternity. Their praise is the natural result of divine proximity and sight from a heavenly perspective and understanding. But for us as human beings, the current reality is different, yet profoundly powerful.

God has given us something different and incredibly unique by comparison: a free will. We are not compelled by proximity or transcendent knowledge. We instead walk by faith, not by sight. Our praise rises not from the constant vision of God’s glory, but from the deep conviction of who He is, even when we don’t yet see the fullness of His promises in our lives during our earthly existence. This makes our praise not less meaningful than that of angels, but more remarkable.

Unlike the angels, we are invited into a relationship with God through choice. Our choice to praise becomes a act of our will, a decision we make in every season including when our circumstances feel heavy, unclear, or painful. In this way, praise becomes a free-will offering—a sacrifice. We choose to honor God not just because we have always seen or experienced His power, but because we believe in His character, His promises, and His goodness. This is where the Holy Spirit’s revelation comes in.

Through the Spirit enabling, we receive revelation—glimpses of God’s majesty, His faithfulness, His mercy, and His might. These glimpses are invitations to spark praise in our hearts, even if we haven’t yet received the breakthroughs that we hope for. Praise in this scenario becomes a prophetic act. It declares, “I trust You, God. I believe You are who You say You are, even when my eyes can’t yet see You at work.”

Every time we choose to praise, we are testifying, “God, I know You are worthy. My circumstances don’t define Your character. My trials don’t diminish Your goodness.” That is the unique gift we have been given: the ability to choose praise out of revelation and faith, not merely sight. It is that kind of praise touches the heart of God deeply. As revelation grows into an experienced history of understanding God’s character, our praise progressively transitions as a lived and faithful knowledge of His divine fingerprints that have intersected our journey with His grace and perfect love.

While angels praise from a place of perfect knowledge, we praise from a place of progressive understanding. As we grow in our relationship with Him, our praise deepens. It shifts from invitation to delight, from knowledge to love. Though we don’t currently reside in God’s throne room like the living creatures described in Revelation 4, our praise adds to and echoes theirs; testifying to the worthiness of the One who was, and is, and is to come.

1 Corinthians 13:1 to 13 is the famed chapter describing the God created reality of ‘agape’ (perfect) love that fuels our praise. In verses 9, 10, and 12 Paul wrestles with our knowledge being incomplete and that we only see God’s perfection through as a blurred image but upon entering eternity with God as Creator and Jesus as Lord, we will then see with His fullness. So right now, let’s choose to praise, not because we have to, but because we want to. Not because we’ve seen everything, but because we’ve seen enough to know that He is

worthy of all praise, honor and glory forever and ever.