What Does “Praising God Through the Psalms” Mean?

The Psalms are some of the most beloved scriptures worldwide for both Christians and Jews.

Covering a period of hundreds of years, with the last ones penned 2,000-3,000 years ago, these songs span the range of human emotion.

They’re still relevant to us modern readers because they express the human condition so honestly.

Maybe you’re like me, having read and reread through Psalms over my life. They never fail to encourage—and sometimes challenge—me.

Praise is a Major Theme in the Psalms

There are several mega-themes in the Psalms, one of the most prominent being praise.

In fact, in the Jewish Ketuvim (the Writings), part of where we got the Christian Old Testament, the Book of Psalms is called Tehillim or “Praises” in Hebrew.

In English, we have different words that can kind of be interchangeable but have nuanced meanings (praise, worship, gratitude, adoration, thanksgiving).

The Hebrew words translated praise in English Bibles, likewise, are similar but with nuanced meanings:

Halal

Halal indicates celebration, clamorous and even foolish joy. It’s where the word hallelujah comes from. Psalm 150:1 uses it: “Praise (Halal) the Lord!” It’s pretty loud and boisterous.

Yadah

“I will praise (yadah) Yahweh according to His righteousness…” (Psalm 7:17) Literally extending or throwing our hands outward.

Zamar

Zamar refers to making music—plucking the strings of an instrument and/or singing. Psalm 98:5 says, “Sing praises (zamar) to Yahweh with the harp, with the harp and the voice of melody.”

Tehillah

Spontaneous songs that spring from within our spirits to the Lord. It reminds me of having the Living Water (the Holy Spirit) within us! Psalm 22:3 says, “But You are holy, You who inhabit the praises (tehillah) of Israel.”

Shabach

“One generation will commend Your works to another, and will declare (shabach) Your mighty acts” says Psalm 145:4. Shabach means to shout in triumph. Declaration of who the Lord is can be a major part of praise.

Barak

To barak is to kneel before the Lord in reverence, awe, submission. It also includes blessing as in Psalm 103:1, “Praise (barak) Yahweh, my soul…”

Todah

Todah also indicates use of our hands, extending them to the Lord in thanksgiving. “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving (todah)…” Psalm 100:4.

This verse actually uses four of these Hebrew words: “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving (todah), and into His courts with praise (tehillah). Give thanks (yadah) to Him, and bless (barak) His name.”

Pretty cool, eh?

Because I’ve been in church worship ministries for over four decades, praise has been a major focus of my Christian walk. I know its power on a very practical level.

It really does invite the Lord’s presence into whatever situation we happen to be in. It really does change our focus from “this” (whatever it is) to Him.

Another Major Theme in Psalms is Nature

If you’ve been reading here on Heaven and Nature for any length of time, you know that we talk at length about nature in the Bible.

The Psalm writers brought nature into their songs a lot. Here are just a handful of examples:

• Psalm 1:3—”He will be like a tree planted by the streams of water, that produces its fruit in its season, whose leaf also does not wither.”
• Psalm 50:10—”For every animal of the forest is Mine, and the livestock on a thousand hills.”
• Most of Psalm 104
• Psalm 136:7-9—“To Him who made the great lights; for His loving kindness endures forever; the sun to rule by day; for His loving kindness endures forever; the moon and stars to rule by night; for His loving kindness endures forever…”

And there are so many more!

Animals, water, light, mountains and valleys, trees, the sun and stars, seasons. All are weaved into the lyrics of these ancient songs.

(We’ll list a few suggested blog posts at the end for more nature in the Bible.)

Combining Praise Psalms and Nature into One Illustrated Book

My Art Background

I’ve been drawing since I was a child. It was a major part of my life back then, through high school and into college. I even declared an art major entering as a freshman, but through a series of God-ordained events, I switched to music.

I’ve continued to keep the arts and creativity a major part of my life ever since, through playing music, teaching music, photography, graphic design and writing.

But it wasn’t until my husband and I became empty nesters that I noticed a growing inner compulsion to pick my drawing back up. I didn’t want to neglect this gift I knew the Lord gave me. (The Parable of the Talents is a strong reminder to be a faithful steward, lol!)

Enter the iPad and Stylus

After a few false starts with various media, in the spring of 2024 I learned about an iPad app called Procreate. People were producing amazing drawings and paintings with it by hand with a digital stylus.

So I bought my first iPad and stylus, downloaded Procreate, and started to watch tutorials. I loved it! It was what I needed to keep me engaged.

I learned that after a long day of client work and writing, I loved sitting in my favorite room in the evenings with a cup of tea, music or podcast playing, a good lap desk and my iPad. I literally lose track of time working on art projects!

An Illustrated Book Idea

After drawing and publishing a couple of adult coloring books, in the spring of 2025, I was asking the Lord for another book idea. One that could include my artwork. That’s when I got the idea of Praising God Through the Psalms.

I would highlight just the Psalms with praise as a strong theme. Then I would lay these psalms out over a 2-page spread, over a full-color illustrations.

The book could be used as a devotional, to read through a 2-page spread over coffee in the morning or right before bedtime. A coffee table book for someone to pick up and read a psalm or two in a sitting. A gift book for someone who loves art and scripture.

Praising God Through the Psalms would invite readers to slow down, meditate on these ancient words written by people like us. Everyday people in all of life’s challenges and blessings. Let these words capture our hearts and minds while enjoying some nature artwork.

I started going through the Psalms one by one and selecting the 59 I would use. And I began selecting photos of mine to use as the patterns for the drawings.

I tried not to make the book too feminine. (I could’ve filled every page with flowers!) And learned that landscapes can be fun, too. I learned quite a lot along the way about various techniques with brush styles and layering in Procreate.

Publishing Goal: Fall of 2026

I finished the last of the illustrations about a month ago. As of this writing I’m finalizing the cover design and the Introduction. Then I’ll get a first round draft printed to see how the color and layout look, and check for typos (again).

I hope to have it published and ready for sale on Amazon before Thanksgiving!

(All scriptures taken from World English Bible, public domain.)

You’ll also like…

• Light in the Bible
• 20 of the Best Bible Verses about Nature
• Nature and Creation in the Bible