讓我們來問問自己：在聖經中，敬拜、讚美和感恩有甚麼關係？

聖經所有用來指敬拜的詞語，無論是希伯來語還是希臘語，都指出一種內心的態度或身體的姿勢。敬拜是從心靈開始，不過也影響我們的身體。正因為這樣，虔誠的猶太人祈禱的時候身體不停的向前後擺動，他們認為敬拜是身體和心靈同時進行的行為。聖經形容敬拜就好像在主面前臉伏於地，在祂面前跪下，或站立在祂面前舉起雙手等這些身體的姿勢。讚美是與語言有關係，雖然它不限於我們的口（我們可以在心裡讚美神），但一般來說都和我們口中的言語有關。至於感恩，也是關係到語言，所不同的是：我們為了神是真神而讚美祂；為了祂所做的事而感謝祂。當然，這些只是概括的分類，我們讚美、感恩或敬拜時絕對不能墨守成規。我們絕對不能這樣對自己說：「我已經花了那麼多的時間來讚美，現在我大概應該花同等的時間來感恩了。」

總的來說，這三個詞語都與神的三種特質有密切的關係。在敬拜中我們觸及神的聖潔；在感恩中我們觸及神的良善；在讚美中我們觸及神的偉大。雖然這三者的分別可以在聖經中清楚看到，但是它們並非一成不變，因為實際上它們是匯聚在一起形成一條大河流的三條支流。

We ask ourselves now: What is the scriptural relationship between worship, praise and thanksgiving?

All the biblical words for worship, whether in Hebrew or Greek, indicate an attitude of the heart or a posture of the body. Worship starts as being spiritual but also affects us physically. This is why devout Jews rock backward and forward when they pray, they regard worship as both physical and spiritual. The Bible describes such physical postures as lying face downwards before the Lord, kneeling in His presence, or standing before Him with uplifted hands as worship. Praise, on the other hand, has to do with utterance, and while it is not exclusive to our lips (we can praise God in our hearts), it is generally related to the words of our mouth. When we come to thanksgiving we come again to the thought of utterance, the difference being this: we praise God for who He is, but we thank Him for what He does. These are only general categories, of course, and we must not think in rigid terms when we praise, give thanks, or worship. Nothing could be worse than saying to yourself: "I have spent enough time in praise now. Perhaps I should spend an equal time in thanksgiving."

All three words relate very much to three characteristics of God - again, speaking generally. In worship we relate to God's holiness. In thanksgiving we relate to God's goodness. In praise we relate to God's greatness. Although the distinction between these three words can be clearly seen in Scripture, it must not be regarded as hard and fast. The three are tributaries that flow together to form one great river.