让我们来问问自己：在圣经中，敬拜、赞美和感恩有甚么关系？

圣经所有用来指敬拜的词语，无论是希伯来语还是希腊语，都指出一种内心的态度或身体的姿势。敬拜是从心灵开始，不过也影响我们的身体。正因为这样，虔诚的犹太人祈祷的时候身体不停的向前后摆动，他们认为敬拜是身体和心灵同时进行的行为。圣经形容敬拜就好像在主面前脸伏于地，在祂面前跪下，或站立在祂面前举起双手等这些身体的姿势。赞美是与语言有关系，虽然它不限于我们的口（我们可以在心里赞美神），但一般来说都和我们口中的言语有关。至于感恩，也是关系到语言，所不同的是：我们为了神是真神而赞美祂；为了祂所做的事而感谢祂。当然，这些只是概括的分类，我们赞美、感恩或敬拜时绝对不能墨守成规。我们绝对不能这样对自己说：「我已经花了那么多的时间来赞美，现在我大概应该花同等的时间来感恩了。」

总的来说，这三个词语都与神的三种特质有密切的关系。在敬拜中我们触及神的圣洁；在感恩中我们触及神的良善；在赞美中我们触及神的伟大。虽然这三者的分别可以在圣经中清楚看到，但是它们并非一成不变，因为实际上它们是汇聚在一起形成一条大河流的三条支流。

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.