Praise is the act of using words to celebrate good things. Praise can be used as part of worship to glorify God, or given to other people in recognition of a job well done. The giving and receiving of sincere praise is important for mental and spiritual well-being. However, excessive praise given for ulterior motives becomes flattery and is harmful.
Praise as part of religion[]
Praising God (or gods) forms a part of religious observance for every world religion, and is something that people are thought to have done since prehistoric times. In modern Christianity, praise is a key part of most services along with intercession, confession, Bible readings, thanksgiving and communion. Some might question why a God who is already perfect needs praise, or what use He has for it, but there is a strong Biblical precedent for praise: many of the Psalms are hymns of praise, and Jesus Himself included praise in the Lord's Prayer that He taught to His disciples ("hallowed be thy name").
Some Christians believe that doing good works or acts of charity is a form of praise.