C. S. Lewis says that when he first became a Christian, he found one of the biggest stumbling blocks to his faith in the repeated statements of Scripture that we should praise God. "We all despise the man who demands continued assurance of his own virtue, intelligence or delightfulness," Lewis wrote, "and these words of Scripture sounded hideously like God was saying, 'What I want most is to be told that I am good and great.'" It also seemed as though the psalm writers were bargaining with God, saying, "You like praise. Do this or that for me, and You shall have some." Well, the answer, as C. S. Lewis figured out, is that only in the act of worship and praise can a person learn to believe in the goodness and greatness of God. God wants us to praise Him, not because He in any sense needs or craves our flattery, but because He knows that praise creates thankfulness and joy, and joy must automatically overflow into praise. 

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