“I also shook out the front of my garment and said, ‘Thus may God shake out every man from his house and from his possessions who does not fulfill this promise [to stop charging interest and enslaving the poor]; even thus may he be shaken out and emptied.’ And all the assembly said, ‘Amen!’ And they praised the Lord. Then the people did according to this promise.” (Nehemiah 5:13)

In order to praise God, we need to agree with God. And in order to follow God, we need to praise God.