Category Archives: Worship

Responding in praise and thanksgiving is only fitting when we consider who God is and what He has done.

“Praise the Lord. How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise him!” (Ps. 147:1)

How Can We Not Praise Him?

When we consider “his acts of power” and “his surpassing greatness” (Ps. 150:2), how can we not praise Him? No one comes close to Him in ability.

How can we not praise Him when we begin to grasp “the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God” (Rom. 11:33). “His understanding no one can fathom” (Isa. 40:28).

This God of whom there is none greater, loves us beyond our ability to measure (Eph. 3:18). How can it not be “pleasant and fitting to praise Him”?

Praise and Thanksgiving to God Always Appropriate

Offering praise and thanksgiving goes beyond what we do in a church building or gathering as we’re exhorted to “praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens” (Ps. 150:1). That suggests God want us to praise Him no matter where we are. We don’t need a set time or place to worship.

God also commands us to “give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thess. 5:18). That means we praise even in pain and suffering. Job, who suffered far more in a short period of time than most of us will in a lifetime, said, “Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him?” (Job 13:15). In the early stage of his suffering Job affirmed God’s sovereign rights when he fell to the ground in worship saying, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away, may the name of the Lord be praised” (Job. 1:21). His circumstances and feelings did not dictate praise but rather the reality of a God who could be trusted to have his best interest at heart regardless of appearance.

Also read: Worship Ministry: Responding in Praise & Gratitude for Who God Is and What He Has Done

I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips. My soul will boast in the Lord; let the afflicted hear and rejoice. Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt his name together. (Ps. 34:1-3)

If asked how to exalt God, what would you say? You may be quick to respond that we exalt God through words of praise as well as through songs of worship. But, don’t end there.

Ways of Exalting God Above All Else

When we exalt God, we’re lifting Him up above all else, singling Him out as the One of whom there is no greater. It’s easy to speak or sing about how great God is but living like it reveals what we truly believe in our hearts. As the saying goes — actions speak louder than words.

We exalt God when we value what He views as important.

We’re saying that His opinions and heart are supreme, hence, exalting Him.

We exalt God when we obey His commands.

We’re saying that His ways are best, hence, exalting Him.

We exalt God when we line up what we do with His Word, following His ways.

We’re saying that He is the final standard, hence, exalting Him.

We exalt God when we help other people in their struggles by pointing them to God.

We’re saying that He is the ultimate source of strength, comfort, peace, and hope, hence, exalting Him.

Let’s live a life of worship, exalting the Lord above all else!

For More, Go To: Implications for the Worship Leader & Individual Worshiper

Need a reason to exalt God above all else? Check out His many attributes in the Our Great God from A to Z Discipleship Tool Download which provides alphabetical listings of who God is.

The book of Revelation describes numerous worship services where the focus is on the Lord and on the Lord alone. — No distractions. No controversy over preferences in how to worship. No misdirected focus onto a worship leader. The worship service focuses on Him.

Here’s one glorious scene:

Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. In a loud voice they were saying: “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!” Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying:

“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!” The four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped. (Rev. 5:11-14)

In an earlier scene around the throne of God, the elders fell down in worship and cast their crowns before the throne exclaiming, “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.” (Rev. 4:9-11) — Notice how they laid their crowns (rewards) down at His feet. The Lord deserves it all.

Can We Experience a Similar Worship Service Now, Here on Earth?

We might say, “In heaven we will have glorified bodies, a new heart, and a new mind. We won’t face the distractions we have now. Worship will come easy then!” While that might be true, let’s not use that as an excuse. We can learn from this heavenly worship service.

• We worship the same Person, who is now worthy of all praise, honor, adoration. He will be no more worthy in the future than He is now.

• We can lay down our preferences and perceived entitlements now. How insignificant some of the controversy surrounding worship here will seem in heaven!

• We can be overcomers now, though in this world we have trouble according to Jesus (Jn. 16:33). The Holy Spirit who dwells within believers will help us worship in spirit and in truth (Jn. 4:24) in these earthly bodies, with our sin tainted hearts and minds.

Let’s not wait until heaven to truly worship. May we now focus our worship services on Him and Him alone!

For More on Worshiping, Go To: Worship Resources

We acknowledge that God certainly deserves our praise but sometimes we struggle to make worship a priority in our lives. We have access to much teaching and writing on worship to help us. (See: Worship Resources) Still, we sometimes let hindrances to worship keep us from truly worshiping “in spirit and in truth” (Jn. 4:24). Why don’t we always worship as we should?

List of Hindrances to Worship

A session in The Truth About Worship Discussion Guides looks at the hindrances listed below. It provides some Scripture and questions to reflect on the effect of these hindrances on us worshiping God.

• Self

We can let our own needs, convenience, and preferences come above God Himself.

• Concept of God

A misrepresentation of who God is will cause us to misplace our worship.

• False Gods

Anything we prioritize above God will pull us away from worshiping the one true God.

• Our Culture

When we conform to the world around us we lose sight of God.

• Service

We can get so busy serving that we neglect the God we serve.

• Unreconciled Relationships

Mistreatment or lack of forgiveness in our relationships with others affects our walk with God.

• Traditions

Man-made or self-styled worship rather than that which God desires can keep us from truly worshiping.

• Worship “Props”

When we let forms, styles, facilities, or worship leaders become what worship is about, rather than aid us in worship, they hinder it.

God is so worthy of my complete and undistracted devotion and love expressed through worship! Let’s rise above these hindrances and worship God in spirit and truth.

Jesus brought the perspective of spirit AND truth in how we worship in John 4. The Samaritan woman identified two different styles of worship, questioning which way was acceptable.

Samaritan Method of Worship: In John 4:22 Jesus said of the Samaritans, “You worship what you do not know.” They were limited in knowledge, accepting only the Pentateuch of the Old Testament. Their worship was enthusiastic but they lacked the proper knowledge. — “zeal without knowledge”

Jewish Method of Worship: They accepted the entire Old Testament and hence did not lack knowledge but their hearts weren’t in it. In Mark 7:6 Jesus used Isaiah’s words to describe them, “These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me.” — “knowledge without zeal”

God Seeks Spirit & Truth in How We Worship

Jesus responded, “Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.” (Jn. 4:23-24)

The Father seeks both zeal and knowledge when we worship Him. He looks for fluidity of life and absoluteness of truth, enthusiasm and sound doctrine. It isn’t a matter of balance but rather BOTH spirit AND truth. We show our love for Him through worship with ALL of our heart, soul, mind, and strength (Lk. 10:27).

Why God Seeks BOTH Spirit AND Truth in Our Worship

Let’s remember why Jesus said we’re to worship in this way — “God is spirit” (Jn. 4:24). To truly connect with God in worship, we must approach Him on the basis of who He is.

To worship without spirit misses the personal reality, or essence, of His very being. Our spirit must connect with His spirit for God is not contained in a body like us. Consequently, true worship isn’t about where we worship. Nor is it about the means of worshiping. We worship from the heart so we don’t turn into the hypocrites Jesus spoke of, merely going through the motions, when He said, “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain” (Matt. 15:8-9a)

To worship without truth leads to missing the awesome reality, or true God, He is. When we worship, we “ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name” and we “worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness” (Ps. 29:2). When worship is void of truth, it will be anemic at best, if not a pure sham. How can we say we’re worshiping God if we aren’t acknowledging who He Himself says He is? We may be worshiping some semblance of a god but not the God of the Bible.

Are you worshiping in spirit AND truth?

Let’s be real, we do experience personal, beneficial results of making worship a priority. But, when we make worship all about God, those aren’t the results we look for in worshiping Him. We become most concerned about how our worship benefits Him. Biblical worship is God-centered through and through.

3 Results of Making Worship a Priority

1) Honor and glory goes to the One who deserves it.

Those who sacrifice thank offerings honor me … (Ps. 50:23)

2) True worship leads to purified hearts yielded in service to God.

… I saw the Lord, high and exalted … “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty.” … And I said, “Here am I. Send me!” (Isa. 6:1-8)

3) A testimony for God is lived before unbelievers.

… He gave me the priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of God, so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. (Rom. 15:16)

These results are listed in the Church Purpose Ministry Manual which views worship as a means of loving God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength.

Learn More: Worship Resources