What Are Some Of The Ways To Worship God?
Christian worship is one of the most important spiritual disciplines in Christian life. If you don’t like worship then you may not really enjoy heaven because worship is the one thing we know for sure we will be doing in heaven. (Rev. 4:9-11)
It is not just something we do as a warm-up act for the preaching of the Bible. It is something that we do that has just as much importance as the preaching of the Bible. It is an expression of love, gratitude, and reverence from our hearts towards God.
Many times that heart towards God expresses itself in what we say with our lips and what we do with our bodies.
So let’s take a look at some of the ways to worship God that include the heart, the lips, and the body.
Singing Is A Way To Worship God
The most common form of Christian worship is singing. The Bible tells us to sing in our worship.
EPHESIANS 5:19
SPEAKING TO ONE ANOTHER IN PSALMS AND HYMNS AND SPIRITUAL SONGS, SINGING AND MAKING MELODY IN YOUR HEART TO THE LORD,
God is not interested in whether or not you are a great singer. He wants to know that you are expressing the melody that has been given to you in your heart by Him.
My mother and my son both can’t carry a tune in a bucket but they sing to the Lord. They make a joyful noise. The reason is that Jesus has given them a song in their heart that they want to give back to him.
The only excuse not to sing in worship is pride and self-consciousness. Worship is not about your comfort. It is about blessing God and God wants to hear you sing.
Raising Hands In Worship To God
1 TIMOTHY 2:8
[ MEN AND WOMEN IN THE CHURCH ] I DESIRE THEREFORE THAT THE MEN PRAY EVERYWHERE, LIFTING UP HOLY HANDS, WITHOUT WRATH AND DOUBTING;
NEHEMIAH 8:6
AND EZRA BLESSED THE LORD, THE GREAT GOD. THEN ALL THE PEOPLE ANSWERED, “AMEN, AMEN!” WHILE LIFTING UP THEIR HANDS. AND THEY BOWED THEIR HEADS AND WORSHIPED THE LORD WITH THEIR FACES TO THE GROUND.
PSALM 141:2
LET MY PRAYER BE SET BEFORE YOU AS INCENSE, THE LIFTING UP OF MY HANDS AS THE EVENING SACRIFICE.
Many have said that the raising of hands in worship is a modern thing and not traditional Christian worship. I beg to differ. Worship in its truest form is singing a prayer to God. The early church regularly practiced the raising of hands in prayer and worship.
If you think about the practice for a second then you will realize that people raise their hands in our society as well.
When a child runs up to their father and lifts their hands what do they want? They want to be picked up by their dad.
When a person surrenders to someone in authority, what do they do? They lift their hands.
The lifting of hands is a type of body language that shows the intimacy between a child and their father and a sign of surrender to authority. I think that this is a very proper form of Christian worship and is directly applicable.
Bowing Down As A Form Of Worship
PSALM 95:6
OH COME, LET US WORSHIP AND BOW DOWN; LET US KNEEL BEFORE THE LORD OUR MAKER.
Probably one of the least used yet most sincere forms of worship is bowing down. Whether you get flat on your face or on your knees, bowing down is a sign of surrender and reverence. It is also the form of worship our flesh and pride resist the most.
Very rarely do you see people in the church actually engaging in this form of Christian worship. In fact, I am not sure it would even be accepted in most churches in the western world.
However, it is a very legitimate form of Christian worship. It takes great humility not to care about what others are thinking and just humble yourself before the Lord.
Clapping Hands In Worship To God
PSALM 47:1
OH, CLAP YOUR HANDS, ALL YOU PEOPLES! SHOUT TO GOD WITH THE VOICE OF TRIUMPH!
Clapping is a universal sign of applause. Who is better to receive our applause than Jesus?
You clap for your sports teams, for a good movie, for a politician who says something you agree with, so start clapping for Jesus. He deserves your applause for what He has done for you.
In fact, he deserves your first applause, not just as an afterthought.
Worshiping God By Dancing
PSALM 149:3
LET THEM PRAISE HIS NAME WITH THE DANCE; LET THEM SING PRAISES TO HIM WITH THE TIMBREL AND HARP.
PSALM 150:4
PRAISE HIM WITH THE TIMBREL AND DANCE; PRAISE HIM WITH STRINGED INSTRUMENTS AND FLUTES!
JEREMIAH 31:4
AGAIN I WILL BUILD YOU, AND YOU SHALL BE REBUILT, O VIRGIN OF ISRAEL! YOU SHALL AGAIN BE ADORNED WITH YOUR TAMBOURINES, AND SHALL GO FORTH IN THE DANCES OF THOSE WHO REJOICE.
Dancing is a controversial form of Christian worship to God. It is very biblical but many people either do not understand it or think it is worldly because they have taken it and used it for less than godly things.
However, dancing is an expression of celebration. The people of God have every reason to celebrate.
Think of everything that Jesus has done for you and if you have any life in you at all, there should be a bounce starting in your step.
When people dance they are celebrating. When Christians worship, part of that should be a celebration of the life, victory, and wonderful grace that they have been given by God.
Dancing is a way to worship God and I recommend you dance at least once in worship before the Lord. It may just change your life.
So What Is Worship?
The Greek word for worship found in Romans 12:1 is the word “latreia” It means the service and worship of God.
Christian worship is the act from the heart of ministering or showing God how much He is valued and adored.
We must remember that any expression of worship is centered towards God and for God.
It is not just singing about God. It is singing to God.
It is not clapping about God, dancing about God, bowing about God. It is clapping, dancing, bowing, and whatever other forms of worship you use, to or towards God. It is God-focused and God-centered.
So I would encourage you to take what you have learned about these ways to worship God and start applying it in your worship.
Remember, however, you apply this and wherever you apply this, do so to bless God. If you are doing it as an honest and heartfelt response to what God has done for you, then it will not detract from others who are worshiping.
It will, in fact, bless and encourage them to follow your example and start using some of these ways to worship God.
