Praise and Worship - A Natural Desire
Praise and worship seems to be universal. Have you ever heard of an explorer finding a new tribe or culture that doesn't worship? Worship is a natural instinct and a basic need for every person. A simple definition of worship is to regard with great devotion or to honor as a divine being. Take a second to think about what you are most devoted to in this life and ask yourself, "Is it worthy of my devotion; do I worship a divine being?"
Everyone worships something or someone. Since we all worship, we should question the reason for this desire. The most logical conclusion is that we were created by a higher being for the very purpose of worship.
The word "worship" means to honor and give respect to a divine being or supernatural power. Worship is not something that is accidentally done. It requires conscience action on the part of the worshipper. The word "worship" is translated from the Hebrew word shachah and the Greek word proskuneo. Both words refer to a person willingly bowing himself to the ground before someone greater. The bowing represents the powerlessness of the person before the greater power.
The ongoing quest of man is to find answers to the fundamental questions of human origin, human nature, and human destiny. There is one book that has the answers to all these questions, including our questions about worship. The Bible is the wonderful and mysterious book that God has chosen as a way to communicate with us.
God claims worship as His exclusive right. "For it is written, 'You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.' " (Matthew 4:10). He is the focus of our devotion in both the Old Testament and the New Testament.
In Exodus 20:2-3, God says, "I am the LORD your God...You shall have no other gods before me." In Matthew 4:10, Jesus says, "Worship the Lord your God and serve him only." So, worship is not merely a natural instinct, it's a command from God.
Praise and Worship - Why Should We do it?
God alone is worthy of our devotion, praise and worship. He is God, our Creator, and we are commanded to praise and worship Him. Psalm 96:9 says, "Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness; tremble before him, all the earth." Psalm 29:2 says, "Give unto the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness."
A.W. Tozer said, "Without worship, we go about miserable." God doesn't want us to be miserable -- He has a perfect plan for our lives. He has done so many things to show us that He loves us and doesn't want us to be miserable. He wants us to have hope for a future with Him --he wants us to have eternal life in heaven with Him.
A life of praise and worship fills our deepest needs, and amazingly, it also brings great joy to God. Zephaniah 3:17 states, "The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing."
Praise and Worship - How Do We do it?
God tells us how to praise and worship him in His Word. John 4:23 says, "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."
In order to worship God in truth, we need to know that Jesus said "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." So, before you can worship in the way that God desires, you have to develop a relationship with Him through faith in Jesus, His Son.
The best way that we can praise and worship God is with our every thought and action. Romans 12:1-2 states, "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God -- this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is -- his good, pleasing and perfect will."
Praise and Worship - Love from the Heart
Many people think that praise and worship is only singing songs at church, but it is so much more! It is also a condition of your heart -- a willingness to exalt God and yield to his will. Worship is an expression of love and awe to the God who gives us more than we deserve.
Whether you express your worship by singing, playing music, dancing or in some other way, remember that you are called to worship God with your every action, every day of your life. God is holy, loving, and worthy of all our worship and devotion.
Praise To God - The Importance of Praise
Praise to God is what we offer in acknowledgement of God's excellent being. You might think that praise is the same as saying "thank you," but there is a difference. Thanksgiving describes our attitude toward what God has done, while praise is offered for who God is. Psalm 18:3 says, "I call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise…"
All believers are commanded to praise God! In fact, Isaiah 43:21 explains that praise is one reason we were created, "This people I have formed for Myself; they shall declare My praise." Hebrews 13:15 confirms this: "Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise - the fruit of lips that confess his name."
Praise originates in a heart full of love toward God. Deuteronomy 6:5 says, "Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength."
You should love God because He first loved you! Without God's love, any praise you can offer is hollow. Love, born from a relationship with God through Jesus Christ, is an essential part of your praise.
Praise To God - How to Praise God
How can you bring praise to God? What can you do to make it an integral part of your life? Praise can be expressed in song, in verse, or in prayer and it is to be done continuously!
Psalm 34:1 instructs, "I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips." Psalm 71:6 says, "From birth I have relied on you; you brought me forth from my mother's womb. I will ever praise you."
Praise to God is expressed outwardly through our everyday actions, as well as inwardly in our thoughts. Praise is an act of Christian worship.
"Where do I begin?" you may ask. "How do I start praising God?" If praising God is new to you, try praising God for who He is to you, personally. Proclaim that God's goodness is without measure; it is abundant and overflowing!
Here are some ways to get started:
* Praise God for His holiness, mercy, and justice (2 Chronicles 20:21, Psalm 99:3-4).
* Praise God for His grace (Ephesians 1:6).
* Praise Him for His goodness (Psalm 135:3).
* Praise God for His kindness (Psalm 117).
* Praise God for His salvation (Ephesians 2:8-9)
Praise to God can be offered anywhere! In time, it will become as normal as taking a breath. Sometimes we praise God inwardly as in Psalm 9:2, "I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High."
Other times we have opportunity to give glory and praise to our God publicly. Psalm 22:22 says, "I will declare your name to my brothers; in the congregation I will praise you." Search out opportunities to bring praise to God!
Praise To God - Who Praises God?
Praise to God, while offered particularly by His children as the freewill expression of grateful hearts, will one day be offered by everyone! The Bible says that when He comes again, all mankind will praise Him and acknowledge Him as Lord. He is King over all the earth. When we know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, our hearts long to praise His name.
Philippians 2:9-11 tells us His name represents His being, describing who He is, "Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
The Bible also records:
* All nature praises God (Psalm 148:7-10).
* The sun, moon, and stars praise Him (Psalm 19:1 and 148:3).
* The angels praise Him (Psalm 148:2).
* Even the wrath of men is used by God to praise Himself (Psalm 76:10).
* Children are to be taught to praise God (Psalm 78:4).
Praise To God - Do You Proclaim His Praise?
Your praise to God is evidenced through your salvation. 1 Peter 2:9 says, "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light."
How are you offering praise to God today? Do you know Him as your Lord and Savior? If not, why not begin there. Learn more about salvation. When others look at you, do they see a reflection of God's praise? Psalm 113:3 declares, "From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the LORD is to be praised."
Are there biblical examples of how to praise and worship God?
For us to know how to praise and worship God, we must first understand what it means to praise and worship. When we worship, we are expressing our reverent love and devotion to God. Worship is the act of doing something like reading the Bible, praying, or singing. However, worship is not limited to only to these things. When we praise, we are expressing our admiration for God; we are lifting Him up in exaltation. Praise is the act of celebrating or boasting about the Lord.
Praise can be done through song, poems, or confessing the goodness of God to others. We should be giving God our praise and worship through our daily lives. We can do this at home, in our work place, on the bus - wherever we are! Praise and worship is a way of life, the very heartbeat of our relationship with God.
We see how to praise and worship God in the Scriptures of the Bible:
* The Bible tells us that we are to use musical instruments and singing. Psalm 98:4-6 says, "Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music; make music to the LORD with the harp, with the harp and the sound of singing, with trumpets and the blast of the ram's horn - shout for joy before the LORD, the King."
Psalm 150:3-5 says, "Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre, praise him with tambourine and dancing, praise him with the strings and flute, praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals."
* We are to offer up praise and worship with shouts of joy and clapping of hands. Psalm 47:1-2 says, "Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy. How awesome is the LORD Most High, the great King over all the earth!"
* We are to praise and worship in the assembly and by ourselves. 2 Chronicles 29:28 says, "The whole assembly bowed in worship, while the singers sang and the trumpeters played."
Psalm 22:22 says, "I will declare your name to my brothers; in the congregation I will praise you."
2 Samuel 12:20 says, "Then David got up from the ground. After he had washed, put on lotions and changed his clothes, he went into the house of the LORD and worshiped. Then he went to his own house, and at his request they served him food, and he ate."
Praising and worshiping God is done in many different positions and forms. Here are several biblical examples:
* Sitting - Acts 2:1-2 says, "When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting."
* Kneeling - Psalms 95:6 says, "Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker."
* Standing - Exodus 33:10 says, "Whenever the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance to the tent, they all stood and worshiped, each at the entrance to his tent."
* Lying prostrate/bowing down - 1 Kings 18:39 says, "When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, "The LORD - he is God! The LORD - he is God!" Nehemiah 8:6 says, "Ezra praised the LORD, the great God; and all the people lifted their hands and responded, 'Amen! Amen!' Then they bowed down and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground."
* Bowing head - 2 Chronicles 29:30 says, "King Hezekiah and his officials ordered the Levites to praise the LORD with the words of David and of Asaph the seer. So they sang praises with gladness and bowed their heads and worshiped."
* Lifting hands - Psalm 63:4 says, "I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands."
* Dancing - Psalm 149:3 says, "Let them praise his name with dancing and make music to him with tambourine and harp."
Does God need my praise? Does He have any needs at all?
The Bible is very clear when it presents God as perfect and without any needs! Acts 17:24-25 says, "The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else."
So why do we praise Him if He doesn't need it? Doesn't He have angels to worship Him?
* God delights in the praise of His creation! Psalm 149:3-4 says, "Let them praise his name with dancing and make music to him with tambourine and harp. For the LORD takes delight in his people…"