Walking With Christ

Psalm 100:1-2 (1)Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! (2)Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing!(ESV)

This verse can feel like a wake-up call, almost a slap to the face or a cold bucket of water, challenging our perceptions or worship. I’ve have attended churches that taught there was only one approved way to praise and worship our creator: a couple of approved hymns before service, silent prayers during service, and that was it. Saying grace before meals seemed to be the only other time when communication with God was encouraged. This was before I returned to the church and began to explore what the bible actually says about praise and worship.

So, what does the bible say about praise and worship?

· Singing: Psalm 100:1-2, Psalm 98:4, Exodus 15:20-21
· Music: Ephesians 5:19, Psalm 98:4, Psalm 149:3, Psalm 150:3-5, Exodus 15:20-21
· Prayer: Philippians 4:6, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (Open the bible, throw a dart, pick a random verse. There’s a really good chance that section has something to do with prayer.)
· Thanksgiving: Philippians 4:6
· Shouting and Clapping: Psalm 47:1, Psalm 98:4
· Dancing: Psalm 149:3, 2 Samuel 6:14 (David, a man after God’s own heart, danced for God with all his might!) , Psalm 150:3-5
· Proclaiming God’s deeds: Psalm 9:1 (Did you not realize that sharing your testimony with others is one way to praise Him? After all, testimony is witness to what He has done before and promises to do again.)
· Sacrifices: Hebrews 13:15, Psalm 116:17 (This required a blood sacrifice before Jesus said, “It is finished.” Now, the only sacrifice we can truly make is the only resource we can’t get more of. Time. Time spent in prayer, praise, worship, fellowship, communion, etc. is a sacrifice because we are giving that time to God.)
· Being obedient to His word: Romans 12:1, 1 Corinthians 10:31
· Giving: 2 Corinthians 9:7, Proverbs 3:9

We can use any, all, or none of these methods to praise Him. We can find our own unique ways to worship Him. We shouldn’t judge or be judged on how we worship and praise, as long as it is authentic, from the heart, and not self-righteous. We can’t honestly worship our God while worshipping other gods at the same time (2 Kings 17:32-34). We can’t make sacrifices without being obedient (1 Samuel 15:22). We shouldn’t use “vain repetition” in the hopes that saying it often enough will make God hear the words (Matthew 6:7).

There’s much more to this discussion, but the root of it all is the relationship between you and God. You won’t speak to God the same way I do. I don’t speak to God the same way anyone else ever has. It’s a deeply personal and unique relationship. While we all have shared similarities in experiences, we also maintain the unique nature of our relationship with God. We can recognize the unique nature of our personal relationships with God without sacrificing the unity we find in the body of Christ, as we all worship the same God.