Some thoughts about worship

By Kim Woltz

WASHINGTON, D.C.—True worship! Have you ever asked yourself what exactly is praise and worship? What does it mean to God? Does he really care how I worship him as long as I attend church (well, most weeks, that is) and at least stand up during the "song service."

In Jesus’ conversation with the woman at the well (John 4:1-38), he says the Father is now looking for true worshipers who will worship him in spirit and in truth.

With the help of the Holy Spirit, we worship with our whole being, from the inside out. "In truth" means with no hidden thing in us. We can’t hide from God (Jeremiah 23:24).

Praise is an expression of heartfelt thanks to God for all he has done. Psalm 100:4 says, "Enter his gates with thanksgiving and come into his courts with praise." Worship, on the other hand, is the highest form of praise. In worship we express our admiration for who he is, not just what he’s done.

Worship is what takes place beyond the outer courts, through the inner courts (the Holy Place), and on into the Most Holy Place (the Holy of Holies), where the presence of God dwells. We are instructed to present ourselves as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, as a spiritual act of worship (Romans 12:1).

It’s not just something you do during the worship service for a couple of hours, nor is it simply a song service. It happens every day and everywhere in the life of a believer, and it is not limited to music and singing. Our coming together every week should be a culmination of our continuous worship. In fact, the lack of private worship will hinder your ability to worship corporately.

The Old Testament had specific rituals and steps the Levitical priests took to enter into God’s presence (see Leviticus 1 through 16), but when the veil that separated humanity from God was torn by the blood of Jesus, all believers obtained the privilege of entering into God’s holy presence.

God’s Word contains many different expressions of praise. In the Old and New Testaments, we see clapping, shouting, dancing (2 Samuel 6:14, Psalm 149:3, Exodus 15:20), the playing of musical instruments, singing and laughter (Psalm 126:2, Job 8:20, 21).

We also see the lifting of hands, bowing down, tears, complete silence and even falling prostrate before the Lord (Psalm 95:6; 1 Kings 18:39; 1 Chronicles 29:20; Psalm 46:10; Acts 20:36-37; Luke 7:37-38; Psalm 126:5-6). All of these, whether in private or corporate worship, have their appropriate place in the body of Christ.

How do we define the "sacrifice of praise"? Sacrifice signifies giving ourselves to God at all times and in every situation. God wants a continual sacrifice of praise; the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to him (Hebrews 13:15). The children of Israel are shown bringing the sacrifice of praise into the house of the Lord (Jeremiah 33:11).

It is continuing to praise God, whether in a trial or when we don’t really feel like it. It is not contingent upon being happy or feeling good. You know how it is after a rough or exhausting week. We may drag ourselves to church, but that may be about all we can muster up.

We often want to praise God only when we feel like there’s something to praise about (that is, in times of reaping rather than sowing). But, it doesn’t require much to rejoice and praise God when everything’s going our way. It’s when we get turned down for that mortgage loan, are presented with a pink slip, perhaps losing someone you love or … you fill in the blank. These things take what the Bible calls the sacrifice of praise.

Did you know that you can use praise as your weapon of warfare against Satan? Look at the Old Testament story of Jehoshaphat. When the surrounding nations joined to fight Jehoshaphat, he and the people of Israel fasted and sought help from the Lord. Jehoshaphat appointed singers and musicians and placed them on the front lines of the battlefield. God responded to their praise, and their enemies were destroyed (2 Chronicles 20:21-29). Here, praise came before the victory was won.

Another example of victory through praise is documented in Acts 16:22-28. Paul and Silas, after being beaten and thrown into jail, rocked the foundations of the jail with their praise. This miracle frightened the guard so much that he initially wanted to take his own life for fear of being blamed for their escape.

When he realized that even though they were freed, they were all still there, the revelation of God came upon him and he fell in repentance and asked how he could be saved. This was a twofold victory. Paul and Silas were set free physically, and the jail guard was set free spiritually. Again, God’s presence was manifest in the midst of praise.

Many things can hinder true worship. Common hindrances include sin, feeling condemned, personal problems, distraction, indifference, pride, being overly concerned with what others will think of you, lack of knowledge regarding worship, anger or pain or, at times, out-and-out rebellion against God.

Contrary to what you may have thought, praise does not come naturally. What comes more naturally to us is a response to good music supporting our many likes and dislikes. As long as our list of a good church service is sufficiently checked off, we may respond with various expressions of approval—none of which may be true worship.

As you know, the flesh can be satisfied for only so long. If not satisfied, you may become restless and uncomfortable. Let me also mention that shouting, clapping and dancing do not necessarily constitute true worship either. The flesh is capable of that with no regard to God at all. A look at the world will confirm this.

True worship, however, is much deeper. It is to give yourself (in thought, word and deed) to God. The music, the people around you, even your life’s circumstances, become secondary to worship as you commit everything to God

The wonderful thing about our loving God is that he never gives up on us. Both because of what he did for us all and because of who he is for us. Because we are in Jesus, it is his worship of the Father that we enter. Trust in him. Worship is, therefore, God’s gift to us in Christ. May we worship him as we trust him.

Kim Woltz, a member in Washington, D.C., spoke on worship at last year’s summer festival in Atlanta, Georgia.

Recommended reading

Praise and Worship: Becoming Worshipers of God, A.L. & Joyce Gill.

Copyright © Grace Communion International, 2003