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Christians have been praising God since the beginning of creation. Discover what the Bible says about why and how we worship.
Humanity has been worshipping God since the beginning of creation, with the first mention of worship in Genesis 22. Since then, worship has been the natural and commanded response to God’s greatness and glory. The Bible explains further why we worship and how we are to worship our heavenly father.
One large way that we praise God is through song. King David wrote in the Psalms many songs in adoration of God. In Psalm 63:3-4, David writes about why he praises God: “Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands.”
Colossians 3:16-17 reminds us that worship is more than a song, but it is the way we live our lives. Paul writes, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”
We also find this theme in Romans 12:1, which says, “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”
Now that we know what the Bible says about worship, we can discuss how to worship.
The Psalms clearly show us that adoring God through song has been present throughout biblical times. The music that we worship to has changed significantly throughout history, from only voices joined in song, to adding in minimal instruments such as the organ, to more modern bands using instruments like electric guitar and drums, yet the idea of worship has stayed present in the church.
Although people may have strong opinions on the musical style of worship, the most important thing to look out for when choosing worship music is the lyrics. It’s important that the praise we give to God is true and that we are filling our minds with truth about God. So, when choosing music, research what the lyrics mean or find artists that take their lyrics directly from scripture.
Worship is not only about singing praise to God. We offer praise to God in the way we live. In the Old Testament, the Israelites offered animal sacrifices to God as payment for their sin. Since Jesus offered himself as the ultimate sacrifice for our sins, we no longer give animals as sacrifices, but instead present ourselves as a living sacrifice to God. This means that we are offering our lives to God and to give glory to God. This should be reflected in the way we live- by serving others and praising God through prayer and reading His Word.
Setting aside time to worship as a community is a practice that Christians have taken part in for thousands of years. That’s why our challenge for you is to host your own worship night. Invite your friends or family to spend an evening adoring our King through song, prayer and scripture link reading. An idea for this event would be to pick a theme or characteristic of God to focus on. For example, you could find passages and songs on God’s faithfulness, and spend time in prayer thanking God and share testimonies of His faithfulness.
You can also worship God in your daily life by finding ways to serve others. This article contains great ways serve the people around you.
These ideas are just couple ways to make praising our Savior a constant part of your life. Whether it’s through song, serving others, prayer or reading His Word, God desires our adoration and deserves the worship we bring to Him.
Our Creator has built us with brains and bodies to approach His throne in a variety of ways. Take this quiz and discover the pathway that allows you to connect best with God!
Take the Quiz!
The post How to Worship appeared first on Focus on the Family.
Continue reading...
.Worship is More Than Music
Humanity has been worshipping God since the beginning of creation, with the first mention of worship in Genesis 22. Since then, worship has been the natural and commanded response to God’s greatness and glory. The Bible explains further why we worship and how we are to worship our heavenly father.
One large way that we praise God is through song. King David wrote in the Psalms many songs in adoration of God. In Psalm 63:3-4, David writes about why he praises God: “Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands.”
Colossians 3:16-17 reminds us that worship is more than a song, but it is the way we live our lives. Paul writes, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”
We also find this theme in Romans 12:1, which says, “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”
Now that we know what the Bible says about worship, we can discuss how to worship.
How Do We Worship?
The Psalms clearly show us that adoring God through song has been present throughout biblical times. The music that we worship to has changed significantly throughout history, from only voices joined in song, to adding in minimal instruments such as the organ, to more modern bands using instruments like electric guitar and drums, yet the idea of worship has stayed present in the church.
Although people may have strong opinions on the musical style of worship, the most important thing to look out for when choosing worship music is the lyrics. It’s important that the praise we give to God is true and that we are filling our minds with truth about God. So, when choosing music, research what the lyrics mean or find artists that take their lyrics directly from scripture.
Worship is not only about singing praise to God. We offer praise to God in the way we live. In the Old Testament, the Israelites offered animal sacrifices to God as payment for their sin. Since Jesus offered himself as the ultimate sacrifice for our sins, we no longer give animals as sacrifices, but instead present ourselves as a living sacrifice to God. This means that we are offering our lives to God and to give glory to God. This should be reflected in the way we live- by serving others and praising God through prayer and reading His Word.
A Challenge
Setting aside time to worship as a community is a practice that Christians have taken part in for thousands of years. That’s why our challenge for you is to host your own worship night. Invite your friends or family to spend an evening adoring our King through song, prayer and scripture link reading. An idea for this event would be to pick a theme or characteristic of God to focus on. For example, you could find passages and songs on God’s faithfulness, and spend time in prayer thanking God and share testimonies of His faithfulness.
You can also worship God in your daily life by finding ways to serve others. This article contains great ways serve the people around you.
These ideas are just couple ways to make praising our Savior a constant part of your life. Whether it’s through song, serving others, prayer or reading His Word, God desires our adoration and deserves the worship we bring to Him.
.What’s Your Worship Style?
Our Creator has built us with brains and bodies to approach His throne in a variety of ways. Take this quiz and discover the pathway that allows you to connect best with God!
Take the Quiz!
The post How to Worship appeared first on Focus on the Family.
Continue reading...
