How to Worship

Worship is actively expressing our deep reverence and intimate love for God through surrender. Throughout Scripture, and most notably in the book of Psalms, we are much instruction on the activity of worship. Again, we must remember that the activity of worship is for the reason of surrendering before God. Let's look at examples of the different activities of worship from Psalm 95, 96 and 100. I will list out here the different action words describing worship.
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  • Psalm 95:1 - sing, shout
  • Psalm 95:2 - come, give thanks, extol him
  • Psalm 95:6 - bow down, kneel
  • Psalm 95:8 - do not harden your heart
  • Psalm 96:1 - sing
  • Psalm 96:2 - sing, proclaim
  • Psalm 96:3 - declare
  • Psalm 96:4 - fear him
  • Psalm 96:8 - ascribe glory, bring an offering, come
  • Psalm 96:9 - worship, tremble
  • Psalm 96:10 - say
  • Psalm 96:11 - rejoice, be glad, resound
  • Psalm 96:12 - be jubilant, sing for joy
  • Psalm 96:13 - sing
  • Psalm 100:1 - shout
  • Psalm 100:2 - worship, come
  • Psalm 100:3 - know
  • Psalm 100:4 - enter, give thanks​
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These are only three chapters in the Bible of the hundreds that describe worship. Look at all of the activity that God lays out before us. When we think that worship is all about us, we pick and choose which "worship activity" from the Bible that we like. But, God's main point is this: "I want you to surrender your whole body, mind, soul and spirit in the place of worship. Don't leave anything in reserve." In God's view, there is no passive, "spectator" worship. For certain, worship is to be an ACTIVE process where we surrender our body to him.  How does this compare to your typical worship experience?

It is important that worship is directed at giving worth toward God. That might sound obvious. But, often, we come to worship to get something from God. Perhaps, we want to be filled up because we are tired and weary. That is fine, but it is not specifically worship. In worship, we come to give, to surrender before him. The focus should not be on ourselves and our incompleteness. When we step into God's presence with thanksgiving, we actually do get filled with his joy. The release of blessing from God comes through our first step of obedience to sacrifice before him.

For More Study
  • Psalm 95, 96, 100
  • Acts 2:42-47
  • Hebrews 10

Thoughts and Questions for Application
  1. How personally "active" is your typical worship experience?
  2. Are you quick to surrender your body to God in worship? Is it difficult for you to use your hands, arms, feet, knees and lips in worship? What fresh act of surrender could you give him?
  3. In reviewing the three Psalms (95, 96, 100) above, what new expression of worship could you give God?

Memorization

Psalm 100:4 - "Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name." (NIV)