 Worship Defined
There are so many ways to worship the Lord.
Acts of Worship
The acts of worship are merely a reflection of a life already given to God and a rehearsal of future obedience to God.
Worship is something that you do it involves action. It is not a passive experience. In this section, we will examine Biblically prescribed tokens of worship.
But worship is not only action it is an attitude of heart. Let's look at what the Scripture says about the inner dimension of worship.
It is possible to do the right things in worship and have an unacceptable attitude (e.g. lifting hands with anger in your heart (1Timothy 2:8). It is also possible to have a right heart and yet worship in an unacceptable manner (2 Samuel 6:57).
Thanksgiving - "Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus" (1Thessalonians 5:18).
Vocal declaration - "Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise, the fruit of lips that confess His name." (Hebrews 13:15). "I will extol the Lord at all times; His praise will always be on my lips" (Psalm 34:1). "I will sing of the love of the Lord forever; with my mouth I will make Your faithfulness known through all generations" (Psalm 89:1).
Good works - "And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased" (Hebrews 13:16).
Prayer - "And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints" (Revelation 5:8).
The song - "He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord" (Psalm 40:3). "Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Ephesians 5:19-20). "I will praise God's name in song and glorify Him with thanksgiving" (Psalm 69:30).
Instrumental music - "Praise the Lord. Praise God in His sanctuary; praise Him in His mighty heavens. Praise Him for His surpassing greatness. Praise Him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise Him with the harp and the 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. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord" (Psalm 150). "So all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the Lord with shouts, with the sounding of rams, horns and trumpets, and of cymbals, and the playing of lyres and harps" (1Chronicles 15:28).
Lifting of hands - "I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer without anger or disputing" (1Timothy2:8). "I will praise You as long as I live, and in Your name I will lift up my hands" (Psalms 63:4).
Bowing down - "Come let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker" (Psalm 95:6). "From one New moon to another and from one Sabbath to another, all mankind will come and bow down before Me", says the Lord (Isaiah 66:23).
Dancing - "David, wearing a linen ephod, danced before the lord with all his might" (2Samuel 6:14). "Let them praise His name with dancing and make music to Him with tambourine and harp" (Psalm 149:3). "Praise Him with tambourine and dancing, praise Him with the strings and flute" (Psalm 150:4).
Clapping - "Clap your hands, all you nations" (Psalm 47:1a).
Shouting - "Shout to God with cries of joy" (Psalm 47:1b).
Offerings and tithes - "Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house. Test Me in this, says the Lord Almighty, and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it" (Malachi 3:8-10).
Any act of obedience to God in faith - "Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but my ears You have pierced; burnt offerings and sin offerings You did not require. Then I said, "Here I am, I have come, it is written about me in the scroll. To do Your will, O may God, is my desire; Your law is within my heart" (Psalm 40:6-8).
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