Worship

I love worship. When nothing seems to touch my heart, the right worship song can bring me to tears. No matter what mood I am in, when I worship God, I can feel my spirit rise. I recently watched two videos from the Dallas Theological Seminary that explained how worship can reconnect the disconnected hearts and brains of victims of trauma. Then I was watching the YouTube video of yesterday's Ordinary Faith service and the guest speaker quoted Zeph 3:17, where God is singing over us. The only 2 things that God asks us to do continually is pray and praise. In Zeph. we learn that we are acting in HIs image when we praise.
What is worship? How do we praise God?
The Bible says “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
Worship is an act of love. It is a demonstration of love and there are so many ways to worship God.
The seven types of worship in the Bible are often described through a set of Hebrew words for praise, including:
Halal (to be loud or clamorous), 
Yadah (to throw hands in thanks), 
Towdah (a sacrifice of praise), 
Shabach (a loud shout of joy), 
Zamar (to sing with instruments), 
Barak (to kneel in reverence), and 
Tehillah (to sing spontaneous praise)

We worship God when we serve by helping with a youth or children’s program. Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” 
 
Jesus said, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.

We worship God when we support Sunday School classes. Jesus said, “Whatever you did for the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did it for me.” 

We worship God, when we visit a friend who is struggling or encourage each other over coffee or a meal. We worship God when we pray for ourselves, and when we pray for others. 

We worship God when we celebrate a birth, a graduation, or a wedding. And we worship as we mourn with those who have lost a loved one. 

We worship God when we share a meal and celebrate the friends he has surrounded us with. We worship God when we support our summer food drive or when we support parachurch ministries and/or missionaries. Paul said to the residents of Corinth, “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” 

And to the residents of Philippi, he said “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” 

A church, filled with love, and with joyful laughter is worshiping. Worship, done properly, is a joy, not a task and worship, done properly, goes beyond Sunday morning. 

Key components of the worship God desires: 
Authentic and sincere: Worship should come from the heart, not just the lips. This means being honest and letting your worship reflect your true belief and surrender to God. 
The highest form of worship is obedience to God and His Word.  This involves willingly submitting to God's will and serving Him through your actions. 
A living sacrifice: You are asked to offer your body and mind as a living sacrifice, dedicating every part of your life to accomplishing God's will.
In spirit and truth: This means your worship is a genuine, spiritual connection, not limited by a physical location or formal liturgy.  
Constant and lifelong: Worship is not just a Sunday activity but should be an ongoing part of your daily life, encompassing everything you do, such as eating, working, and serving others. 
In awe and reverence: Worship involves recognizing God's greatness, power, and holiness, approaching Him with awe and reverence. 

The Bible specifies three categories of music for worship psalms (scripture set to music), hymns (expressions of praise), and spiritual songs (songs that testify to what God has done) The goal is to listen to music that elevates God, inspires worship, and is theologically accurate, regardless of genre. 

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