How to Praise and Worship God

QUESTION: Are there biblical examples of how to praise and worship God?

ANSWER:

For us to know how to praise and worship God, we must first understand what it means to praise and worship. When we worship, we are expressing our reverent love and devotion to God. Worship is the act of doing something like reading the Bible, praying, or singing. However, worship is not limited to only to these things. When we praise, we are expressing our admiration for God; we are lifting Him up in exaltation. Praise is the act of celebrating or boasting about the Lord. Praise can be done through song, poems, or confessing the goodness of God to others. We should be giving God our praise and worship through our daily lives. We can do this at home, in our work place, on the bus - wherever we are! Praise and worship is a way of life, the very heartbeat of our relationship with God.

We see how to praise and worship God in the Scriptures of the Bible:

• The Bible tells us that we are to use musical instruments and singing. Psalm 98:4-6 says, "Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music; make music to the LORD with the harp, with the harp and the sound of singing, with trumpets and the blast of the ram's horn - shout for joy before the LORD, the King." Psalm 150:3-5 says, "Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and 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."
  
  
• We are to offer up praise and worship with shouts of joy and clapping of hands. Psalm 47:1-2 says, "Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy. How awesome is the LORD Most High, the great King over all the earth!"
  
  
• We are to praise and worship in the assembly and by ourselves. 2 Chronicles 29:28 says, "The whole assembly bowed in worship, while the singers sang and the trumpeters played.." Psalm 22:22 says, "I will declare your name to my brothers; in the congregation I will praise you." 2 Samuel 12:20 says, "Then David got up from the ground. After he had washed, put on lotions and changed his clothes, he went into the house of the LORD and worshiped. Then he went to his own house, and at his request they served him food, and he ate."

Praising and worshiping God is done in many different positions and forms. Here are several biblical examples:

• Sitting - Acts 2:1-2 says, "When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting."
  
  
• Kneeling - Psalms 95:6 says, "Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker."
  
  
• Standing - Exodus 33:10 says, "Whenever the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance to the tent, they all stood and worshiped, each at the entrance to his tent."
  
  
• Lying prostrate/bowing down - 1 Kings 18:39 says, "When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, "The LORD - he is God! The LORD - he is God!" Nehemiah 8:6 says, "Ezra praised the LORD, the great God; and all the people lifted their hands and responded, 'Amen! Amen!' Then they bowed down and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground."
  
  
• Bowing head - 2 Chronicles 29:30 says, "King Hezekiah and his officials ordered the Levites to praise the LORD with the words of David and of Asaph the seer. So they sang praises with gladness and bowed their heads and worshiped."
  
  
• Lifting hands - Psalm 63:4 says, "I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands."
  
  
• Dancing - Psalm 149:3 says, "Let them praise his name with dancing and make music to him with tambourine and harp."