By Pam Binkley

 

Worship is an expression of our love and reverence for God. Not only does he command our worship, but he created us with a need to worship that is as natural as breathing. And he has given us many different ways to worship.

Corporate worship today is varied with traditional, contemporary, and blended services. We have cowboy churches, contemplative services, Saturday night services, and Sunday morning services. Are all of these forms of worship acceptable? How can we know what is pleasing to God?

 

Not All Worship Is Acceptable 

Despite his enthusiasm, King David’s first attempt to bring the ark to Jerusalem was disastrous. He failed to follow God’s instructions for handling the sacred object, resulting in the death of Uzzah. 

From this incident in 1 Chronicles 13 and in other passages such as Isaiah 29:13, Hosea 6:6, Amos 5:21, and 1 Corinthians 11:20, 21, we learn that God wants to be worshipped in his way, not in our way. But what is his way, now that we are no longer living under the Old Covenant?

 

Ancient Principles for Today’s Worship

We would be wise take Jeremiah’s advice to look for the ancient paths and the good way, and walk in it (Jeremiah 6:16). When we worship in ways that are pleasing to God, our worship is accepted by God. 

We don’t have far to look to find examples of pleasing God in worship. King David’s second attempt to move the ark succeeded because he made sure it was carried by the Levites in the way God had prescribed. In 1 Chronicles 16:8-36 David wrote a psalm celebrating the occasion, and in it, wherever we find an imperative such as, “Give praise to the Lord,” there is a way to worship God. The words are ancient, but we know God still finds these ways of worship pleasing because he doesn’t change. Let’s examine a few of these ways to worship from 1 Chronicles 16:8-36.

 

Worshipping with Song

Verse 9 says, “Sing to him, sing praise to him.”

 What kind of Christian music do you enjoy? Whatever it is—traditional, country western, contemporary, or Gregorian chant—sing, or even speak the words to God as if your voice might be the only voice that could ever tell the world about our Savior, or as if it might be your last time to worship him.

Frankly, I have a terrible singing voice, known to turn heads in church. Nevertheless, I suspect the Lord enjoys my voice as if I could carry a tune, for he is able to do all things! Sometimes the words of sacred music help us to express ourselves unlike any other form of worship. I won’t forget an evening after 9/11 when our church came together (as did many). We sang, “A Mighty Fortress is our God.” Voices began tenuously, in shock from what we’d seen, unsure of the days ahead, and heavy with grief.

But as the words rang out the truth about God and his attributes in that beloved hymn, our uncertain voices began to swell until they were shouts of victory, insistent, confident, and filled with an almost rowdy praise for our sovereign God. How we worshipped him that night!

There’s great goodness in one voice raised in song to God whether it’s uttered in a car, while doing chores, or in meditation; but there’s nothing quite like the voices of the “sacred assembly” raised in worship of the one, true God in the hope that the glory of the Lord would fill our sanctuaries as it did when Solomon’s temple was dedicated (2 Chronicles 5:13, 14).

Singing praises, like other forms of worship, isn’t limited to church. You might begin a prayer with a favorite refrain or verse from a song, whether sung or spoken. Or you may write your own psalm. The act of writing our thoughts turns fleeting ideas into powerful words that will offer up your worship. It may be only a sentence or a phrase, but if it is from your heart and mind, it will please God.

Wherever the place, we are to “speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:18-20).

 

Worship by Seeking the Creator

First Chronicles 16:11 says, “Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.” Scripture tells us that the Lord reveals his thoughts (Amos 4:13) and his mysteries (Daniel 2:28) to humankind. In these days he also reveals his grace (2 Timothy 1:10) and he reveals himself to us through Christ (John 1:18). With such promises of revelation, how could we not seek to know and understand God and his purposes in our lives?

We seek God through prayer, Scripture, teachings, and circumstances. We may even learn more about God when we are alone and quiet—praying, reading, and pondering God’s truth—than when we are in a corporate setting. 

Learn to pray before reading Scripture, expressing your desire to know God and love him more, asking him to lead you into truth. This simple prayer can help guide you into practical application leading to sanctification. 

Do you have specific doubts or questions? Do you wonder if a promise is meant for you? Are you considering a new ministry or commitment? Ask him to answer your question, and then wait expectantly for him to do so.

If you are facing a critical decision and are not of a mind to involve God in a frivolous test, consider asking him for a sign by which you can know his will. A friend who was widowed at a young age with four children still at home told of a time when she asked God for a sign. Her youngest was ready to go to college and required an affordable, dependable vehicle. She asked God to indicate the right car to buy. “Let it be yellow,” she prayed. There weren’t many yellow cars on the road so she thought this would be a sure sign. Soon a neighbor told her about a car he knew of that was for sale. He said, “It wouldn’t cost much and it runs well. The only drawback is that it’s yellow!”

We offer up our worship of God when we seek to know him better and when we seek his counsel to know the plans he has for us.

 

Worshipping by Remembering

First Chronicles 16:12 gives us another way to worship: “Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced.”

As a church body, we offer worship in remembrance when we observe Communion and celebrate events like Good Friday, Easter, and Christmas. However, if these events are the only times we remember what God has done, we are missing the opportunity to experience a deeply personal worship.

Remembering what God has done in our own lives teaches us that he loves us and that he is trustworthy. As we learn this for ourselves, then we can become more and more open to him and his plans.

What has God done for you? Starting with salvation, many have experienced financial rescue, reconciled relationships, times when God spoke tenderly to us, accidents that didn’t happen, and grace upon grace when God intervened unexpectedly in our lives.

Relating our experiences and hearing of others is a blessing, and it is worship. I recall the story told by a friend whose father had loved God and gardening. On the day of his funeral, his father’s favorite flowers came into bloom—out of season. Every time I think of that story, I remember that God created all of nature, that he orders it, and that the death of his saints is precious to him.

If we don’t withdraw from our busy, stimulating environment for times of remembering what God has done in our lives, we run the risk of forgetting God as Israel did— forgetting his power (Psalm 78:42), forgetting his kindnesses, (106:7), or forgetting our first love (Revelation 2:4).

Determine to spend time remembering the Lord’s deeds. One way to do this is to keep a journal of your history with God that you can review. Another is to tell others what God has done in your life. Allow time at family gatherings for members to recount their stories about what God has done.

Think about your personal spiritual growth over the years and worship God for what he has done in your life. Experiment with different forms of worship, keeping your worship from becoming stale and knowing that your love and understanding of God will grow. 

 

Pam Binkley is a freelance writer in Houston, Texas.

 

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