Glorious Praise

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 98:4-6

We are to make his praise glorious (Psalm 66:2b). The praise and worship we offer God is not only to be offered in quiet tones. Sometimes our praise to the Lord should bring the roof down. Believe it or not there is a place for joyous shouting in the house of the Lord.

There is also a place for various instruments. Some denominations do not believe that singing to the Lord should be accompanied by instrumentation. I strongly disagree. The scriptures speak of a variety of instruments such as drums, trumpets, harps, lyres and tambourines. These instruments were used in bringing praise to the Lord. During a church service, each musician should add to the worship experience. There should be melody and harmony. There should be a beautiful flow of expression under the authority of the worship leader. In order for this to occur, the musicians need to be skilled at their craft, and they should possess a humble spirit.

There is no place for glory-seekers on a praise and worship team. Each member should submit to the leader’s direction and each member should have a strong desire to worship God.

The corporate worship experience is not just dependent upon the praise and worship team. Each member of the congregation is to enter into the worship of the Lord. It is not important that these members have any singing talent. The Bible says to make a joyful noise. God is interested in our hearts not the quality of our sound, that is, unless you are helping to lead in the praises of God. It should be the desire of every member in the church to glorify God during their worship and praise of him.

Beyond the worship in our church gatherings, we should spend time worshiping God at home. This should be a daily practice. When we all worship God on a regular basis, our corporate worship will be infused with power.

Let’s allow God to develop within us a love for him so strong and so bold that we learn to worship him without abandon. This is something we can grow into. As we abide in the truth of God and as we learn to live for Him, our praises will become a natural and meaningful expression of our lives to God.

Dear Lord of Heaven,

It is my desire to be a worshiper of you. I long to give myself over to you in heartfelt praise. Help me to grow to a place where my worship of you is free and bold. I want my praises to you to be glorious. I thank you for helping me to love you the way you love me. In Jesus name I pray, amen.