As a kid, my favorite part of church services was what we called “worship”—singing hymns and choruses with the body of Christ. So, when I was in high school, I eagerly accepted an invitation to join our church’s worship team.
Up until that point, I always thought of worship as synonymous with singing. After all, we called the singing at church the “worship” portion of the service. The musicians were called the “worship team.” Even some of the lyrics to the songs we sang led me to the conclusion that singing was the time we worshipped God.
However, when I joined the worship team, I was required to take a theology of worship class which completely transformed my understanding of worship. This training challenged me to study what God’s Word says about worship.
For example, Jesus said, “The hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.” (John 4:23, NKJV)
In this statement, Jesus was saying worship would no longer be contained in a specific place, like the Old Testament temple. As Bob Kauflin explains, to worship in spirit and truth is to worship from our new identity and position in Jesus Christ.
“Our meeting place with God—the “place” we now worship—is the exalted Lord Jesus Christ. Not a temple. Not a church building. Not a sanctuary or auditorium. Jesus is where and how we meet with God.” (Worship Matters, Bob Kauflin, p. 70)
Additionally, scripture tells us that worship is not just for people who enjoy singing. It’s for all believers. “You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” (1 Peter 2:9, NKJV)
Worship is simply giving glory, honor, and praise to God. We can (and should) worship God by singing! However, we also glorify and honor the Lord by living a life that is dependent upon His grace and obedient to His word. Worship is primarily about Who we live for and what we love.
This means our lives should be given to worshipping Jesus!
I’ve found when I intentionally glorify and praise the Lord during my quiet time, it flows into the rest of my day and enables me to live a lifestyle of worship. There are many ways we can incorporate intentional worship into our quiet time. Here are just three practical suggestions that don’t involve singing.
1. Worship as you read scripture.
When you read about how Jesus calmed the wind and waves, pause and praise Him for His power over creation. Or as you read God’s promise to send a Savior to His people, pause and worship Him for the promises He’s made and the fact that He is a promise-keeping God.
Another of my favorite ways to worship with scripture is to read portions out loud. The psalms are perfect for this. When we read scripture out loud we proclaim truth which is a powerful means of worship and praise to the Lord.
2. Worship before and after prayer.
We see an example of this in the Lord’s Prayer. It begins with, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name.” (Matthew 6:9, NKJV) And it ends with, “For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.” (Matthew 6:13, NKJV)
I’ve found that incorporating praise and worship into my prayer time has strengthened my faith and deepened my prayer life like nothing else. When we praise God for who He is and what He’s done in the past, we remind ourselves of His faithfulness, goodness, and power to work miracles! It changes the way we pray and it glorifies the Lord Jesus Christ.
3. Declare the names of God
Many times in scripture we are commanded to praise the name of the Lord. What does it mean to praise the name of the Lord? One way is to simply declare His name.
Our God is called by dozens of names throughout scripture. He is our Shepherd, King, Faithful One, our Banner, Refuge, Prince of Peace, Strong Tower, our Helper, our Guide, our Redeemer, our Provider, and more.
Declaring the names of God is a powerful reminder for our souls and gives glory and honor to our Lord for who He is.
Worship is far more than singing. It is giving glory and honor to Jesus with our whole lives. When we incorporate intentional worship into our quiet time, it can help set the focus for our hearts and minds to continue that attitude of worship throughout our day.
Practical Suggestions:
- Next time you’re reading your Bible, take one minute to pause and worship the Lord for who He is or something that He did in that portion of scripture.
- Try starting and finishing your prayer time with intentional praise and worship.
- For an awe-inspiring presentation of the names of God as seen throughout scripture, I recommend this video produced by Ellerslie Mission Society.