A HIGHER CALL TO WORSHIP
“HOW TO WORSHIP WORKSHOP”
BY PASTOR RICHARD BROWN
Worship is not a musical activity it’s a function of the heart, it’s a Lifestyle. Worship is comprised of the two words worth and Ship which is recognition of Gods worth and the response to the action of God.
God requires quality worship and not quantity, and needs it to be flowing from a true heart (life). It’s giving something to God like reverence, honor and Glory. It’s a Mentality!!!
In the Old Testament there are various forms of worship that were mentioned, they are:
Shachah which is bowing down, prostrate before God. Exodus 4:31 – “And the people believed: and when they heard that the LORD had visited the children of
Worship reveals God and not self; it pushes “ME” low and raises God up and it cannot be dependant upon our feelings. We may come into church feeling depressed, or upset, or angry but we must recognize who God is and WILL (motivate) ourselves to worship for He is God.
Abodah means service. Exodus 3:12 – “And he said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this [shall be] a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of
We have to consider, How am I serving God, and serving my church, my community etc… and the last one that I’ll talk about in the old testament is:
Caghadh which is fall down, even physically bowing down before God. In Job 1:20 it says “Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped,”
A True worshipper’s heart is poised towards God, ready to do His work!!!
What is the difference between Praise & Worship?
Praise is a something that anyone can do; you do not need to be a Christian to praise God. Praise to God is unreserved; you can’t be shy you need to express yourself to God without holding anything back. So it is seen & heard. (Psalms 98:4) - Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise. (Psalms 47:1) - [[To the chief Musician, A Psalm for the sons of Korah.]] O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph.
Praise is a function with a will (Psalms 103:1) Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, [bless] his holy name. The mind is part of the soul and in the mind is where your desires and appetite resides. If your mind is transformed your praise will be also. We as Christians are a chosen generation and God has pulled us out of darkness into his Marvelous light; and that is something to praise God for. We are here now to lead others to the light with our lifestyle and that is ultimate worship to God.
He has placed the switch inside of us and all we have to do is turn the light on!!
Expressions of Praise
- Lifting hands up in a cup like manner, which is called Todah. It represents giving and receiving a sacrifice. (Ps. 134:2) Lift up your hands [in] the sanctuary, and bless the LORD.
- Stretch our hands (Yadah); means to make war and destroy everything against you.
- To act foolish for God, giving him a Crazy Praise (Halal). This word is derived from Hallelujah meaning All of you praising God.
- Shouting to the Lord to proclaim his glory (Shabach) Ps. 63:3-4 states “Because thy lovingkindness [is] better than life, my lips shall praise thee. Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name.”
- To sing to the Lord and the continuous singing of Halal (Singing Hallelujah) (Taheela) Psalms 47:6 “Sing praises to God, sing praises: sing praises unto our King, sing praises.”
Praise means to glorify, to sing, to speak, to applaud, to adore and to commend God for who He is and what He’s done. It is never self absorbed but pre-occupied with God. Praise focuses on His Nature and Action. There are 2 aspects to praise (adoration & thanksgiving): Vertical praise which is individual praise, speaking directly to God (I will bless thee oh Lord) and there is Horizontal praise which is corporate worship (We bring sacrifice of praise into the house of the Lord). Now when vertical & horizontal praise come together it brings you to the cross + and it becomes holistic worship. The reality of God MUST be at the forefront and this is how you turn your testimony into a praise.
Worship
Now worshipper’s MUST have a relationship with God. God is not going to “fornicate” with you. There must be a marriage to become one with him. You can’t expect that you do not know God but you want to get intimate with Him. Intimacy is coming together, there’s an exchange giving & receiving, you become pregnant with a purpose once you’ve been in contact with Him. PRAISE IS THE VEHICLE THAT TAKES YOU TO WORSHIP!!!
So praise orders our service, and sets the atmosphere and it brings us to the outer courts (natural light, flesh). As we continue to praise it ushers us into the inner courts (Divine light), in the presence of God where we begin to mirror the actions of the angels in heaven, crying Holy, Holy, Holy are you Lord God Almighty.
In the beginning God created the earth (Gen. 1:1) and man was made in the image of God; as opposed to the animals which were made after their own kind. God gave man Radah (dominion) over the earth! God placed man in the earth to be His earthly representative, so we must be a perfect reflection of God. Worship brings all things back in order!! We must reflect God – A Light bearer!!
To comprehend means to control, to understand, grasp, or figure out. Our worship is our weapon; satan cannot comprehend (control, grasp) or come into the presence of True Worship. Heaven belongs to God and the earth is for us to control.
Let us begin to Praise and Worship God with understanding, and from a true heart; putting Him first, giving Him all the attention, all the Glory and Honor that is due unto Him!!!
Let us Pray!!
Our father which art in Heaven, Holy is thy name. I bow my head and my entire being in prayer today; I exalt and magnify your name Lord for you are the Almighty God and there is none like you. You are Alpha and Omega and I worship you, you are worthy to be praised. I give you all the glory and honor that is due unto you. As I have been learning about what it means to be a true worshipper I pray right now that you will open my understanding and allow my heart to be receptive to your words. I am seeking for truth and pray that you will reveal yourself to me Lord. I thirst for more of you, draw me closer to you; I give my heart in praise and I pray that you will draw me nearer into your holy place. Help me to live a life of worship that I may be a light, an example to those in the world that are lost and I pray that you will give me strength to continue to serve and follow you. I thank you lord for thinking of me, for teaching me, for your grace and your mercy towards me. I thank you for hearing and answering my prayers, in Jesus Name, Amen!