Worship Ministry Team Top 12 Tasks

An Essential “To Do” List

For All Worship Team Members

 

What is needed for effective ministry from each member of the Worship Ministry Team?

Whether you serve in a Worship Band or Rhythm Section, Praise Team, Choir, Orchestra, or as an Accompanist, the essentials are the same:

In order to glorify the Lord, lead God’s people in worship, and allow the Lord to use your gifts to speak to the hearts of others through His Spirit, you need to apply prayer, passion, preparation, flexibility, clarity, commitment, faithfulness, and authenticity!

Here are 12 ways to become most effective

as a member of a worship ministry team.

1. Pray for your Worship Pastor and for all of your ministerial staff. Pray for their families. Pray for the congregation at your church (church family) to worship the Lord and serve Him with all of their hearts. Pray for your own testimony and spiritual walk. Pray for other worship ministry team members and for the worship ministry as a whole. Pray through the order of worship, and pray during the worship service.  Be real (authentic) with the other members of your worship ministry team.  If you are struggling in some area, ask for prayer.

2. Be faithful in attendance at rehearsals and in every congregational worship service. Unless your are too sick to go or out of town, be there. We all understand that seasons of life occur, such as when you are caring for a loved one who is ill. However, if there’s nothing keeping you from being there, please be faithful!

Your passion for the Lord and for serving Him through worship ministry is the thing that makes you a worship team member. Others sit in the congregation every week who could be an asset in worship ministry, and yet the lack of passion for serving in this way prevents them from making that commitment to the calling. If your passion has begun to wane, ask the Lord to revive it within you so that you may contribute week by week, worshipping with passion in spirit and in truth.

KEY TRUTH ABOUT  FAITHFULNESS:

Your presence,

more than anything other than your prayers,

allows your worship ministry to effectively reach up to glorify the Lord

and reach out to encourage and inspire others.

Especially for Chor and Orchestra members:
Be aware that many churches are eliminating choirs and orchestras.  If you want your church to still have these groups as a regular part of worship ministry leadership a year from now, 5 years from now… 10 years from now, make it your priority to be there!
If you say that you love singing in the choir or playing in the orchestra, love having these groups as a contributing part of worship ministry, and love the sound and the impact they can make, you need to be one who will be there faithfully. When the choir and/or orchestra suffers from low attendance week after week, the level of excellence suffers. The director has difficulty choosing what to sing or play, not knowing who may be there. The overall sound is less than it could be without you and others there. After weeks and weeks of low attendance and less than stellar sound due to the low numbers, how much support can we expect from church members and leaders for the continuation of choir and orchestra ? In other words, if you want to have a choir and orchestra , you MUST be committed to it.

3. Be spiritually prepared. Do all that you can do to walk closely with the Lord. Abide in Him. Spend time in private worship. Learn all that you can about Him and about what true worship really is. Listen to worship music often. Love the Lord and find joy in His presence.

4. Be musically prepared. Attend every rehearsal that it is possible for you to attend, and be on time if at all possible.  It is great to have everyone in place with music ready and instruments and voices warmed up if possible (sing with the radio on the way there!).  If that is not possible due to your work schedule or some other factor, please do the very best you can to arrive ASAP.   

* Even if the choir or orchestra is going to be sharing music that you know well, your presence and participation can help others to learn the music. Having the full group present helps with things like balance, interpretation, and choral tone, as well as with division of parts, marking any changes in the music, and unifying vowel structure.

* If your director sends out an e-mail with links to the music you will be singing, spend 15 minutes listening to the demos a couple of times during the week.

*  With new technology have come new tools for worship ministry. We can listen to demos on our computer and do so almost anywhere with wireless technology. We can look up sample pages to a choral anthem and even be able to see the music as we listen to a demo. We can hear several different versions of the same worship song at ccli.com or other sites. Many worship teams have their own website, facebook page, or blog to keep everyone informed. Sometimes e-mails are sent to worship team members with listening links. There are worship conferences, worship blogs, and “how to play” videos online. All of this means that we have more resources available than ever (and fewer excuses for being unprepared).

* For choir members:  If you know there’s a part that you’re not getting during rehearsal, speak up and ask the director for help. Often, as your section (Altos, Sopranos, Basses, or Tenors) sings through a passage a couple of times, the re-inforcement of hearing your part played will help everyone.

If you have a piano and can play a tricky part yourself, take your music home to spend some time working on those hard to hear parts.

* For orchestra, praise band, or praise team members:  If there is anything that you struggle with in rehearsal and are not confident about, spend some time working on your own before Sunday.

Speak up if something sounds “off” in rehearsal, even though it appears everyone is playing (or singing) what is written.  Sometimes you may help to find a mistake in the music.

*  For All Worship Ministry Team Members:

Remember that what we are doing is very important and sometimes very difficult.  Patience is required in order to work up an entire “worship set” of music for congregational worship each week, often with very limited rehearsal time.   We must all be as diligent as possible and patient with each other and with ourselves.  We are confronted with our own humanity when preparing music; and there is no better time to thank God for His patience and grace with us, even as we choose to employ patience and grace with others (and with situations that are out of our control).  You may be doing all that you can do and wish that others took their opportunity to serve as seriously.  However, we always need to remember that we never know what others are facing and the challenges that may keep them from being as faithful or as prepared as they would like to be.  We just need to pray for one another and employ a lot of grace, continue to be faithful, and encourage others as much as possible.

5. Remember that every Sunday’s worship is important. The special programs can be a wonderful time of worship, but every Sunday   needs to be just as important.

The Lord is the same year-round,

and

He deserves our best every week!

Give Him your best (in terms of commitment, passion, faithfulness, and effort). Make it a priority to be there, be prepared, pray through the service as you worship, and do your best to bring glory to the Lord in every service of congregational worship that you are able to attend. Pay attention when your director goes through the order of worship for next Sunday’s service during rehearsal. You can help with leading in worship most effectively when you are able to share with clarity because you know what is going on.

Never forget that God is the one who created music,

gave you musical gifts, saved you,

and gave you some incredible and eternally glorious

reasons to make musical praise!

“I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart: I will tell of all Thy wonderful deeds. I will be glad and exult in Thee, I will sing praise to Thy name, O Most High.” ~ Psalm 9:1 & 2

Never take the opportunity

to use your voice or instrument

(and your faithfulness and availability) 

to glorify the Lord within the congregation

for granted!

“Oh, that men would praise the Lord for His goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!
Let them exalt Him also in the congregation of the people, and praise Him in the assembly of the elders.” ~ Psalm 107:31 & 32

6. Support the worship ministry through your own giving. You can give financially as well as giving of your time for rehearsals, personal prayer time, and worship times. You can give and redeem your time in worship ministry when help is needed in preparation for a special program, ministry opportunity, or mission trip. You can give time to working with worship ministry groups for children and youth, investing in the lives of these future worshippers and worship leaders.

7. Be well groomed. Here, I am not talking about the cost or name brands of your clothing. Just make sure that your appearance is well-groomed and not distracting. (Well-fitting clothing and well-groomed hair are a must.)  Your own worship ministry may have additional requirements for appearance that are more specific.

8. Invite others to come to know the Lord, to come to church, and to attend services and special programs. Encourage the faithfulness of others through your own faithfulness (which is a silent witness) and through verbal encouragement, letting them know that you are glad to see them and that their presence is important.

9. Invite others to participate in approriate areas of worship ministry when you know that they have the special gifts to contribute both spiritually and musically. Take some time to talk with them about the blessings of serving in worship ministry and how much it means to you. When new members come, welcome them! Don’t be stuck in a rut as far as who you have to sit beside. Make sure the new member feels comfortable.

10. Don’t fossilize! Be flexible and open to change when it is needed.

* If a change in schedule (such as letting the choir leave the loft to sit with families after the musical worship portion or your service is over) allows more people to participate, be open to that change.  This would include changes in rehearsal schedule.  If you have an unavoidable conflict, let your Worship Leader, Director, or Music and Worship Minister / Pastor know as soon as possible.  When you know that you will be out of town, please let them know your schedule.  Advance notice of absences allows for better planning.

* When new music is introduced, be open to it. You will likely grow to love it! Even if a song is not your favorite, worship the Lord as you sing and/or play it!  Be open to new styles and new musical techniques as well.  It’s always a good thing to keep learning and growing as a musician and as a member of the worship leadership team.

* Be open to wearing robes or not wearing robes (depending upon what works best for all of the considerations at your church).  You may be asked to wear a certain color.  Please help your group to follow worship ministry leadership in this area by cooperating fully.

* Be willing to sit or stand anywhere that you are asked to be, in both the worship center and in the rehearsal room (unless you need to be seated for physical reasons).

* Be willing to let go of traditions and procedural routines that may no longer be effective.

11. Communicate visually as well as musically. Remember that only part of your worship team’s presentation of any song or participation in worship is the sound component of ministry. The other component that can be observed is visual.

* In order for the messages that you are proclaiming to be as effective as possible, choir members, praise team members, and others who sing need to communicate through their facial expression and posture as well. Even those who play instruments need to support the message of what is being shared through appropriate facial expression and/or posture.  People want to know that you are authentic in your beliefs and that you are passionate about your beliefs and your relationship with the Lord… passionate about Him! Your face should reflect the message that you are singing or playing (especially for non-wind players). Your posture should not look stiff and formal.

* If your Director or Worship Pastor wants you to memorize a song in order to communicate it most effectively, do it! (Hint: being there at every rehearsal and listening to demos or working on your own a little bit helps!)

* If you are holding a music folder or looking at music on a stand, hold it high enough (or adjust your stand) so that you can see your director just over the top of the music. Get your head and your eyes up as much as possible. No one wants to look at the tops of everyone’s heads or at a platform full of worship ministry personnel whose eyes appear to be closed because they are looking down all of the time.

NOTE: Our choir sings from memory as often as possible so that we can communicate visually and musically with more effectiveness, and we have recently begun utilizing an on-stage monitor with lyrics. Although we have used screens at the back of the worship center for the lyrics to congregational music and anthems for many years, we can include information on the on-stage monitor that it not meant for the entire congregation to see. We utilize a different color of print for cues to the choir that precede a section of lyrics. These on-screen cues are often very brief and include: “Men” when only the tenor and bass are singing (could also use “TB”); “Women”; “Unison”; “4-part”, “2-part”, “2X”, “3X” or “4x” to show the number of repeats; and even cues for dynamics. Notes that are held for a long time can be indicated by using a line after the word (Example: “love___”)

Lift up His name!

12. Participate and worship in the entirety of the congregational worship experience. Remember that you are not there just to “perform” a “special” piece of music. You are there to worship! You are a believer and follower of the Lord Jesus Christ and and worshipper of Almighty God! Every song, scripture reading, testimony, and message is important! Seek to bring glory to God in all of it. Come to worship ready to give to the Lord the praise and thanksgiving of your heart, the honor and glory He deserves, the obedience and open-ness that are a sweet offering to Him, and the entirety of who you are. Seek His face and reflect His joy.

 

“Whatever you are doing, let your hearts be in your work, as a thing done for the Lord and not for men.”
~ Colossians 3:23 (Weymouth New Testament)

 

SUGGESTED  READING   FOR  WORSHIP  MINISTRY  TEAM  MEMBERS

1.  Our Worship Scripture page is a very comprehensive worship resource, with scriptures from both the Old and New Testaments in Biblical order.  Our bold key words before the beginning of each scripture make it easy to search and find particular passages.  This is an excellent resource for worship scriptures.  Also, try the key word or topical search features at Bible Hub or Bible Gateway.

Here’s the link to “Lift Your Voice”, our worship scripture page:  https://worshipsounds.wordpress.com/lift-your-voice/

1. “The missing piece…What Every Christian Should Know About Worship”
https://worshipsounds.wordpress.com/2013/10/31/the-missing-piece-what-every-christian-should-know-about-worship/

2. “31 Days of Praise (Scripture Devotions)
https://worshipsounds.wordpress.com/2013/09/28/31-days-of-praise/
This post has been recommended on Worship Links @ http://www.worshiplinks.us/2013/09/devotions-praise/

3. “Walking in Worship”
Note: This article has also been published in the online magazine, “ChurchMag” with its original title
@ http://churchm.ag/walking-in-worship/
and on churchleaders.com , using the title, “What Worship REALLY Means” @

http://www.churchleaders.com/worship/worship-articles/163955-cynthia-boyd-worship-really-means.html

* found on this blog @ https://worshipsounds.wordpress.com/2012/11/30/walking-in-worship/

OUR OTHER POSTS ABOUT WORSHIP: (Our pages, like the one on Lifestyle Worship, have titles that are always visible on the blog header. Our posts are categorized, and all of the posts on worship can be found in our category called “Worship…with Wonder!” (and the sub-categories in that topic). Here are links to 7 of our most widely read posts about worship.

Music is a gift…Worship the Giver!
This article was also published by TheWorshipCommunity.com @ http://www.theworshipcommunity.com/music-is-a-gift-worship-the-giver/

Worship: Definitions and Quotations

Worship…it’s all about Giving!

Worship in the New Testament

Understanding Worship

Worship is Joy!

Worship Planning and Preparation

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Do you know someone who is looking for answers?

Thank you for spending your valuable time reading the contents of this page. We hope that it has been helpful to you. If you or someone that you know is looking for answers about life, we hope that you will visit our page called “Do You Know Jesus?”. The links provided on this page will help to answer life’s deepest questions. Here is the link to “Do You Know Jesus?”: http://www.worshipsounds.wordpress.com/do-you-know-jesus/

Please feel free to share this URL with anyone who is looking for answers about life and eternity.

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“He is Jesus!” ~ Reader’s Theater Script

This Reader’s Theater script may be presented in a local church without cost or further permission.  See our usage permission information at the end of this post for full details.

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HE  IS  JESUS!

DIRECTOR’S  NOTE:  This Reader’s Theater Script calls for 3 readers.  Two of the readers should be male, and one should be female.  A media presentation could be added for greater impact, with appropriate slides to aid in telling the story.  This script could be used at any time of year, but it would be especially effective on Palm Sunday or Easter Sunday. 

 

Female Reader:  Prophets foretold His birth centuries before it occurred.
An angel appeared to His mother to announce the miracle of his conception.

Male Reader:  His Father chose as His mother an unknown maiden with a heart inclined to God and ready to surrender herself to God’s will.

Female Reader:  He left His heavenly home to come into a world that seemed to have no room for Him.

Male Reader:  He was born in Bethlehem to fulfill prophecy of His royal birth.

Female Reader:  And yet, He was born in the humblest of circumstances in order to identify fully with humankind and because He had no intention of becoming an earthly King.

Male Reader:  His birth was celebrated by angels and accompanied by a phenomenal Heavenly star in order to proclaim His deity.

Female Reader:  Modest working men were the first to hear of His coming, demonstrating that no wealth is necessary to know Him.

Male Reader:  Wise men of wealth and position travelled from far away to bring gifts to Him and worship the One whose birth could be seen in the Heavens, showing that He was and is the King of Kings.

Female Reader:  He astonished the well-educated scholars in the temple at a young age, demonstrating that He is the Word made flesh.

Male Reader:  He healed sickness, demonstrating His compassion and His power over human frailty.
He raised the dead, demonstrating His power over death and the coming end of sorrow.

Female Reader:  He multiplied the provisions of men, taking care of earthly need and demonstrating that God can take what we offer and do more with it that we could imagine.
He walked on water and calmed the storm, demonstrating His supremacy over all created things and what we call the “laws of nature.”

Male Reader:  He taught with authority because He was the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
Female Reader:  He taught profound truth through the simplicity of parables so that all people and even children could understand.

Male Reader:  He wept at the sorrow of death and at the tragic cost of rejecting God’s plan, demonstrating His incarnation.

Female Reader:  He is Emmanuel, God with us,… even in grief, in sorrow, in rejection, and in loss.

Male Reader:  He demonstrated humility in washing the feet of His own disciples.

Female Reader:  He foretold His own death and resurrection and the denial of one of His closest followers.

Male Reader:  He chose God’s will for Himself and submitted to a mockery of a trial so that He could take our guilt.

Female Reader:  He was beaten, despised, humiliated and condemned so that we could be redeemed.

Male Reader:  He carried much more than a heavy wooden cross on His back.
He carried the weight of the sin of all mankind.

Female Reader:  The hands that blessed and healed were nailed to a cross.

Male Reader:  The beautiful feet that had carried the message of God’s love and mercy were pierced so that He could carry our sin to the mercy seat.

Female Reader:  The heart that beat with more love than you or I could fathom was stilled as He gave up His life so that we could have life everlasting.

Male Reader:  He commited His spirit to God and spoke the words of victory that echo through eternity: “It is finished!”

** (Drama  Director’s Note:  Here, a flash of light followed by momentary darkness would be very dramatic and appropriate.  At the very least, there should be a slight pause before the reading resumes.)

Prophetic Voice:  “He was in the beginning with God, and with Him everything that was created was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.”

Male and Female Readers:  He is life, and He came to give life. And yet, …He endured death, …and darkness, …and Hell.

Prophetic Voice:  “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

Male Reader:  He did not stay in the tomb. He was no longer there, for He had risen, just as He said.

Female Reader:  He appeared to Mary, to his disciples, and to other followers. He was not bound by death or by the walls of a tomb.

Male and Female Readers:  He is alive!

Male Reader:  After spending some time with them, He told His followers that He must leave so that the Holy Spirit could come and inhabit the hearts of all believers.

Female Reader:  He told them what he would be doing while they were apart.
He is preparing a place in Heaven, reigning as Sovereign Lord at the right hand of God the Father, and praying for believers.

Male Reader:  He gave them their mission:

Prophetic Voice:  “Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit; teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always even unto the end of the world.”

Male Reader:  He is with us. He is praying for us. He is preparing a place for us.

Female Reader:  He is still changing lives, touching hearts, and healing hurts.

Male and Female Readers:  He is the Savior of the world.

Male Reader:  He is the Redeemer whose love for mankind could not be crucified.

Female Reader:  He is the Lord of All.

Male Reader:  He is the beginning and the end.

Female Reader:  He is the Bridegroom, whose love for His bride, the Church, is the most pure and sacrificial of all loves.

Male Reader:  He is the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world.

Female Reader:  He is the Living Water, bringing unquenchable life.

Male Reader:  He is the King of Glory and the hope of mankind.

Female Reader:  He is the joy of man’s desiring.

Male and Female Readers:  He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords!

Prophetic Voice joins Male and Female Readers:  He is Jesus!

 

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This post originated in the heart of God before the foundation of the World.
The words were put together by Cynthia A. Boyd to proclaim Jesus as Lord and Savior.

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Do you know someone who is looking for answers?

Thank you for spending your valuable time reading the contents of this page. We hope that it has been helpful to you. If you or someone that you know is looking for answers about life, we hope that you will visit our page called “Do You Know Jesus?”. The links provided on this page will help to answer life’s deepest questions. Here is the link to “Do You Know Jesus?”: http://www.worshipsounds.wordpress.com/do-you-know-jesus/

Please feel free to share this URL with anyone who is looking for answers about life and eternity.

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“He is Jesus!”, copyright 2012 by Cynthia A. Boyd, all rights reserved.
* Sharing in a publication or on a website: To share this post, only the URL (see below) may be copied or posted unless permission is obtained. Permission may be requested through a comment on this post. The comment will not be seen by anyone but our blog editor, and we will correspond with you by e-mail. http://www.worshipsounds.wordpress.com/2012/01/03/he-is-jesus/
* Reader’s Theater presentation: Permission is granted for printing copies for 3 readers and a drama coach in order to present this as a reader’s theater presentation in a local church. However, permission must be obtained for audio or video recording if this is used as a reading.
We’ve done the preparation work for you! (See link below)
Note: A  non – Reader’s Theater  version of this post, written as prose, can be found at:

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Our Choral Anthems and Solos for Easter and Spring

Two of our songs which are available as both Choral Anthems and Vocal Solos are “I Can’t Explain” and “Into His Hands”.

“I Can’t Explain”

“I Can’t Explain” is a worship ballad with a reflective message about the wonder of God’s great love, demonstrated in the life, death, and resurrection of our Savior, Jesus Christ.  Written by Worship Pastor and composer Travis L. Boyd, this song is available as an SATB Choral Anthem, as heard in this demo, and as a Vocal Solo, in 3 keys for Low, Medium, and High Voice.

The SATB Choral Anthem can be performed with live instruments or with the Anthem Trax heard here, a separate Mp3 download.  It could also be sung on Palm Sunday or one of the other Sundays leading up to Easter.

The Vocal Solo versions of “I Can’t Explain” (Low, Medium, and High Voice) each have an Accompaniment Track, which is an Mp3 download, with a PDF lead sheet.  In addition Solo Sheet Music is available in each of the 3 keys.

“Into Your Hands”

“Into Your Hands” is a moving power ballad with choral accompaniment.  This song is a musical prayer of total surrender to the Lordship of Christ.

There is also an SATB anthem with Solo throughout.

ADDITIONAL ANTHEMS  FOR  SPRING / EASTER / PALM  SUNDAY:

1.  “Early in the Morning”

2.  Our “Songs of the Cross” playlist of Easter and Palm Sunday Anthems

3. Our “Anthems with Hymn Lyrics” playlist

Thank you for your worship ministry and your interest in Worship Sounds Music.  All of our music is designed to be practical for worship ministry, Biblically sound, musically memorable, and lyrically meaningful.  Blessings to you in your life and ministry,

Travis L. Boyd, Worship Sounds Music

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In Addition, several of our Published anthems would work very well for Springtime, Easter, or Palm Sunday. 

These include:

FROM  LORENZ, INCOPORATED  (LORENZ  MUSIC)

( A )  “Amazing Grace!  Eternal Life!”  Published by Lorenz (Monarch Division)
An SATB power ballad, this anthem contains a whole gospel message, with a bridge section that is a lyrical paraphrase of John 3:16 & 17. The anthem steadily builds in intensity to the victorious ending.
* Listening link: http://www.lorenz.com/med/sample/10_3228M.mp3
* Sample pages link: http://www.lorenz.com/med/pages/10_3228M.pdf (Use back arrow to return to blog after viewing!)
* A Full Orchestration is available, as heard in the Studio Demo. A Performance/Accompaniment CD is also available.

(NOTE:  See the blog post entitled “Blessings Through Worshipping Together” for information about the CD and DVD recordings of this piece by The Singing Churchmen of Oklahoma, The Singing Churchwomen of Oklahoma, and The Oklahoma Baptist Symphony).
This anthem has also been recorded by the evangelistic group, The Farrells, as the title song of one of their CDs; and many videos can be found on YouTube and Vimeo of this anthem being sung in English, Mandarin, Korean, and Italian.  “Amazing Grace! Eternal Life!” has also been published in the Mandarin language in a book for Chinese Choirs.

( B ) “All the Praise”… An upbeat SATB anthem of praise with lyrical verses and a rhythmic chorus:
“Holy, holy, holy
You are God Almighty.
Holy, holy, holy
Holy is Your Name.
Only You are worthy
Worthy of all honor.
All the praise belongs to You!”

* Listening link: http://www.lorenz.com/med/sample/10_3033M.mp3
(minimize Listening link & click Sample page link to view & hear)
* Sample pages link: http://www.lorenz.com/med/pages/10_3033M.pdf
(Use back arrow to return to blog after viewing!)
A Brass & Rhythm score + parts set is available. A performance/accompaniment CD is also available.

( C ) “God is Faithful”… SATB with solo throughout

Lorenz product page link for “God is Faithful” http://www.lorenz.com/product.aspx?id=10_2978M
* Listening link: http://www.lorenz.com/Med/Sample/10_2978M.mp3
* Sample pages link: http://www.lorenz.com/Med/Pages/10_2978M.pdf (Use back arrow to return to blog after viewing!)
(See our blog post entitled “Blessings Through God’s Faithfulness” for more information about the story of this song & recordings by both The Singing Churchmen of Oklahoma and The Sons of Jubal)
* Performance video link: (TTBB arrangement, recorded at a Sons of Jubal concert in September, 2010) http://vimeo.com/15390308
A full orchestration is available for this piece, as heard in the studio demo. A performance/accompaniment CD is also available.

( D ) “Magnificent Praise”… An SATB mix of traditional style and contemporary rhythms, this anthem has a message about giving our best to God as we praise Him and “tell of His excellent ways.”
* Listening link: http://www.lorenz.com/Med/sample/10_3445M.mp3
* Sample pages link: http://www.lorenz.com/Med/Pages/10_3445M.pdf (Use back arrow to return to blog after viewing!)
A Brass & Rhythm Score + parts set is available. A performance/accompaniment CD is also available.
“With all that is in us, we give You magnificent praise!”

( E ) “The Great I Am”… An SATB anthem with a bold declaration of faith.
* Listening link: http://www.lorenz.com/med/sample/10_3281M.mp3
* Sample pages link: http://www.lorenz.com/med/pages/10_3281M.pdf (Use back arrow to return to blog after viewing!)
A Brass & Rhythm Score + parts set is available. A performance/accompaniment CD is also available.

FROM SHAWNEE PRESS / HAL LEONARD

( 1 ) “Children of Light”… 2 & 3 part, S(A)B
Here’s a great recording with the full orchestration: http://www.salvoaudio.com/audio/music/mus_2515.mp3
This youthful, vibrant recording was made by the Pasadena Tabernacle Songsters.
For the story of this group & recording see our blog post entitled “Blessings Through Testimony.”
* The Shawnee Press Studio Demo recording (with rhythm section only) can be heard at this link:
http://www.pinelakemusic.com/Results.aspx?search=Travis+Boyd (click listening link for “Children of Light”)

“Children of Light” is still available through several music distributors and from Hal Leonard/Shawnee Press on a print-on-demand basis.

( 2 ) “Give Thanks to the Lord”… SATB
This upbeat, rhythmic song of thanksgiving provides a joyful reminder of many reasons to give thanks.
Be sure to listen for the descant and for the verses, which give a call to thanksgiving for faithful hearts (with a quiet intensity, contrasting the energetic chorus). “Give Thanks to the Lord” was also recorded, in a special TTBB arrangement by Travis, on the “God is Faithful” CD made by The Singing Churchemen of Oklahoma, then under the direction of Dr. Bill Green. (The audio of the TTBB recording can be found in our SoundCloud set of “Recordings made by BGCO groups” (Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma).

Original studio demo of the Choral Anthem by Shawnee Press

( 3 ) “Jesus, My Redeemer”… SATB
*Hear the original studio demo for this beautiful anthem on our Sound Cloud or on our BoydbrainMusic.com HOME PAGE in the red sidebar at left. Just click on the title to hear “Jesus, My Redeemer.”
This anthem utilizes the beautiful hymn tune known as “Slane” (“Be Thou My Vision”) with a completely new text. The lovely, flowing piano accompaniment features a recurring motif. There is a Song Story about this anthem on our Worship Sounds Music blog. (Song Story for “Jesus, My Redeemer”)

( 4 ) “Praise God”… SATB
* “Praise God” features a beautiful new melody and setting for the traditional “Doxology” lyrics, with a portion of the hymn “Praise to the Lord, the Almighty” added to this amazing arrangement. You’ll love this inventive and meaningful new tune and setting for the Doxology! Hear the entire studio demo for this majestic anthem on the sound cloud below.
Or, hear a portion of the original studio demo at: http://listeninglab.stantons.com/title/praise-god/269877/

( 5 ) “Sing a Song to the Lord”… SATB
* Hear the original studio demo for this joyful, upbeat anthem of exhortation at http://listeninglab.stantons.com/title/sing-a-song-to-the-lord/335710/

( 6 ) “Tender Mercies”… SATB, with Solo
This gentle, lyrical anthem features a solo on the first verse, which continues as a descant later in the piece, along with the SATB voice parts.
* Listening: “Tender Mercies” can be heard at this link: http://listeninglab.stantons.com/title/tender-mercies/354831/
* Info: The publisher’s info page for this anthem can be found at : http://shawnee.halleonard.com/product/viewproduct.do?itemid=35022627&lid=620&seriesfeature=&menuid=10984&subsiteid=204

( 7 ) “Walking by Faith”… SATB, with Solo
This lovely ballad features a solo and was performed by The Singing Churchmen of Oklahoma, written for soloist Royce Brown. The original studio demo can be heard at:
http://www.jwpepper.com/8065838.item

FROM CHURCH STREET MUSIC (LIFEWAY)

(1) “You Are a Spring”… SATB, with Solo or unison section
This lyrical piece about our need for the refreshing of God’s Spirit is available at:

“You Are a Spring” was recorded on The Singing Churchwomen of Oklahoma’s CD entitled “The Lord is My Light.” This recording can be found in our Sound Cloud set of BGCO (Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma) Groups recordings. (See the blue Sound Cloud logo on our blog’s sidebar. It is a link to these BGCO group recordings made by The Singing Churchmen of Oklahoma, The Singing Churchwomen of Oklahoma, and The Oklahoma Baptist Symphony.)

The demo recording for this anthem can be heard below:

There are several additional pieces published by Lifeway in their periodical publications for Childrens Choir, Senior Adult Choir, Adult Choir, and congregational praise. These are listed on our facebook page, along with contact information for re-printing these songa and anthems. http://www.facebook.com/WorshipSoundsMusic
We have not yet tracked down all of the studio demos for these publications but will do so as time permits.

(2) One of the additional Anthems published by Lifeway is “More Than a Cross”

This anthem explores the true significance of the cross, with the lyrics of the refrain stating, “More than love and mercy, life and hope, on a hill called Calvary…More than a cross, it was God reaching out for me.”

“MORE THAN A CROSS” was published in the Winter 2005-06 edition of ‘Glory Songs’ SATB, pages 27 through 32. This anthem can be reprinted with permission from Lifeway. Use this link: http://www.lifeway.com/PermissionsRequest/ to contact Lifeway. Then, choose the option “to use or publish music”. You will then be given the opportunity to enter all pertinent information in order for your request to be sent to the right individual at Lifeway for processing.

In this case, you would enter the following information:

Glory Sounds, Winter 2005 – 2006
“More Than a Cross” by Travis Boyd
Page numbers 27 through 32

NOTE:  There are links to Publishers and Distributors of my music in the right sidebar of this blog.  Each link takes you to a page listed all of my Anthems offered by that publisher or distributor.

How to Help Keep Church Choirs from Becoming Extinct

An Effective Ministry

FBC, Snellville Church Choir, Christmas 2009

Church Choirs can minister very effectively in any worship setting if they are properly prepared to contribute to the ministry of worship.  A group of Christian singers with a desire to bring glory to the Lord through the ministry of worship can be a blessing to the entire church family.  Here are seven ways that choirs can joyfully serve as worship leaders to strengthen and bring life to the ministry of worship.

* 1 * 
A Choir can help to support congregational singing, allowing the congregation to sing more confidently and join their voices with those who are already singing, which helps to lead God’s people in worship.

* 2 *
A Choir will help the congregation to know when they are supposed to sing.
When arrangements for the congregational singing are lead by a praise band, worship leader, and praise teams, sometimes people in the congregation become uncertain about when they are supposed to sing along.  A well prepared choir helps to prevent confusion as they assist in leading the service.  Since the choir will know when a verse or chorus is supposed to be sung as a solo and when everyone is supposed to sing, the congregation will begin to take their cue from the choir.

* 3 *
Choirs provide spiritual encouragement and inspiration to the church family.
Since the life stories and faith journeys of the people who make up the choir are coupled with their faithful commitment to praising the Lord and leading in worship, the choir serves as a collective testimony of walking by faith.  The presence and praise of a choir member who is walking through a trial, remaining faithful as a choral worship leader, can be a powerful message in itself.  Since choir members are often some of the busiest church members, serving in many ways and vitally involved in church life, their ministry and testimony has personal significance for a large percentage of the church body.

 “O give thanks unto the Lord; call upon His name; make known His deeds among the people. Sing unto Him, sing psalms unto Him; talk of all His wondrous works. Glory in His holy name; let the heart of those who seek the Lord rejoice.”  ~ Psalm 105:1 – 3

The 280 voice Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, Brooklyn, NY, under the direction of Carol Cymbala, recorded 2 CDs in 2013, “Redeemed” and “Love Lead the Way”.

* 4 *
Church choirs can share messages of praise, reverent worship, testimony, exhortation, encouragement, comfort, thankfulness, and perseverance  through the songs (both anthems and congregational worship songs) that they sing.

Since choral anthems often have lyrics that are full of scripture and of Biblical truth, the choir can share a message in song that is full of meaning with even more impact than the spoken word because of the marriage of music and lyrics that amplifies the truths being shared.

The choir’s ministry is one of proclamation, praise, and encouragement as they and the congregation “speak to one another in Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs”.

“I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. My meditation of Him shall be sweet; I will be glad in the Lord.”  ~ Psalm 104:33 & 34

* 5 *
As worship leaders, the choir can also help the church to learn new songs and worship choruses.  It is possible to find choral arrangements of new worship songs that are in congregationally friendly keys, which also have chord and rhythm charts and even full orchestrations available.  These can be prepared as an anthem and introduced by the full worship team (choir, praise band and / or orchestra, praise team).  Later, as the congregation becomes more familiar with the song, they can be invited to join in singing the worship song with the same arrangement.

* 6 *
A choir can help to break down generational barriers in worship.
The fact that choirs (and praise teams, rhythm sections, and orchestras) are often made up of young, median, and older adults (and sometimes students) communicates the message that a new song is a vehicle of praise and worship for the entire congregation, regardless of age.  As members of the worship leadership team, choir members have invested time in preparation for worship, both musically and spiritually as they have learned the new music.  Because they have rehearsed and lived with the lyrics of the songs being shared (both Anthems and congregational praise), choir members have the opportunity to internalize these messages of truth and to communicate them meaningfully, as a group that is visually representative of the church body (in age range and other factors) rather than just as professional musicians.

KEY GOAL:  Ideally, the worshipping choir will be both spiritually and musically prepared to praise the Lord and to encourage and inspire God’s people.  Because of this investment of time in preparation and their heart for the Lord, a choir can be a living, vibrant team of worship leaders,  messengers of hope and praise. 

The Mount Pleasant Christian Church Choir in Indianapolis, IN, directed by Brian Tabor, September, 2013.

* 7 *
There is nothing else like the sound of a well-prepared choir.

Even the secular music industry often employs a choir to maximize the impact of a powerful ballad or to visibly and audibly celebrate with an upbeat song.  Choirs are often seen in the music videos and television appearances of pop stars, on music specials, and at events where the entertainment is an extravagant production, such as an Olympic opening ceremony or even a Super Bowl halftime show.  If secular entertainment still values the impact that a choir can make, those of us who love and worship the Lord should realize that choral singing can be a an effective testimony of God’s goodness that can touch the hearts of a congregation (and of others who hear them when they sing in public places).

 “O come, let us sing unto the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto Him with psalms. For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In His hand are the deep places of the earth; the strength of the hills is His also. The sea is His, and He made it; and His hands formed the dry land. O come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand.”  ~ Psalm 95:1 – 7a

In addition to the seven supportive and edifying functions of a choir within worship ministry, remember that there are Biblical accounts of choral worship.

A.  Since there are many Biblical mentions of choirs, and since 55 Psalms are written to the Choir Director or Director of Music; there is certainly a Biblical precedent for choral worship.

The First Baptist Concord Choir, Knoxville, TN, directed by Jeff Lawrence.

B.  In addition, the Biblical exhortation to use our gifts to honor and bring glory to the Lord calls for opportunities for those who are a part of our congregations and who have musical gifts to serve and contribute to the ministry of worship.
What these service opportunities may be in an individual congregation depends upon the musical gifts that are present among members who are willing to faithfully serve in worship ministry.  A smaller congregation might have a choral ensemble rather than a full choir, in addition to their praise band or accompanists.  Larger churches may have a full choir and perhaps an instrumental ensemble or orchestra in addition to their rhythm section, praise band, and / or accompanists.  Some churches may use a choir to help serve as worship leaders, but the choir may sing a choral anthem only occasionally.  Some churches also use choirs only seasonally (for a special Christmas program, for example).

Every congregation is different, and no one can prescribe what your church should be doing in musical worship from the outside.  Your ministerial leadership is more in tune with the musical and spiritual gifts of your congregation and to the music that speaks to the hearts of your congregation as well as to the visitors and seekers that your church can reach.  This intention of this article is to encourage the ministry of choral singing in those places where it can be shared effectively to praise, encourage, inspire, lift up, exhort, challenge, and worship.

“Above, the hosts of angels sing praise; below, men form choirs in the churches and imitate them by singing the same doxology.  Above, the seraphim cry out in the thrice-holy hymn; below, the human throng sends up the same cry.  The inhabitants of heaven and earth are brought together in a common assembly; there is one thanksgiving, one shout of delight, one joyful chorus.”  ~  St. John Chrysostom

First Baptist Church of Duluth Adult Choir, December, 2013, Duluth, GA, directed by Travis L. Boyd, singing the upbeat final song in the Travis Cottrell Christmas worship musical, “Joy of Every Longing Heart”.  Note:  Many choir, orchestra, & praise band members are out of the frame in this photo, taken by a member of the congregation.)

KEY TRUTH: 

Church choirs can still minister, serve, and bring glory to the Lord when they have effective leadership and the commitment, support, and prayers necessary to do so.

“Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” 
~I Corinthians 10:31  NASB

Although choirs have been eliminated in some congregations, existing choirs can strengthen their ministry.  New choirs can focus on effective ministry from the beginning.  Below, you will find some suggestions for helping to keep church choirs alive and serving in the 21st century.

“Let them thank the Lord for His steadfast love, for His wonderful works to the sons of men! And let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving, and tell of His deeds in songs of joy!”  ~ Psalm 107:21 & 22

For Members of the Congregation

If you are a member of the congregation in a church that has a choir, here’s how you can support and encourage their ministry:

1.  Pray for your church choir and for individual members thst you know.  Pray for unity of spirit and faithfulness to the commitment of singing in choir.
* Pray for God to use them as they seek to minister and lead in worship, and pray that God will speak to their hearts as they prepare spiritually and musically.
* Pray for them as they stand to sing and for the congregation as the choir is singing.

2.  Worship and praise the Lord as you are listening and praying!  If your church’s worship ministry has a facebook page, “like” the page so that you will know better how to pray for your church’s overall worship ministry as well as for the choir.

3.  Listen expectantly when the choir shares a message, whether that is a Choral Anthem or a worship chorus that is being introduced by the choir.  Remember that everything your church does in ministry is constantly being evaluated for effectiveness.  Therefore, one of the best ways to support a choral ministry in your church is to allow the choir to minister to you and to praise the Lord in your heart right along with them.

4.  Encourage!  If a message shared by the choir was particularly meaningful or worshipful to you, let that be known.  Speak an “amen!”, share a word of encouragement, or send a note or e-mail to the choir, Worship Minister, and / or Pastor expressing how the Lord has used that ministry in your own heart and life. Choir members are not seeking personal compliments and would rather hear about the spiritual impact of their ministry than about the beauty of the music.  They love the beauty of the music as well, but they mainly want to know that what they are doing makes a difference for the Kingdom!

5.  Be faithful in your own attendance in congregational worship.  Not only are you being faithful to the Lord when you worship along with His people, your presence is also an encouragement to others.  In addition, your presence allows for everything that is done in worship to be done more effectively as you are praying throughout the service that the Lord would be glorified and personally worshipping Him.

6.  Attend any special presentations that your Choir and Worship Ministry have prepared, and invite others to come as well.

At most churches, there are special musical worship opportunities such as Christmas and Easter programs and worship musicals only a few times a year (usually 2 – 4 times annually for the Adult Choir). These events are wonderful opportunities to invite your neighbors, friends, family, and co-workers. Invite the clerk who checks out your groceries. Invite others at every opportunity. Your worship ministry team members have been preparing to share messages of hope and faith and praise to the Lord for several weeks leading up to any special worship event, so please do attend these events expecting a glorious time of worship, pray for those involved, and bring others with you.  Put these special events on your personal calendar as soon as they are announced, and make them a priority.  If you want your church to have worship events such as these and to continue to have a worship choir, your presence must testify that this is important and meaningful to you.

7.  Support the worship ministry at your church through your giving.  There are expenditures that are necessary for a vibrant and effective worship ministry.  Sound and lighting equipment, media equipment, sets and seasonal decorations, music for worship ministry participants, musical instruments, piano tuning, CCLI (the service that allows your church to legally put song lyrics on screens), and salaries for paid personnel such as your Worship Pastor and accompanists, are all a part of the financial cost of worship ministry support. Your faithfulness allows all of the ministries of your church, including worship ministry, to function and to minister within the congregation and to reach out to your community and beyond.

8.  Let grace abound!  Don’t expect musical and technical perfection.  Give your worship ministry team the grace of realizing that they are human and that they are participating in this ministry as volunteers rather than as professional musicians and technicians.  Music and productions that you hear on the radio or see on TV and in the movies are very highly produced and involve much expertise, equipment, and time that is not available for local church ministry.  Many times, the sounds that you hear on radio or TV cannot be produced at the same level of perfection in live performance, even by the pros.  One recorded song may be a result of dozens of “takes” and hours of recording and re-recording.  In addition, remember that every worship song, hymn, or choral anthem may not be your personal taste; but it is still your joy to worship the Lord through all that is spoken and sung.  Pray for others.  Look around you.  What may not be your favorite worship expression may be ministering to the hearts of others.  Pray for those around you throughout the worship service.

* IMPORTANT  NOTE:  For greater understanding about the importance and meaning of worship and for help with preparation for teaching about worship, see our Addendum at the end of this blog article, where you will find links to articles on worship found on our blog and on TheWorshipCommunity.com , on the online magazine, ChurchMag , and on ChurchLeaders.com (or recommended on WorshipLinks) .

“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”
~ Colossians 3:17

The Adult Worship Choir anchors the worship ministries of Bell Shoals Baptist Church, Brandon, FL, directed by Dr. Doug Crawley.

For Pastors and Ministerial Staff

Here’s how you can help to support the ministry of the Worship Choir at your church.

1.  Pray for and encourage the worship team members and Worship Pastor at your church.  Pray for your congregation and for yourself as worshippers.

2.  Live a life of worship, seeking to intentionally give God glory in all that you do.

* NOTE For greater understanding about the importance and meaning of worship and for help with preparation for teaching about worship, see our Addendum at the end of this blog article, where you will find links to articles on worship found on our blog and on TheWorshipCommunity.com , on the online magazine, ChurchMag , and on ChurchLeaders.com (or recommended on WorshipLinks) .

3.  Whatever your responsibilities and concerns may be during a worship service, make an intentional effort to let them go (as much as is possible) and personally worship the Lord.

4.  Attend special worship ministry programs, and invite others to do so as well.  Speak with enthusiasm when sharing announcements about upcoming Worship Ministry events.

5.  When doing calendar planning, recognize that each ministry decision impacts every ministry.  Remember that above all, every Christian is (or should be) a worshipper, and do what you can to strenthen all of the ministries of your church, including worship ministry.

“If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.”
~  I Peter 4:11

For Choir Members & Worship Team Members

What is needed?  Prayer, passion, preparation, flexibility, clarity, commitment, faithfulness, and authenticity!

1.  Pray for your Worship Pastor and for all of your ministerial staff.  Pray for their families.  Pray for the congregation to worship the Lord and serve Him with all of their hearts.  Pray for your own testimony and spiritual walk.  Pray for other worship ministry team members and for the worship ministry as a whole.  Pray through the order of worship, and pray during the worship service.

2.  Be faithful in attendance at rehearsals and in every congregational worship service.  Unless your are too sick to go or out of town, be there.  We all understand that seasons of life occur, such as when you are caring for a loved one who is ill.  However, if there’s nothing keeping you from being there, please be faithful!  Your passion for the Lord and for serving Him through worship ministry is the thing that makes you a choir member.  Others sit in the congregation every week who could be an asset in worship ministry, and yet the lack of passion for serving in this way prevents them from making that commitment.  If your passion has begun to wane, ask the Lord to revive it within you so that you may contribute week by week, worshipping with passion in spirit and in truth.

KEY:  Your presence, more than anything other than your prayers, allows your worship ministry to effectively reach up to glorify the Lord and reach out to encourage and inspire others.

If you want your church to still have a choir a year from now, 5 years from now… 10 years from now, make it your priority to be there!
If you say that you love singing in the choir, love having a choir, and love the sound and the impact of choral music, you need to be one who will be there faithfully.  When the choir suffers from low attendance week after week, the level of excellence suffers.  The director has difficulty choosing what to sing, not knowing who may be there.  The choral sound is less than it could be without you and others there.  After weeks and weeks of low attendance and less than stellar sound due to the low numbers, how much support can we expect from church members and leaders for the continuation of choir?  In other words, if you want to have a choir, you have to be committed to it.

3.  Be spiritually prepared.  Do all that you can do to walk closely with the Lord.  Abide in Him.  Spend time in private worship.  Learn all that you can about Him and about what true worship really is.  Listen to worship music often.  Love the Lord and find joy in His presence.

4.  Be musically prepared.  Attend every rehearsal that it is possible for you to attend. 

*  Even if the choir is going to be singing music that you know well, your presence and participation can help others to learn the music.  Having the full choir present helps with things like balance, interpretation, and choral tone, as well as with division of parts, marking any changes in the music, and unifying vowel structure.

*  If your director sends out an e-mail with links to the music you will be singing, spend 15 minutes listening to the demos a couple of times during the week.

*  If you know there’s a part that you’re not getting during rehearsal, speak up and ask the director for help.  Often, as your section (Altos, Sopranos, Basses, or Tenors) sings through a passage a couple of times, the re-inforcement of hearing your part played will help everyone.

*  If you have a piano and can play a tricky part yourself, take your music home to spend some time working on those hard to hear parts.

5.  Remember that every Sunday’s worship is important.  The special programs can be a wonderful time of worship, but every Sunday  needs to be just as important.  The Lord is the same year-round, and He deserves our best every week (in terms of commitment, passion, faithfulness, and effort).  Make it a priority to be there, be prepared, pray through the service as you worship, and do your best to bring glory to the Lord in every service of congregational worship that you are able to attend.  Pay attention when your director goes through the order of worship for next Sunday’s service during choir rehearsal.  You can help with leading in worship most effectively when you are able to share with clarity because you know what is going on.

Never forget that God is the one who created music, gave you a voice, saved you, and gave you something incredible and eternally glorious to sing about!

“I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart: I will tell of all Thy wonderful deeds. I will be glad and exult in Thee, I will sing praise to Thy name, O Most High.”  ~ Psalm 9:1 & 2

Never take the opportunity to use your voice to glorify Him within the congregation for granted!

 “Oh, that men would praise the Lord for His goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!
Let them exalt Him also in the congregation of the people, and praise Him in the assembly of the elders.”  ~ Psalm 107:31 & 32

6.  Support the worship ministry through your own giving.  You can give financially as well as giving of your time for rehearsals, personal prayer time, and worship times.   You can give and redeem your time in worship ministry when help is needed in preparation for a special program, ministry opportunity, or mission trip.  You can give time to working with worship ministry groups for children and youth, investing in the lives of these future worshippers and worship leaders.

7. Be well groomed. Here, I am not talking about the cost or name brands of your clothing. Just make sure that your appearance is well-groomed and not distracting. (Well-fitting clothing and well-groomed hair are a must.)

8.  Invite others to come to know the Lord, to come to church, and to attend services and special programs.  Encourage the faithfulness of others through your own faithfulness (which is a silent witness) and through verbal encouragement, letting them know that you are glad to see them and that their presence is important.

9.  Invite others to sing in the choir or to participate in some other area of worship ministry when you know that they have the special gifts to contribute both spiritually and musically.  Take some time to talk with them about the blessings of serving in worship ministry and how much it means to you.  When new members come, welcome them!  Don’t be stuck in a rut as far as who you have to sit beside.  Make sure the new member feels comfortable.

10.  Don’t fossilize!  Be flexible and open to change when it is needed.

*  If a change in schedule (or letting the choir leave the loft to sit with families after the musical worship portion or your service is over) allows more people to participate, be open to that change.

*  When new music is introduced, be open to it.  You will likely grow to love it!  Even if a song is not your favorite, worship the Lord as you sing it!

*  Be open to wearing robes or not wearing robes (depending upon what works best for all of the considerations at your church).

*  Be willing to sit or stand anywhere that you are asked to be, in both the loft and in the rehearsal room (unless you need to be seated for physical reasons).

*  Be willing to let go of traditions and procedural routines that may no longer be effective.

11.  Communicate visually as well as musically.  Remember that only part of the choir’s presentation of any song or participation in worship is the sound component of choral ministry.  The other component that can be observed is visual.

*  In order for the messages that you are proclaiming to be as effective as possible, choir members need to communicate through their facial expression and posture as well.  People want to know that you are authentic in your beliefs and that you are passionate about your beliefs and your relationship with the Lord… passionate about Him!  Your face should reflect the message that you are singing.  Your posture should not look stiff and formal.

*  If your director or Worship Pastor wants you to memorize a song in order to communicate it most effectively, do it!  (Hint:  being there at every rehearsal and listening to demos or working on your own a little bit helps!)

*  If you are holding a music folder, hold it high enough that you can see your director just over the top of the music.  Get your head and your eyes up as much as possible.  No one wants to look at the tops of everyone’s heads or at a choir whose eyes appear to be closed because they are looking down all of the time.

NOTE:  Our choir sings from memory as often as possible, and we have recently begun utilizing an on-stage monitor with lyrics.  Although we have used screens at the back of the worship center for the lyrics to congregational music and anthems for many years, we can include information on the on-stage monitor that is not meant for the entire congregation to see.  We utilize a different color of print for cues to the choir that precede a section of lyrics.  These on-screen cues are often very brief and include:  “Men” when only the tenor and bass are singing (could also use “TB”); “Women”; “Unison”; “4-part”, “2-part”, “2X”, “3X” or “4x” to show the number of repeats; and even cues for dynamics.  Notes that are sustained can be indicated by using a line after the word (Example:  “love___”)

12.  Participate and worship in the entirety of the congregational worship experience.  Remember that you are not there just to “perform” a “special” piece of music.  You are there to worship!  You are a believer and follower of the Lord Jesus Christ and and worshipper of Almighty God!  Every song, scripture reading, testimony, and message is important!  Seek to bring glory to God in all of it.  Come to worship ready to give to the Lord the praise and thanksgiving of your heart, the honor and glory He deserves, the obedience and open-ness that are a sweet offering to Him, and the entirety of who you are.  Seek His face and reflect His joy.

* IMPORTANT  NOTE:  For greater understanding about the importance and meaning of worship and for help with preparation for teaching about worship, see our Addendum at the end of this blog article, where you will find links to articles on worship found on our blog and on TheWorshipCommunity.com , on the online magazine, ChurchMag , and on ChurchLeaders.com (or recommended on WorshipLinks) .   http://www.worshiplinks.us/2013/09/devotions-praise/

“Whatever you are doing, let your hearts be in your work, as a thing done for the Lord and not for men.” 
~  Colossians 3:23  (Weymouth New Testament)

University Presbyterian Church Choir, Seattle, WA, directed by Dr. David Gardner

For Choir Directors, Ministers of Music & Worship, 

and Worship Pastors

What is needed for you?  The same priorities for worship as your worship team:  Prayer, passion, preparation, flexibility, clarity, and authenticity!

“My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast! I will sing and make melody! Awake, my soul! Awake, O harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn! I will give thanks to You, O Lord, among the peoples, I will sing praises to You among the nations. For Your steadfast love is great above the heavens, Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens! Let Your glory be over all the earth.”  ~ Psalm 108:1 – 5

1.  Pray for your fellow ministerial staff members, the congregation, and all of your worship ministry team members. 
Pray that people will understand the importance of worship as a way of life (Romans 12:1 – 2, I Corinthians 10:31 ).  Pray for personal passion for ministry and worship.  Pray for holiness and obedience, both personally and collectively.

2.  Make personal worship a top priority.
Seek to lead as a fellow worshipper.  Let your passion for the Lord and for worshipping Him be clearly evident.  Every word, every song, and every moment should be focused on the eternal:  worshipping God, praising and thanking Him, and testifying of His goodness, grace, mercy, love, and faithfulness.

“Praise the Lord! Praise, O servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord! Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth and forever more! From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the Lord is to be praised! The Lord is high above all nations, and His glory is above the heavens.”  ~ Psalm 113:1 – 4

3.  Function as a Pastor whose primary responsibility is worship ministry. 
People are more important than notes and rhythms.  Minister accordingly.

4.  Function as an equipper. 
Teach and equip your worship ministry team.  Teach them about worship and discipleship.  Teach them about music and techniques.  Teach them about effectiveness as worship leaders (spiritually, musically, visually).  Teach your choir that true worship is giving (giving praise, honor, glory, blessing, our hearts, and all that we are). Build excitement about the ministry potential of choral worship.

*  IMPORTANT  NOTE:   For greater understanding about the importance and meaning of worship and for help with preparation for teaching about worship, see our Addendum at the end of this blog article, where you will find links to articles on worship found on our blog and on TheWorshipCommunity.com , on the online magazine ChurchMag , and on ChurchLeaders.com (or recommended on WorshipLinks) .   http://www.worshiplinks.us/2013/09/devotions-praise/

5.  Be a good steward of your time. 
Plan and prepare effectively, praying for guidance as you do so.  You can make the most of your limited rehearsal time and allow team members to be well prepared for congregational worship when you have:
a.  Made sure that the order of worship is clearly understood by all participants in worship ministry, providing each person with a copy containing all of the information needed.
b.  Prepared a weekly newsletter, poster, or white board with the order of your rehearsal so that music will be ready and you can make the most effective use of the choir’s rehearsal time.
c.  Made sure that all music is available to your choir and that they have sharpened pencils to mark anything necessary in their music.
d.  Made sure that your accompanists have all needed music in time to play through and prepare themselves for rehearsal.
e.  Made sure that your tech team has all needed lyrics and any media or videos that you intend to use, as well as orders of worship with any special notes they may need.
f.  Made sure that your ministerial staff has copies of the order of worship (not just the bulletin, but your expanded version for worship ministry that specifies such things as the number of verses or repeats for a given songs, which staff member is doing the welcome, etc.).

6.  Encourage your choir and other worship ministry participants.
Make rehearsals as fun and joyful as possible. Try to keep the mood light and yet focused on preparation for worship as well as on worshipping even as your rehearse. Let your choir and accompanists, praise teams, praise band, and tech team know that they are loved and valued by you and by the Lord. Use the rehearsal time very wisely so that your choir members and other worship ministry personnel do not feel that their time is being wasted (this communicates value as well). Share any positive comments or notes you’ve been given about the choir with the group.

7.  Expand your Choir’s vision of their role in worship ministry.
Help them to see that they are there to do more than just produce an anthem each week. Teach them that they can serve as worship leaders for congregational worship.

8.  Keep a realistic timeline in mind.
When you are preparing for rehearsals, don’t try to cram too much music into one session. Confusion and poor preparation will be the result. Do allow several weeks of rehearsal on any new music that requires some time to “settle in”. Plan an adequate number of music rehearsals and tech rehearsals when preparing for any special program. Our choir often has Sunday afternoon rehearsals in addition to our Wednesday night rehearsals to help us prepare in the weeks leading up to a Christmas, Easter, or worship musical. We usually rehearse about an hour, beginning at 5:00 p.m. That’s the time which seems to work best for our group, but your group may have a different preference depending on factors like other schedule considerations and how far away they live from your church.

9.  Provide and encourage training opportunities for your choir and all worship ministry personnel.
Make sure that your tech team has adequate knowledge, and provide periodic training for them (bring in a specialist to teach and work with them for a few hours on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon). After all, your choir could share an anthem beautifully, but it’s the tech team who will make sure it can be heard. Take worship ministry team members to conferences and concerts when possible. Encourage your worship ministry team to listen to contemporary Christian radio (at least occasionally). If you want to inspire multi-generational worship and a greater open-ness to new music, do what you can to introduce new music that can unite the generations in worshipping the Lord.

10. Use media to enhance the worship experience.
If your church has screens, make sure that the lyrics of your anthems are on screens as the choir is singing. Use scenic or spiritually meaningful background photos for the text, and make sure that the text is in a color, size, and font that shows clearly all the way to the back of your worship center. After all, you have carefully chosen this music because of the message that it conveys. Whether your anthem has a message of praise or testimony, encouragement, affirmation, or exhortation, the words are important. Let’s be honest. Sometimes the most beautiful choral settings can make the text difficult to understand.Seeing the lyrics visually on screens employs the sense of sight to imprint the message your choir is sharing on the minds of your congregation more vividly. Your congregation is more likely to take away from the service something that has meaning to their walk as a Christian when every means has been utilized to enhance the worship experience, simply but effectively communicating visually as well as aurally. If you have the capability to make videos of lyrics that can employ photos as background for lyrics and perhaps snippets of video (something like a few seconds of video of a running stream when singing a message about living water), do that. However, keep in mind that it can be very difficult to stay with a video tempo-wise without a click track for the director and in-ear monitors for him or her and for key personnel such as accompanists or praise band (rhythm section) members. If your church does not have media capability, make sure that your anthem choice reflects this fact and that lyrics are as clearly understandable as possible. Use low tech but effective visual means to communicate what your choir is singing visually when possible (perhaps a banner proclaiming “Jesus is Lord” could be displayed when you are singing about the Lordship of Christ). Employ some talented people in your congregation to form a banner ministry and create visual representation of the names of God / Jesus that can be used for regular as well as special services to visually re-enforce the messages being sung and shared.

11.  Choose music carefully.

Here are two of the most important considerations when choosing music.
   a.  Keep the capability and number of your singers in mind.
b.  Know your congregation. 
The choir certainly seeks to glorify God in their ministry, but it is also important to encourage God’s people through music that is carefully chosen to reflect the make up of your congregation.  In most churches, it works well to chose anthems which reflect a variety of styles.  For example, you might choose a ballad style or more reflective anthem for one service and a more upbeat and celebratory anthem for the next.  You might occasionally include an anthem that has a more southern gospel type style.  Don’t neglest newer, more contemporary choral arrangements.  You may be stretching your choir’s preferences when you introduce choral arrangements of contemporary worship songs, but this is one of the very things that will allow your choir to be more relevant to the hearts of all generations within your congregation.  Remember that when God inspires new songs for His people and His church, they are often a revelation of truth or a truth stated in a new way.  New songs are God speaking to hearts just as the new songs of 50 years ago did.

  c. Pray for wisdom, and procede with care in every decision about music choice.

  d. Make sure that the music has a clear message and is not too difficult.
In making the difficuly decision, consider more than just the capabilities and confident vocal ranges of your Choir.  Consider the difficulty of the accompaniment and the tech capabilities for making your choir heard.

  e. Avoid “big ending syndrome”.
Some Choral Anthems would not be as effective without a big ending. Just make sure that every single anthem does not end that way. Look for some anthems that fit your choir and have a great message with a more reflective ending. Have you heard the one about the little boy who asked his Mom, “Why does every song the choir sings end like this…?” (He demonstrates, with mouth open wide, tongue hanging out,…”AHHHH”)

  f. Support any special emphases at your church with your music selection when possible.
(For example, a special emphasis on prayer would be a great time to sing an anthem that is a prayer set to music or an anthem that talks about God’s faithfulness in hearing our prayers.)

  g.  Be open to newer music yourself, recognizing it as a sign that God is still at work in the hearts of His people, young and old.  Remember that both your choir and your congregation represent a variety of musical tastes.  Continually stretch your own musical tastes and those of your choir and congregation by including new music in your repertoire that may be more contemporary in nature but has a message that will speak to the hearts of everyone who is there as a true worshipper.  Worship should unite the generations.  If your focus is on giving glory to God, using the best of more traditional music in various genres and the best of what is new as well, your choir will be more likely to grow, to include younger singers, and to minister more broadly to your congregation as they bring glory to God through their worship and praise.  There is a lot of wonderful, God-honoring and exalting music out there in a wide variety of musical styles.  If your choir sings wholeheartedly, no matter how many years (or months) ago God inspired the writing of their music, worship wins!  God is honored when His people place worshipping Him and consideration for others above their own preferences.

Note:  For further reading on the subject of new songs, see our post entitled, Singing a New Song

Here, we’ll offer a few suggestions of more contemporary choral settings that will be enjoyed and be very meaningful and worshipful, even for more traditional choirs and congregations.

1.  “Blessings”  Try Heather Sorenson’s arrangement of Laura Story’s song, “Blessings”, published by Shawnee Press / Hal Leonard.  http://www.jwpepper.com/10292259.item

2.  “Who Can Satisfy?”  Our choir and our congregation both love a fantastic arrangement of Dennis Jernigan’s “Who Can Satisfy” by Gary Rhodes (Lifeway).  The arrangement has a really strong choral setting of the chorus, “There is a fountain / Who is the King / Victorious warrior, and Lord of everything / My Rock, my Shelter / My very own… / Blessed redeemer, who reigns upon the throne”.  The brief a cappella section during one of the repeats of the chorus is incredibly powerful (when sung well, of course).  Our congregation loves it so much that they are now singing along on the chorus when Travis turns around to direct them.  Here’s a link to the anthem:  http://www.lifeway.com/Product/who-can-satisfy-satb-anthem-min-10-P001220705

There is not a listening link with the anthem info, so here is a Youtube video of the song being shared during a worship service, performed by Riverview Baptist Church Worship Choir, Bixby Oklahoma. ~ January 30, 2011.  (Note:  This is not our choir but just a video we were able to find with the same arrangement we use.  There is also an arrangement of this song by Russell Mauldin for Word.)  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3brh8Bjcvc

3.  “We Have Met to Worship”  by Travis L. Boyd from Worship Sounds Music
This is a contemporary, guitar and piano driven, setting of the traditional hymn, “Brethren, We Have Met to Worship”, arranged for worship choir, praise band, and congregation with the addition of Travis’ chorus, “For He’s Worthy”.  There’s also a full orchestration.  Our congregation (all ages) loves it and took to it right away.  You’ll find it on our Worship Sounds Music website’s “Solos / Worship Songs” page (info copied from the website is below).

Serving as a bridge between traditional hymns and modern worship songs, this arrangement features the hymn “Brethren, We Have Met to Worship,” combined with a new, contemporary chorus. 

*  Worship Pak,  $15.00
(includes PDFs for the Choral parts, piano accompaniment, rhythm section parts, and a string reduction for keyboard, with permission to make an unlimited number of copies, as needed for your groups)

*  Full orchestration, $25.00
(Bundled PDFs include Conductor’s score and reproducible parts for strings, winds, & percussion). 

*  Accompaniment Trax, $10.00 (MP3 download)

NOTE:  At Worship Sounds Music, all of our music is downloadable, and there are never any additional “per copy” fees.
The cost for the PDF master copy (and your printing costs) are all that you will pay for as many copies as you need to make.  Our goal is to be an affordable resource for worship choirs, soloists, and congregational worship, helping others to bring glory to God through their worship ministry.  

Our demos can’t capture the live worship experience with the full choir, praise team, and musicians.  Just imagine the choir singing these parts along with you (as worship leader) and the entire congregation.

Here’s the link to the “Worship Songs” tab on our website where you’ll find the purchasing link for “We Have Met to Worship”:
http://www.worshipsounds.com/Vocal_Solos.html#ws

SOMETHING ELSE FOR CHOIR DIRECTORS AND MINISTERS OF WORSHIP TO CONSIDER:

Georgia Minister of Music Greg Burrell (FBC, Barnesville) makes a good point about music selection and about extending the reach of choral worship ministry with this comment and the follow-up conversation from Facebook:

“Wow… comprehensive article! People LOVE a good choir, period! But what I’m learning is that we can’t relegate the choir to the “traditional” service, or it will become extinct.
We have to make a choir work in the service where the younger people are, or it will age itself into oblivion.
If Bruce Springsteen performs with choirs, certainly we can make it work, too.”

  Travis L Boyd  Very true, Greg. There are a lot of great choral arrangements of contemporary worship songs.

  Greg Burrell  And everyone loves black gospel. And once a month [in a more contemporary service, whatever frequency works in your situation], a truly powerful traditional anthem can reach people who never thought they liked that sort of thing… IF it is really done well!  Anything a choir cannot do well, they shouldn’t be doing in worship.  I’m speaking of adult choirs here; I don’t think anyone expects youth choirs to always be wonderful.  (Editor’s note:  Hopefully, most congregations will extend a lot of grace to student choirs who are just learning how to contribute as worship leaders and to sing in a choir, giving the youth an opportunity to grow through the experience.)

Note:  To further clarify the point about the necessity of only sharing with the congregation that which can be performed with excellence… whatever the genre may be, Greg offers this example (paraphrased here):
“If the director loves “How Lovely Is Thy Dwelling Place” and wants to show his congregation “what real music is”, then takes that song [choral anthem] into the worship service and it is only mediocre, he has only hurt his cause, not helped it.  However, if he has time in [choir] rehearsal to play with “How Lovely…” and give his choir the great experience of getting to know the song, the investment of time can be valid, even if the song never makes it to the service.”

(Thank you for the feedback and for your permission to add it to the article, Greg.) 

12.  EXTENDING YOUR WORSHIP MINISTRY INTO THE COMMUNITY

FINALLY, take your choral worship ministry (and other worship ministry groups) outside the walls of the church and into the community and beyond as frequently as possible.  Contact the facility and find out who to speak with about your group.  Possible locations for ministry include:  your State Capitol (optain permission through your Representative), nursing homes, assisted living facilities, rehab and long term care facilities (some do regular worship services, and some allow groups to come at other times), juvenile detention facilities, local arts festivals, a shelter or non-profit, a mall or shopping center (with permission – make sure that they will turn off their Muzak), a community or county-wide national day of prayer or patriotic observance, resorts or public entertainment venues (permission must be obtained, and some only permit outside concerts).  Make sure that your music is appropriate for the setting.  Performance is less important than ministry (by far!).  Your choir might sing an anthem or two at the nursing home and then join residents in singing some favorite hymn tunes.

1.  Make sure that the group which will be ministering off-site is well-prepared (confident that they know the music). aware of what to wear and what to bring, and aware of any rules for visitors to the location.

2.  Make a pre-trip to the site so that you can see any logistical or space challenges and then prepare accordingly (bring needed equipment, sing without risers in a room with a low ceiling, etc.).  Make sure that your group is physically able to meet the logistical challenges (bring a cart to help transport equipment, scout the equipment loading entrance and a drop off point for your group).  Make sure there are adequate restroom facilities and that the trip to and from the venue is well-planned, allowing necessary stops for a meal or break at sensible times.

3.  Build some time into your ministry schedule for relating to the people who have listened to your group.   Help with a non-musical ministry task when possible.

4.  Get creative and think of ways to minister in your own community and beyond.  Make this a matter of prayer for everyone on your worship team.

“And serve them with all your soul in love, as unto our Lord and not as unto men.”
~ Ephesians 6:7  (Aramaic Bible in Plain English)

An important note about doing choral anthems with select singers on mics:
A comment was posted on a facebook link to this post which went something like this, “Don’t have the choir’s sound covered up by a few elite singers on individual mics!” 
For so many of us who are choral purists, this is a really tough pill to swallow.  However, we do need to keep in mind that a lot of Directors and Worship Ministers are doing what they have to do in order to allow their choirs to survive.  Given the mandate, “contemporize or die”, most of us would choose a praise team on mics in front of the choir rather than the alternative of choral extinction.  Hopefully, there are many situations out there where this mandate has not yet been spoken.  For directors, my advice would be to choose to contemporize (at a pace and to an extent and frequency that suits your situation, tech capabilities, and musicians) and earnestly seek to speak to the hearts of all generations on your own… before the mandate comes down (perhaps avoiding the mandate altogether).  In addition, my Minister of Worship hubby mentioned that sometimes the reason for having a few singers on mics is to addresss balance issues, especially when there is an orchestra in addition to accompanists and rhythm section.

The Trinity Worship Choir from Trinity Church (Assembly of God), Cedar Hill, TX, Minister of Worship Jeff Sparkman

GENERAL NEEDS:

1.  Make sure that there is a time and a place for worship ministry rehearsal and preparation.  Your worship ministry team will be as flexible as possible, but they do need some consideration.

2.  Make sure that there is an adequate budget for worship ministry.  There are ways to manage a worship ministry as frugally as possible, but the basic needs should be met.

3.  Make sure that there is child care for rehearsals.  If you want to encourage participation in worship ministry, this is a key priority.

4.  Listen and act (as soon as possible!) when your Worship Pastor or Choir Director says that some equipment is seriously outdated and in need of replacement.

The Prestonwood Baptist Church Worship Choir, Plano, TX, directed by Worship Pastor Todd Bell

“And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God.”  ~ Colossians 1:10

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.  ² And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
~ Romans 12:1 – 2

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This post was written by Cynthia Boyd, with a great deal of input from Travis L. Boyd

NOTE:  This post is a work in progress.  Travis has contibuted to the content, but there is more work to be done.  Specifically, I am going to have him refine the section on what Worship Pastors / Choir Directors can do and perhaps provide some additional guidance regarding practical matters such as song and anthem selection.  In addition, we are open to the thoughts and ideas of others on this topic.  Please let us know if there’s anything we failed to address in this article.

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Worship Links has posted a link and recommendation for this blog post, “How to Keep Church Choirs from Becoming Extinct”, with brief commentary.

http://www.worshiplinks.us/2014/02/saving-choir/

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Worship Pastor and Composer Travis L. Boyd

OUR MUSIC

Here’s a link to our listening page for music by Travis L. Boyd of Worship Sounds Music. 
You’ll hear publisher’s studio demos (from Lorenz, Shawnee Press / Hal Leonard, and Church Street), custom recordings, and our own demos for music that is offered only on WorshipSounds.com

https://worshipsounds.wordpress.com/listen-to-my-music/

Click this image to go to the General Usage Anthems page of our Worship Sounds Music website.

Here’s a link to our Worship Sounds Music website, where you will find downloadable Choral Anthems, Anthem Orchestrations, Vocal Solos, Worship Paks for our Congregational Worship Music, and Accompaniment Trax for both Anthems and Solos.  All of our music is designed to be practical for worship ministry, Biblically sound, musically memorable, lyrically meaningful, and very affordable.

http://www.worshipsounds.com

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*  ADDENDUM  * 

Help for teaching and learning about Worship
For  Worship Pastors, Pastors, and Ministerial Staff
Worship Team Members, and Church Members

KEY QUESTION:

* What should every Minister or Worship Team member (and every Christian) know and understand about worship? *

Here is an excerpt from our post called “Understanding Worship”:

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“So many people seem to think that worship is a 25 minute time of singing just before the preaching begins in a congregational worship service. Others have actually been told that the purpose of congregational worship is to “prepare the hearts of the people to receive the message from God’s word” (preaching).

However, in reality, worship is worship! It is not preparation for anything… except Heaven!

While it is certainly true that God can use any part of a worship service to speak to hearts and to draw people to Himself, and while it’s also true that He can continue to speak through the remainder of the service, that is the work of God’s spirit. He will use whatever and whomever He chooses to use. If we are lifting up Jesus in worship, the Lord will do the drawing of people unto Himself. Remember that we are to give God glory through the way that we live all of our lives, so times of corporate worship should certainly not be the only times that God can use our witness and our surrender for His glory and for our good. However, we are not worshipping God because of what He will do. We are worshipping Him for who He is. His deeds are an expression of His being, but it is who He is that matters most.

Worship is our response to recognizing God’s ultimate worth.

The goal of worship is to give God glory!

We do not worship God in order to prepare for something else or to obtain His favor. He gives His love and His favor freely because that is who He is. He is a loving and giving God… constantly giving life, mercy, love, grace, and our very breath through His sustaining power.

Yes, when we sing praises to God wholeheartedly, that is worship. We are reverently giving to God our praise, our thanks, our prayers, our lives, and our songs.

The preaching of God’s word is worship, too, when it brings God glory!
We worship through the proclamation of the word.

Unfortunately, many people have very wrong ideas about what worship is and how the concept of worship should fit into the everyday life of every Christian.

The primary focus for every Christian should be to relate to our holy God and worship Him, and yet we are woefully under-educated about how to do the very thing for which we were created and for which the church meets together every week. What day should we worship? Every day… not just on Sunday.

In a corporate worship service and in the way that we live our daily lives, our focus should be on worshipping God and giving Him glory. We choose to live our lives in thankfulness and in the awareness of God’s supremacy over everything, constantly seeking to give our best effort in every moment of our lives so that we may bring glory to Him. He is always giving, and we join Him in giving when we live our lives in an attitude of worship. Even as we give, He continues to give His spirit through us so that we can do all things through Christ. He blesses us with assurance and peace in His presence. He never stops giving.

However, when we view God only through the lens of our own lives, what we want Him to do for us, and the blessings we seek, then our focus becomes all about us.

We become more concerned about what we get out of worship and not concerned at all about what we give!

The Bible tells us repeatedly to give God honor, glory, blessing, praise, worship, exaltation, joyful singing, thanksgiving, reverence, awe, and all that we are. Just as He is constantly giving, we seek to give.

THIS IS THE KEY:

Worship (our response to our holy, almighty, and supreme God) is about giving!

It is not about us, or about our preferences, or about what we get out of the experience (although true worship does give back abundant blessings when we give Him the glory due His name!).

Worship is about seeing God for who He is…
the Creator of everything that is,
the Sustainer of Life,
the Holy and Righteous One,
the God of grace and glory,
the Merciful Father who sacrificed His one and only Son out of love for us!

Our response, then, becomes an effort to GIVE all that we are to Him, seeking to bring Him glory in all of life.

“Honor and majesty are before Him, strength and beauty are in His sanctuary. Give unto the Lord, O ye kindreds of the people, give unto the Lord glory and strength. Give unto the Lord the glory due unto His name; bring an offering, and come into His courts. O worship the Lord in the beauty of Holiness; fear before Him, all the earth.”‘ Psalm 96:6 – 9

That is worship… worship as a lifestyle or way of life, seeking to bring God glory through giving Him all that we are… even our hurts and scars.

That’s what Jesus did and how He lived. He lived to bring glory to God through giving every moment as a sacrificial offering to His father, choosing obedience and God’s will over His own.

“When Jesus had spoken these words, He lifted up His eyes to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son that the Son may glorify You, since You have given Him power over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom You have given Him. And this is eternal life, that they know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
I glorified Thee on earth, having accomplished the work which You gave me to do ;
and now, Father, glorify me in Your own presence with the glory which I had with You before the world was made.”” ~ John 17:1 – 5

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(The teaching on worship above is from “Understanding Worship” on the Worship Sounds Music blog)

If you disagree with the teaching that the act and the heart attitude of worship is one of seeking to glorify God as a result of recognizing who He is, giving Him all that we are, please read some of our other articles such as  “A Lifestyle of Worship”. It’s relatively short and is a static page. You will find the title above the header photo (mountain scene) on our blog. The title is a clickable link to the page.  In addition, read “Worship… It’s all about Giving!” and “The Missing Piece… ”  (see info and links below).

Would you like to read some of our other articles on Choral Worship and on worship in general?

Here are some links for you:

1. “The missing piece…What Every Christian Should Know About Worship”
https://worshipsounds.wordpress.com/2013/10/31/the-missing-piece-what-every-christian-should-know-about-worship/

2. “31 Days of Praise (Scripture Devotions)
https://worshipsounds.wordpress.com/2013/09/28/31-days-of-praise/
This post has been recommended on Worship Links @   http://www.worshiplinks.us/2013/09/devotions-praise/

3. “Walking in Worship”
Note: This article has also been published in the online magazine, “ChurchMag” with its original title
@  http://churchm.ag/walking-in-worship/
and on churchleaders.com , using the title, “What Worship REALLY Means”  @

What Worship REALLY Means

* found on this blog @ https://worshipsounds.wordpress.com/2012/11/30/walking-in-worship/

OUR OTHER POSTS ABOUT WORSHIP: (Our pages, like the one on Lifestyle Worship, have titles that are always visible on the blog header.  Our posts are categorized, and all of the posts on worship can be found in our category called “Worship…with Wonder!” (and the sub-categories in that topic).  Here are links to 7 of our most widely read posts about worship.

Music is a gift…Worship the Giver!
This article was also published by TheWorshipCommunity.com @  http://www.theworshipcommunity.com/music-is-a-gift-worship-the-giver/

Worship:  Definitions and Quotations

Worship…it’s all about Giving!

Worship in the New Testament

Understanding Worship

Worship is Joy!

Worship Planning and Preparation

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Do you know someone who is looking for answers?

Thank you for spending your valuable time reading the contents of this page. We hope that it has been helpful to you. If you or someone that you know is looking for answers about life, we hope that you will visit our page called “Do You Know Jesus?”. The links provided on this page will help to answer life’s deepest questions. Here is the link to “Do You Know Jesus?”: http://www.worshipsounds.wordpress.com/do-you-know-jesus/

Please feel free to share this URL with anyone who is looking for answers about life and eternity.

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Come and See

For unto us a Child is born…

What would it have been like to be there on the holiest of nights, when God came to earth in the form of a precious baby named Jesus?

Have you pondered that question during this Christmas?  Would you or I have felt immediate peace in the presence of the Prince of Peace?  Would we have understood the significance of the gift?  Or, would we have been too caught up in your own lives to even pay attention.

What would it have been like to be there and simply be living life, unaware that the greatest gift in the history of the world had just been given…. to you, and to all of mankind?  We can look to the story for our answer.

It is the shepherds with whom most of us would identify.  Their vocation may have been humble, and God must have chosen them specifically to send a message that His salvation could not be bought or earned.  However, their focus on the everyday (and every night) tasks of life is the common denominator with us.  Some of them were probably asleep, and some were just doing their jobs.  Most importantly, none of them seemed to have had any knowledge that the night when Jesus was born would be different from any other night.

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In the account of the angels’ proclamation to the shepherds, their response to the events and their state of mind as the night unfolded was revealed four times (as told in Luke, chapter 2).

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First, the shepherds were afraid.  A quiet night on the hillside with sleeping sheep had suddenly become an event.  The startling light was unlike anything anyone had seen before.  It was more than just light.  It was “the radiance of the Lord’s glory”.  The shepherds must have felt that they had been singled out because they had done something wrong and that they must now answer to the Lord because surely all their wrongs were known.  The angel had to reassure them by saying, “Fear not!”, before proclaiming the good news of the Savior’s birth and stating God’s intention of revealing His good will toward men.

The Shepherds and Angels
(from Luke, chapter 2)

⁸ That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. ⁹ Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, ¹⁰ but the angel reassured them.
“Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. ¹¹ The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! ¹² And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”

¹³ Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,

¹⁴ “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”

Secondly, the shepherds were obedient (and perhaps more than a little curious).  They said to one another, “Let us go to Bethlehem and see this thing which has come to pass, which the Lord has made known unto us.”

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(If the Lord chose to reveal something this big to you, in such an astonishing way, wouldn’t you want to go?)

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Remember, though, that in order to be obedient and go to see the Child, the shepherds had to leave behind their livelihood (the sheep) and let go of the concerns that caused them to spend the night on the hillside (the guarding of the sheep).  To leave their posts and their responsibilities behind, they had to either be so caught up in the miraculous that they temporarily forgot the everyday, or they had to be trusting that the God who was big enough to do all that they had just witnessed and to fulfill His promise of a Messiah, a Savior, was big enough to take care of their concerns.)

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¹⁵ When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

¹⁶ They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger.

Thirdly, the shepherds were amazed and excited, to the point that they testified about all that they had heard and seen repeatedly.  They were so thrilled and humbled and joyous that they could not keep this good news (and the miraculous events of that night) to themselves.  They told everyone!

(Note:  The word “humbled” is used here because the focus of the shepherd’s retelling was the events and the Child.  We know about them today only because they were humble enough to be obedient and then were transformed by the revelation of God’s good will toward men, incarnate in the infant Christ, to the extent that they did not care what anyone thought and were determined to personally share the news with as many people as possible.  (Remember that they had left their job caring for the sheep in order to go and find the Christ child.  However, sharing the good news about what had occurred was more important to them than any concerns about their livelihood.)

¹⁷ After seeing Him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. ¹⁸ All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, ¹⁹ but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often.

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Finally, the shepherds were worshipping with joy.  Remember the description of the shepherds’ return to their flocks after seeing the infant Christ?  They were “glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as it had been told to them.”  That is worship.

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²⁰ The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them.

*  Notice that the shepherds were not praising God only for the experience of seeing Jesus but rather for ALL that they had heard and seen.  Even the angels’ pronoucement, which terrified them at first, had become a source of joy and wonder and something else for which to give God praise.  The very fact that God’s holiness and power had been manifested to them on that hillside and in the person of the infant Christ gave them reason to rejoice.
*  Notice also that the shepherds had to obey what they were told to do before they were able to have the full experience of worship, joy, and wonder.  God announced His incredible gift to them and invited them to come and see.  Then, they had to respond… just as we must respond individually to God’s good news that He has provided a Savior for us.

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Again, God has taken the initiative.  He has provided a Savior in response to our need. laying aside His own glory and willingly experiencing pain and loss because of His love for us.  All we have to do is to bring our doubts and sins and fears to the manger and the cross, believing that Jesus is the Son of God and the Savior of the world,  and then laying our burdens down in exchange for His gift of salvation in Christ.

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He has given the gift.  He has issued the invitation.  Have you come?  This is what He says to you, to me, and to everyone:

Matthew 11:28

New International Version (NIV)

(Note:  Jesus Himself is speaking in the verse below.)

²⁸ “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

• Psalm 34:8
  New King James Version
  “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!”

Our God has sent a Savior, Jesus, to rescue us from our own hardened hearts.
He chose to come to earth in the form of a Man in order to do what we could no do for ourselves.  He lived a perfect life so that He could, once and for all, pay the penalty for the sins of mankind.  To God be the glory!

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May we praise Him every day for that Holy night and what it means…

Emmanuel, God with us!

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Here is a poem that I wrote as this Christmas and the Lord of my life touched my heart again through the message of God’s great gift.

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 Come and See

Come, lowly shepherds! Now, arise!
Heavenly angels fill the starlit skies,
For in Bethlehem, the promised Child is born.
Come, and see God’s only begotten Son.

And He will care for His flock like a shepherd,
He will give His life for the sheep.
His tender mercies will comfort the fallen,
And He will bind the wounds of the weak.

Come, wise men searching for a King.
Follow the star; your treasures bring.
For in Bethlehem the King of Kings is born
Come, and see this blessed, Holy One.

And He will rise, triumphant and Holy.
He will reign in the Heavens above.
He will fill the hearts of His people
And conquer hatred with His pure love.

Come, pilgrim seeking Heaven’s joy.
Behold “God with us” in this boy.
For the Prince of Peace has come to grace this Earth.
Come, and see Salvation’s humble birth.

And He will calm the storm of temptation
He will heal the sickness of sin.
He will break the chains of the pris’ner
And give new life to us within.

Come, wand’rer chasing empty lies.
Behold the Truth! Lift up your eyes!
For the Light of the World is here to set you free.
Come, and see the Lamb of Calvary.

And He will shine as Star of the Morning.
He will take your hand in the night.
He will slay the dragon of darkness
And fill the shadows with His light.

Come, seeker looking for the Way.
Let Christ be born in you today.
For the Lord of All has come to take your place.
Come, and see your Redeemer’s face.

And He will guard your heart and your tomorrows.
He will wash away every stain.
He will redeem each one of your sorrows.
And bring you joy even through pain.

For He is Lord, Messiah, and Savior.
He is Emmanuel, King of Kings.
He is the Alpha and the Omega.
He is the one of whom angels sing.

Come, and see.

–  by Cynthia A. Boyd
Copyright December 2013

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A Reader’s Theatre Version of this poem has now been added to our blog.

You can find it at:

https://worshipsounds.wordpress.com/2014/11/16/come-and-see-for-readers-theatre/

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Come, and see!

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This post was written by Cynthia A. Boyd

Permission for use:

“Come and See” may be read aloud at any worship service or non-ticketed event (concert or program).  However, it may not printed in any publication or on the internet without permission.  Comment on this post to request permission (unseen by the public, because our comments must be approved).  We will reply to your email address privately.

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Looking for answers for yourself or for a friend?

Thank you for spending your valuable time reading the contents of this post.  We hope that it has been helpful to you.   If you or someone that you know is looking for answers about life, we hope that you will visit our page called “Do You Know Jesus?”.   The links provided on this page will help to answer life’s deepest questions.   Here is the link to “Do You Know Jesus?”:  http://www.worshipsounds.wordpress.com/do-you-know-jesus/

Please feel free to share this URL with anyone who is looking for answers about life and hope.

Christmas is Good News!

Christmas is good news!   

It is the best news, because  we are not alone.

The almighty God of Heaven and Earth  came to us!
He is with us!

He has demonstrated His love for us in the most profound way.

God so loved  that He gave…

“We love, because He first loved us.” I John 3:19

He gave  Himself.

He gave His best.

He gave His Son, Jesus, …fully man and fully God.

Jesus was born in the most humble of circumstances so that He, the King of Kings, could instead serve as our Savior.

He has experienced what we experience,

walked where we walk,

and lived in our fallen world.

God has chosen to share His longing for us to know Him and know His great love for us

in the person of

… Jesus, …

His beloved, only Son.

God looked down upon this world, filled with hatred, jealousy, pain, bitterness, anger, loneliness, shame, murder, adultery, thievery, and callous disregard for others…

 

…and His response was… Jesus.

A sacrificial Savior,

a caring Shepherd,

and a forever Friend,

Jesus is the Truth that God loves us more than we can comprehend.

He is the Way that has been provided for us to escape the power and the penalty of all of the sin and wrong in this world.

He is the Life…

… the very life of God…

that can be born within us.

Anyone who understands this amazing truth and responds to God’s gift of Jesus by saying,

“Yes. I receive Him. Thank You for THE Gift.”

… will never be the same.

The Light of the World, the Prince of Peace, the Redeemer and Savior, Jesus, will be a forever friend as well as the Lord of your life.

It is possible to sing, “Joy to the World” in the midst of human suffering (even your own)…

… because our suffering is not the end of the story.

His suffering is.

He suffered death on the cross so that we might live…

       abundantly,

               eternally,

                      and even joyfully.

The message of Christmas is that we need Him, so…

       … He came!

He came because of the darkness and pain of this world

       … and because of the darkness and pain in our own hearts.

He is with us.

       He loves us.

               He lived for us…

 … and He continues to live for us.

(The Bible says that Jesus is praying for us and preparing a place for us, even right now.)

But before He was resurrected and went to Heaven,  Jesus died for us.

He, who had lived a perfect life because of His great love and Divine power…

He, who was and is God.. in human flesh… the living Word of God…

He gave His all to show us  His great love.

 

So, now, the good news of Christ’s coming has become all about  WHY He came.

He came because He loves us and we needed Him.

and now

Death and sorrow

and illness and pain

and loneliness and heartache

are  NOT  the

end

of the story.

Joy to the World!

Luke 2:10-11

English Standard Version (ESV)

¹⁰ And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. ¹¹ For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

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This post was written by Cynthia A. Boyd and was inpired by an interesting article about the fact that songs which share the message of the Joy of Christmas may seem incomplete, hollow, and even unfeeling to many people because the messages of “joy to the world” and “peace on earth” and holly jolly holidays may seem to neglect the difficulties and sorrows and tragedies of life. It’s so true that many people are suffering hurt and pain at this time of year and all of the time. We must always be sensitive to the hearts of others and acknowledge their sorrow and loneliness, knowing that devastation in the midst of celebration feels isolating and deeper still.

I must state without reservation that I do agree with the premise of the article I read.  This post is sort of an addendum.  Yes, it is true that we need to be careful to be sensitive to the hurting world around us and and to share the whole truth of the gospel and the fact that Christmas is all about the hurt and pain and God’s desire for us to someday dwell with Him in a holy place where none of the bad things exist.  I agree completely.

Stay with me here.  I wrote this article because the pain in our world doesn’t change the fact that Christmas is still good news since the reason for the good news, for the coming of Christ (and the perfect life He lived, and His death, and His resurrection), is because of our pain and our need for understanding the depth of God’s love and our need for being born into new life.  Not “in spite of”, but rather “because of” our pain, Christmas is good news!

Christmas is still (and always will be) good news!

Note:  Here is a link to the article I had read:  http://www.christianpost.com/news/rethinking-our-holly-jolly-christmas-songs-110783/
and on author Russell Moore’s own blog, where it appeared originally, @  http://www.russellmoore.com/2012/12/18/crucify-your-holly-jolly-christmas/

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Do you know Jesus?

The decision to ask Jesus to come into your heart and life as your Lord and Savior is the best decision you could ever make!  The one true God is ready to give you forgiveness and eternal life as soon as you understand your need for Him and believe on the name of His only Son, Jesus, for your salvation.  Here’s a blog page link to help you find the answers to your questions about Jesus.  http://www.worshipsounds.wordpress.com/do-you-know-jesus/

 

For Christmas! SATB Choral Anthem or Vocal Solo, “A Christmas Hymn”

A  BRAND  NEW  SONG  FOR  CHRISTMAS!

“A Christmas Hymn” (subtitled “Christ is Born Today”) is a lovely ballad with meaningful lyrics and a memorable melody, written by Worship Pastor and Composer Travis L. Boyd. The message is a proclamation of Christ’s birth, sharing all He is as the “crowning jewel of God’s great plan”.

“For unto us a Child is born; unto us a Son is given…” ~ Isaiah 9:6a

We decided to make a music video for this song as a way to introduce it and to share the good news of Christ’s birth this Christmas season. The audio for Travis’ demo of the Vocal Solo version has been combined with images of stained glass depictions of the nativity story.  He is singing with the Accompaniment track that he created for the song. Feel free to share this video in order to spread the good news.

Click on the photo above to go to our Worship Sounds Music website.

*   “A Christmas Hymn” is available as an SATB Choral Anthem, in your choice of Full Page or Octavo format.

*   It is also available as a Vocal Solo for male or female Soloist.

*  The Accompaniment Track, as heard in this music video, works for either the Choral or Solo version of the Song. It comes as an Mp3 download and also comes with a lead sheet PDF to assist you in learning the melody and lyrics.

“A Christmas Hymn” is available as an SATB Choral and as a Vocal Solo.

There is also a partial orchestration (strings and wood-winds, as heard in the Accompaniment Track on the video demo below). The Orchestration would work for wither the SATB Choral or the Vocal Solo version of the song, which would be especially beautiful with the live instruments.

Below, you will find the music video for “A Christmas Hymn.”

May God bless you and yours this Christmas season,
Travis and Cindy Boyd
Worship Sounds Music

“A Christmas Hymn” is dedicated first to the Lord and then in honor of one of our six sons.   All six of our boys and our daughter are wonderful blessings with loads of potential and promise.  For Logan, Autism makes some of the typical developmental tasks and milestones more challenging.  He is a joy, and he knows how to focus on what really matters.  Logan is tuned in to those he loves and to music and fun.  He works so hard to keep learning.  We are thankful for all of our blessings, and Logan reminds us that showing kindness and love are the most important things we will do in this life.

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Do you know someone who is looking for answers?

Thank you for spending your valuable time reading the contents of this page.  We hope that it has been helpful to you.   If you or someone that you know is looking for answers about life, we hope that you will visit our page called “Do You Know Jesus?”.   The links provided on this page will help to answer life’s deepest questions.   Here is the link to “Do You Know Jesus?”:  http://www.worshipsounds.wordpress.com/do-you-know-jesus/

Please feel free to share this URL with anyone who is looking for answers about life and eternity.

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Write a Family Praise Psalm

Have you ever considered that your family could write your own praise Psalm? This would be a great thing for your family to do at Thanksgiving or at any time of year. After all, a psalm is simply a heartfelt prayer song to the Lord. Psalms are always honest. The Psalmists speak of times of difficulty in some songs, but they always come back to the fact that God is Supreme over all and that He is good and is worthy of our trust and our worship and praise. Psalms can be very personal, but at the same time they are universal in that the heart cries of the Psalmists of old still resonate with people today.

Living a life of trust and walking by faith are not always easy, so one thing that the Psalmists did was to declare their intention to honor their covenant relationship with God by choosing to be guided by God’s word or to praise the Lord every day. In addition, the Psalmists often spoke of who God is as far as His character. In the Psalms, we read of God’s holiness, righteousness, goodness, kindness, long suffering, His mercies, His everlasting love, His power and might, and His glory. The Psalmists were guided by their knowledge of who God is and their relationship with Him. In Psalms that were written in times of trial, the Psalmists call out to God because of the fact that they know He is good and loving and merciful. In good times. the Psalmists exalt the Lord because of His kindness and long suffering that has been revealed through both trials and blessings.

We all have life stories and faith journeys, just like the Psalmists. Every individual story is unique, and every family has their own journey as well. In order to focus on the element of praise in your family’s Psalm, it is helpful to look at two of the most well known praise Psalms in the Bible. Both are very short (only 5 – 6 verses), and they are a good model for your family’s prayer of praise. So, here are two scripture memory photos for Psalm 100 and Psalm 150. These can be printed in whatever size works best for you and used for your family times of devotion. Perhaps your family can memorize the five verses of Psalm 100 one month and the six verses of Psalm 150 the next. Or, spend some time reading and talking about these two Psalms during a couple of your family worship times. Look at the times that are mentioned when the Psalmist praised the Lord. Look at the attributes and actions of God that the Psalmist praised. Look at the commitments to the Lord that the Psalmist mentions in the verses. What actions or attitudes have the Psalmists chosen for themselves in order to demonstrate their praise to God? How can your family demonstrate your praise and thanksgiving? At what times of day and in what places can your family express their praise? Read through the two brief praise Psalms above and below this paragraph, and then think about what your family’s praise Psalm would say.

WRITING YOUR FAMILY PRAISE PSALM

Make your family’s praise Psalm as unique and personal as you desire. You can frame a copy for each child’s room or for your family room if desired. Just make sure that it reflects your family’s desire to praise and thank the Lord for who He is, what He has done, and what He is doing in your lives. Your praise Psalm should state your family’s intention to be faithful to God in praise as He has been faithful to you in everything. Most importantly, your praise Psalm should be true to scripture. Have fun working together with your family to figure out what your praise Psalm should say. Below, you will find a set of suggestions for writing your praise Psalm that would be easily understood by most children. This can be printed and used to guide that process of writing if you feel that it would be helpful.

Print this guideline to help your family write a Praise Psalm, or write the suggestions on sentence strips and give each family member one suggestion to work on as their contribution to your family’s Praise Psalm.

MY FAMILY’S PRAISE PSALM

“Praise the Lord! Praise Him wherever you are.

Praise God when you get up in the morning to get ready for the day.

Praise Him when you go to school or when you run to play.

Praise God when you are with your brothers and when you are alone.

Praise God at church; Praise God at home.

Think of God and praise him all day long.

Praise Him with a thank you song.

Praise God when it is time for slumber;

Count your blessings…what a number!

Praise the Lord! Praise Him everywhere you go,

Praise Him for all of the love that you know.

For our God is so good.

His promises are true.

His love lasts forever. His mercies are new.

Praise Him with your family.

Praise Him with your friends.

His love lasts forever. His grace never ends.

Praise the Lord!”

 

(Your Praise Psalm doesn’t have to be poetic. Ours just came out that way. Just make sure that your Praise Psalm reflects your family’s personal opportunities to praise the Lord, some reasons to praise Him, and your intention to do just that.)

Blessings to you and your family as you walk with the Lord day by day and choose to praise and worship the Lord together!

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This post was written by Cynthia A. Boyd

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Do you know Jesus?

The decision to ask Jesus to come into your heart and life as your Lord and Savior is the best decision you could ever make! The one true God is ready to give you forgiveness and eternal life as soon as you understand your need for Him and believe on the name of His only Son, Jesus, for your salvation. Here’s a blog page link to help you find the answers to your questions about Jesus.

Do You Know Jesus?

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Callings and Miracles, A testimony of God’s faithfulness

The five year anniversary of Travis’ service at our current church is this month, on the 17th.  In light of this milestone, it seems appropriate to share how the Lord called and led Travis and our family to leave the church where Travis had served for almost 12 years and come to a new place of ministry.  We saw God’s hand in so many ways during the process.  It is not an easy thing to make a cross country move with a family of 8, and a lot of obstacles were in our way.  The Lord moved them or helped us overcome them, one at a time.  To write this story as a narrative would result in a book; so here is the story of our calling and move, told as a series of mountains moved.

1.  God worked in our hearts and in the hearts of others.

The first time that Travis got a call from the Chairperson of the Music and Worship Minister Search Committee from our current church, he told her that he was not interested.  Somehow, that was not the end of the story.  God worked in our hearts and in the hearts of the Committee, and He prompted them to try again.  In spite of the fact that we had 6 boys, then ages 2, 2 (twins), 4, 5, 8. and 15 and were in the middle of the process of adopting the younger 5 boys, a second phone call resulted in an ongoing dialogue that eventually led to recognizing God’s call to a new place of service.  I can’t speak to the committee thought processes except to say that calling a Minister of Worship who was in his 50s certainly wasn’t the trend.  Whatever other barriers to consideration may have been discussed, the age factor was certainly one that had to be overcome.

2.  God worked through DHS workers, lawyers, unbelieveable piles of paperwork, and the judicial process. 

At a time when meetings were being held, court dates were being met, and snags to progress were common in our journey to adopt our 5 younger boys, we were also dealing with the probability and then the certainty of a major cross-country move.  As we made two trips to Georgia that Fall, the adoption process was moving very slowly and sometimes seemed to be stalled.  There was nothing we could do to speed up the judical process other than handling everything we were asked to do (which was a lot!) in a timely manner and praying that God would intervene.  At one point, we encountered an obstacle that made a delay seem very likely.  A delay beyond our moving date would have meant that only my husband and our oldest son would have been able to make the move initially.  I would have had to stay behind in Oklahoma with the younger 5 boys, and Travis would have had to fly back in several times for court proceedings, or we would have had to just delay moving altogether.   Even as we interviewed movers and got quotes (which involved taking the representatives for the potential movers through our home, our garage, our storage building, and two rental storage units, as well as our backyard and allowing them to estimate the volume and tonnage of all of our stuff), we had no idea when the adoption process would be finalized.  We chose a moving company, had a garage sale, and gave a lot of things away, emptying the two rented storage units… and the adoption process still dragged on.  A date was set for the movers to come and begin packing, and yet the adoption was still not final.  Finally, we reached the end of the process, and the adoption was finalized… two days before the movers were to come and begin packing our belongings.

3.  God worked in the midst of the economic crash of 2008 and the housing values crash that followed.

As many readers will recall, the Fall of 2008 was a turbulent time.  it was an election year, and the economic crash loomed large as we were in the midst of the process of planning to move.  What that meant for us was that we were going to have to purchase or rent before the dust settled, at a time before the housing values were really affected very much.  Values were no longer at peak prices but were still close to that level.  It is not easy to find a house that is a good choice for a family of 8 with a broad age range even in the best of circumstances.  We had a specific school district in mind, based upon a recommendation, so that narrowed our search somewhat.  Our other main criteria were price, overall size (living space), and number of bedrooms and baths.  We felt that we needed at least a 4 bedroom home, preferably with at least 2 and a half baths.  However, we were really looking for a home that had the potential to meet our future needs as the boys grew; so we hoped to find a home with 5 bedrooms.  We also desired 2 living areas because the wide age range would result in a great variety of activities taking place at any one time.  We felt that everyone would need “a place to be”.  In addition, a safe location was very important, and we hoped to find a yard suitable for playing outside.  We also hoped to find a home with a small office or with a room large enough to accomodate an office area.

We had flown to Georgia in mid-October for several days with several purposes: going in view of a call to the church, having several meetings and get-togethers that week-end, and  finding a home (if Travis was indeed called as the new Minister of Music and Worship that Sunday).  With the combined efforts of our own internet searches and our realtor’s expertise, we had a total of 12 houses that met all of our criteria, so we looked at some on Friday and Saturday and again on Monday.  To anyone who knows this area, only 12 houses to view seems like a small number.  However, we were being very financially conservative in setting our price limit because we had no idea how long it was going to take to sell our Oklahoma home in view of the financial collapse.  The price factor ruled out a lot of the larger homes that would have provided the space our family needed.  Some of the homes were unsuitable because of factors like a cliff for a back yard.  Others simply had an unworkable lay-out or condition issues that would have made them a poor choice.

After seeing all of the homes, we had 3 that were possibilities.  One had a wonderful kitchen and good layout.  The drawbacks to that home were the fact that there was no office space and the fact that the home was on the main entrace street into the neighborhood, which would have made it less safe for our boys, especially considering the fact that one of our boys has special needs and doesn’t always understand safety issues.  The second home was large enough and had enough bedrooms and baths.  It had a great yard and great first floor lay-out.  However, the second floor lay-out was weird.  The area that would have become an upstairs family room (2nd living area or play room) was separated from the other bedrooms by the Master Bedroom, which meant that the children would have to go through the Master bedroom to get to it.  This room also had the washer/dryer hook-ups in a closet.  In other words, the only 2nd living space would also be the utility room, and the Master Bedroom would have functioned as a hallway.  Our third contender was head and shoulders above all of the other houses.  It had 3 bedrooms upstairs plus a loft space that had a half wall, open to the two story family room below.  It had another bedroom in the basement, which would work for our teen-aged son.  It had 3 living areas:  a small formal living room, a larger family room next to the kitchen, and a downstairs den in the basement.   It was located on a cul-de-sac and had front and back yards that were both fairly flat (a rare thing in this area) because the slope occurs on the sides of the house.  It also had a small room off the Master Bedroom that could be used as an office, and it had 3 and a half baths.  in addition, there was an unfinished room in the basement which was large enough to be a bedroom, playroom, or music studio.  When we were walking up the slope on one side of the house after viewing the back yard, I picked up a small pinecone and took it home as a tangible reminder of the place that I hoped would become our new home.   Home #3 seemed like the best choice.  With safe outdoor play areas and all of the rooms previously mentioned, the home had the most potential to eventually meet the needs for our family of 8.  We did not have the time to negotiate a contract before flying home, but at least we thought we had found our new home and had a couple of other possiblities if that one didn’t work out.

The house we hoped to buy in Georgia

We were not going to be able to buy a home right away since we still had to sell our home in Oklahoma, but we hoped to be able to do a lease/purchase agreement.  However, the day after arriving back in Oklahoma, our realtor told us that there was already another offer on the home, and it looked as though the sellers might take that one.  The economic crash worked in our favor in this situation.  The other buyers were offering less that selling price because property values were beginning to fall.  However. the other buyers would be buying the home outright.  Normally, a lease/purchase would not be as attractive an option as a sale; but we were able to get the home by signing a contract to purchase the home at full price after leasing for up to one year.

The economic crash did not work in our favor when we were trying to sell our home in Oklahoma.  We had to take almost $40.000 less for it than it would have been worth if we had sold it before the crash.  In addition, it actually took almost 14 months before we were able to close on the home.  We had to get a brief extension of our lease agreement.  The fact that we did not come out well on the home after living there for 12 years and making numerous improvements was very difficult.  It meant that our payments would be higher than optimum on our Georgia home and would make it difficult for us to make ends meet.  However, after a couple of years, the economic crash again worked in our favor. Since interest rates had continued to fall, we were able to refinance and get a much better rate as well as a 15 year mortgage.  The payments still make it difficult for us, but at least we are building equity faster.  That’s important because of our age and because of all of the equity we lost due to the crash.

Although we have had to do a LOT of work on this home, it comes closer to meeting our many needs (for the price that we were able to pay) than any other home.  God worked through the timing of so many things to make it possible for us to live here.  We have been able to finish the unfinished room, do a lot of land-scaping work, re-build the deck, turn an under-the-eaves space into an additional closet, put in a door to the backyard, extend our patio by 6 feet to the location of the new door, and add extra shelving and cabinets all over the house and in the garage to maximize our storage space.  So, in spite of the fact that our pantry is too small for a family this size and that we have to turn our table for 8 at a crazy angle to fit it in the room, we are grateful.  Even though our boys’ bedrooms are small and our 3 youngest share a room, they have had a safe place to learn to ride their bikes in our cul-de-sac.  And even though the circumstances of this move and other moves have meant that we don’t have as much equity in a home as we should by this time in our lives, we are thankful for mountains moved and obstacles overcome that have allowed us to have a home that comes close to meeting our needs and still has potential for improvements.

4.  God continues to work to meet the needs of our family.

With six boys of varying ages still at home, we are constantly surrounded by needs of various kinds.  Our 9 year old has special needs, and God has been at work through countless circumstances to meet the needs that he has.  We have had wonderful teachers and therapists, special helpers at church, and lots of people who love him and have been important in his life.  Our oldest son has graduated from high school and is moving into a new phase of life.  We can also see God’s hand at work for him.  Each of our boys have known people that have become very important in their lives, both in our previous church, schools, and community and now in our current church, schools, and communities in Georgia.  Our family has also been blessed as others have helped us in very tanglible ways, with everything from physical labor to child care to gifts of clothing outgrown by their children.  We see God’s hand at work constantly.  For every need that remains, there have been countless needs met and innumerable blessings along the way.

5.  God continues to work through the Worship Ministry at our church.

We have met and come to know so many wonderful people at our church in Georgia (and every place where Travis has served).  Since our curent church has worship ministry programs for every age group, we’ve known so many awesome and talented folks who have a great love for the Lord and a passion for Worship Ministry.  Some of them have since made moves of their own, but there remains a committed and faithful group of people who just love to praise the Lord and are willing to commit themselves to serve.  There is plenty of work to do to keep up with all that is going on in Worship Ministry here, and Travis stays more than busy.  As a couple and as individuals, we have learned and grown through evey circumstance that the Lord has used in our lives, all of the places of service, and all of the lives that have touched our own.  We have a greater passion for Worship Ministry than ever, and God has even opened some new doors that have allowed us to serve the body of Christ in new ways (such as this blog).

6.  God will continue to demonstrate His love throughout all of our lives… and beyond. 

We have seen the heart of God revealed through circumstances, through people, through the Word, and through our own relationship with Him.  God is so good.  He continues to give us a new song of praise.  It’s a blessing to look back and see all that He has done in our lives and in ministry in the past 5 years, and it is a blessing to know that His work in our lives continues, no matter what the future holds.  We are so blessed to know the One who holds our present, our future, and our eternity.

7.  God is at work in the hearts and lives of each of our children.

Our adult daughter, who still lives in Oklahoma, has been able to move forward with some very important life choices.  We also see God at work in lives of each of our boys, and we are so thankful for all of the people who have invested in their lives.  Thank you!

We are grateful.

Thank you, God, for your goodness to us in so many ways.  Thank you for loving us, for salvation in Christ, for your mercy, your strength, your provision, and for the blessings you have sent our way.  We love you, Lord.

We are thankful for you!

To all of you that we have had the privelege to know, we love you all.  Every church family is still very special to us, and every individual has a place in our hearts.  We pray for you all to be blessed and fruitful in your lives and ministries.  We also pray God’s blessing on our church family here.  Obviously, God wanted to us to join you in ministry for this time period.  Five years ago, He moved many mountains in order to make that possible.  So often, in over 30 years of Worship Ministry, we have seen God confirm His calling to a new place of service through miraculous events that He has caused to work for our good.  He is always at work in other ways as well… ways that we may not see or understand right now.  Through it all, we have learned (and are continuing to learn) that life can be challenging and even overwhelming, but God is good!  As the song says, “How can we keep from singing His praise?”

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This post was written by C. A. Boyd

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The missing piece…What Every Christian Should Know About Worship

SOMETHING IS MISSING…

What is the missing piece of the puzzle?

Many Christians try to do what they know they need to do in order to grow as a Christian and become more like Jesus. We read our Bibles, we pray, we attend church, we sing songs of worship, and we try to be a witness for Christ through the way we live our lives as well as by what we say. Some Christians even take responsibility for sharing the good news about Jesus when the opportunity arises. Sadly, for many Christians, there is still a nagging feeling that something is missing. My personal belief, based upon years of learning from scripture, from the writings and teachings of others (through books, sermons, articles, and conferences), and from my own experience, is that true worship is the missing piece.

KEY A:  RELATIONSHIP  THROUGH  WORSHIP
True worship connects us to the very heart of God like nothing else can.

Jesus said to the woman at the well that God is Spirit and that all who truly worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and in truth. (John 4:24)  Jesus named only two requirements for authentic worship, and yet there are many Christians who don’t feel that they really understand what it means to worship.  Others may not have spent much time thinking about worship but would admit that their corporate worship experiences seem to be lacking in some way and that their personal worship time is practically non-existant. 

Remember that Jesus could have spoken to the woman at the well about anything, and yet He chose to talk about worship.  Certainly, acts of service and devotion are vitally important.  So is sharing the gospel, as well as other critical elements of the Christian life, such as discipleship, fellowship with other believers, Biblical knowledge, and prayer,  And yet, Jesus chose to talk about worship   His conversation with the Samaritan woman was life changing for her.  She was confronted with the truth about who she was.  She initially recognized that Jesus must somehow be very closely related to God since He knew everything about her, and she ultimately realized that she was seeing God Himself in the form of a man.  The woman’s response to these revelations of truth (who Jesus/God is and who she was) revealed the change that had occured in her life as a result of her encounter with Christ.  She, who had been such an outcast that she ceme to the well alone at a time when no one else would be there, suddenly wanted to tell everyone what had just happened to her.  She wanted to run into town to tell them about the man she had met and what He said.  She was full of joy and excitement.  She had recognized her need, seen the fulfillment of that need in Christ, said “yes!” in her heart, and was ready to share the news!  That’s what true worship does.  It changes us, empowers us, fills us with wonder and joy, and makes us want to share what (and Who!) we have known and experienced with others.  When we see God for Who He really is, the transformation that occurs as a result of that encounter with the living God is a part of why worship is so important for me, for you, and for every Christian.

Here are some truths about worship and some practical helps for understanding your role as a worshipper.

Key B:   UNDERSTANDING  WORSHIP  BEGINS
WITH  UNDERSTANDING  WHO  GOD  REALLY  IS.
Worship is not some mystical activity that only people who have a Doctorate in Theology can understand.  God is revealed to us through His presence, through the Holy Spirit, through His word, and through the blessings and even challenges of life when we are looiking for His hand at work.

Simply stated, our lives, our thoughts, and the attitudes of our hearts matter to God. If we are going to seek to live a life that uplifts and blesses the lives of others and honors our Creator God through purity of purpose and a legacy of lasting (eternal) impact on the world, God knows that we must first be in right relationship with Him. He longs for us to know Him as He knows us. After we have come into relationship with God by accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior, this is where worship comes into the picture. When we begin to understand who God really is and catch a vision of His infinite love and mercy, our reasonable response to this revelation of truth is…worship.

Remember that God does not desire our worship so that he can become great. He is already great. He does not need to be elected as “Supreme Ruler of the Universe” by all of humanity. He is already the supreme ruler of the universe. God does not desire empty accolades or flowery speeches of devotion. He desires relationship with us.

KEY C:  THE MINDSET OF WORSHIP
We are never closer to the heart of God than when we

* see ourselves and our need for God

at the same time that we

* see who He is (our all-sufficient Creator, Savior, and Sustainer)

and then respond in true worship.

Worship God in Spirit and Truth

KEY D:  THE  REQUIREMENTS  FOR  WORSHIP

1. JESUS  SAID  THAT  WE  MUST  WORSHIP  “IN  SPIRIT”.
How can that happen?

What do we need in order for relationship with God to happen so that we can worship God in Spirit? First, we need a bridge of salvation from God to man so that we can accept His provision for our spiritual need and allow Him to begin to work in our hearts, minds, and souls. Accepting Jesus Christ as our Savior allows God to begin the process of making us holy so that one day we can dwell with Him (without making Heaven unholy). If we are going to be in relationship with Him while still on earth and in the process of becoming like Christ, we must be given spiritual understanding and spiritual life. To accomplish this, God’s Holy Spirit comes to live within us when we come to know Him. Even a child can understand that Jesus gave His life in order to pay the penalty for our sin. It doesn’t take a college degree to grasp the fact that our salvation is the beginning of a process of becoming like Christ so that we may one day dwell with God in a holy place where none of the consequences of sin can exist. However, we must move on from that beginning point of salvation to learning and growing in the deeper spiritual truths, including our understanding of worship, which we can do with the help of God’s spirit, who leads us into all truth when we are seeking more.

So, God has done the initial work of making our salvation and relationship with Him possible. He has done the important work of helping us to grow in Christ through the indwelling of His Spirit, and He has also done the work of fulfilling the first requirement of true worship through the indwelling.  We can worship God “in Spirit” when we have the Spirit of God living within us after accepting Christ as our Savior (as long as we don’t allow sin or the concerns of the world to drown out the still, small voice of God’s spirit).  Remember what Jesus said.  God is Spirit, and when we worship Him “in Spirit”, we are connecting spiritually in a unique way.  Father God who sustains us and who has provided a a way of salvation throught Jesus, God the Son, responds to the Spirit of God within us.

2. JESUS  SAID  THAT  WE  MUST  WORSHIP  “IN  TRUTH”.
True worship comes with surrender and getting real.

What about the “in truth” requirement for worship?  What does that mean?

First, as we come to an understanding of who God is and His characteristics as the Creator and Lord of all, at some point we learn that God knows all and that He looks upon our hearts. God knows us better than we know ourselves. He knows us more intimately than anyone else ever could. He knows our fears, our failures, our sorrows, our sin, our hopes, our loves, and our priorities. He knows what we worship. Our job is to get real with Him.  We must come to realize that faking spiritual life or pretending to surrender to God or acting the part of a genuine worshipper will never be enough for true relationship with Him.

If we say that we worship God and yet devote most of our energy and thoughts to something else (even to all of the busy-ness of serving God that we sometimes allow to become a substitute for knowing and worshipping Him), God knows it. He does not want us to have divided hearts, and He longs for us to be spared the eventual pain that comes with focusing our lives too much on temporary pleasures or things or human relationships without seeking Him first. Since He knows our hearts and fully understands our spiritual struggles, it does no good to try to fool God with a “show” of worship. He is not fooled. We are only fooling ourselves, and we are falling into the trap of settling for less of God than He wants to give.

All to Jesus I surrender…

Secondly, we need to realize what God’s true nature is in relation to us, His children.  Jesus said that God is a giver who desires to give good gifts to His children. (Matthew 7:11)  We can never out-give God, and yet we try to hold part of ourselves back from relationship to Him, thinking that we don’t want to lose our identity. However, it is only when we are able to let go and give ourselves fully to God that He can show us what abundant life means.  He can then show us our true identity in Him (who He made us to be).  When we begin to understand the revelation of what God will do through us as we surrender to Him, we can begin the process of fully becoming every part of the whole of our true identity.  This is why Jesus said that He that tries to keep his life will lose it. While we won’t lose our salvation if we never fully surrender to God, we will lose the eternal impact that our lives were meant to have. We will lose the fullest meaning and purpose that our lives could have had. We will also lose out on abundant life.

Thirdly, we have to get real.  It is only when we are willing to be real and honest with God (and even tell Him about our struggles to surrender fully to Him) that He can begin to work with the truth that we have accepted about ourselves and begin to teach us the joys of a life that is being transformed from the inside out. When we trust God with the truth (that He already knows) and come to Him with real desire to move forward in becoming like Christ, even though we know that we have a long way to go in that journey, that desire to bring God glory with our lives by becoming more like Christ is true worship. Our lives become the intentional expression of our desire to bring God glory through recognizing His infinite worth.* We then choose to allow God to fill us with His spiritual life as we continually surrender our mess to Him. That process is living Romans 12:1-2, our reasonable service of worship. That is living in an authentic relationship with God, worshipping Him in truth, as we continue to give Him our mess and allow Him to make our lives a message of God’s glory through a transformed life.

Romans 12

New International Version (NIV)

A Living Sacrifice

12 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. ² Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

KEY E:  GOD  AND  JESUS  LEAD  THE  WAY  IN  SACRIFICIAL  GIVING

Remember these truths:

God is not asking us to do anything that He himself has not already done! 
He gave Himself. 

At a time when we were all takers, He gave.
We continue to take, and He continues to give.

Only true worship breaks the “cycle of taking” in our lives,
As we seek to give Him glory in all of life through living a life of worship.

Restating and expanding upon Key E:
When we worship God, we become part of an endless (eternal) cycle of giving which God began, which He continues in every moment, which He will continue throughout eternity, and of which He is always a part.  (even when we are not in giving mode)

(i)  God began the giving.

1 Peter 1:20
“He (Jesus) was chosen (as our Redeemer, whose live would be given for all) before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake.”

John 3;16 (NLT)  “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”

(ii)  God continues to give in every moment of time.

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”  – James 1:17
(Note that God’s nature is that of a giver and that He does not change!)

22The LORD’S lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail. 23They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. 24“The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I have hope in Him.”…  – Lamentations 3:22 – 24

(iii)  God will continue giving throughout all eternity.

“But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him.”  – I Corinthians 2:9

“The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.”  – Revelation 21:23

(iv)  God is always a part of an eternal cycle of giving. 

“If you then, imperfect as you are, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in Heaven give good things to those who ask Him!”  – Matthew 7:11 (WNT)

Therefore…

Key F:  WORSHIP  IS  ABOUT  GIVING  OURSELVES  TO  A  LOVING  GOD  WHO  HAS  GIVEN  HIMSELF  FOR  US  AND  WILL  CONTINUE  TO  GIVE  THROUGHOUT  ALL  OF  ETERNITY.

Many people don’t realize that the pervasive attitude of consumerism in society has leached into our mindsets about worship.  If we view worship as something that should be done only on Sundays and only during a corporate worship service, we have not understood the concept of lifestyle worship (worshiping God through the way that we live our lives by seeking to give Him glory in all that we do and all that we are becoming).  If we view worship from the standpoint of how much we are “getting out of it”, then we misunderstand worship completely.  Worship is not about the occasional obligatory 25 minutes of singing that some just endure during a church worship service.  Worship is also not about consuming a commodity.  It is not a cheeseburger or a steak.  It is not about your musical preferences or mine.  It is not about seeing and being seen.  Worship is not something that we do in order to check all of the spiritual boxes.

Instead, worship can become our natural state of being as we learn more and more about our merciful God, our victorious Savior, and our ever-present guide and helper, God’s indwelling and holy Spirit (then choosing to respond to all that He is with all that we are).

THE  KEY  TRUTH:  Worship is about giving.

Giving in daily life…

Lift up His name!

If we understand that worship is about giving, we can choose to live with an attitude of true worship (though none of us can accomplish it perfectly in this life).  We can seek to continually express God’s infinite worth* through living in such a way that every part of our lives ultimately brings Him glory.  This is something that we cannot do in our own strength.  In order to continue the process of becoming like Christ as we seek to live a live that brings God glory, we need God’s help in many ways.  He gives us guidance and strength through His word, through His presence, and through dwelling within us in Spirit.  Even as we are sseking to give worship to God through living “as unto the Lord and not unto men”,  He continues to give! 

Living in an attitude of worship, presenting our selves unto the Lord as a living sacrifice, is our “reasonable service of worship”.  (Romans 12:1 & 2) 

To state this truth in another way.  because of all that God has done, is continuing to do, and will do throughout all of eternity, we choose moment by moment to live in such a way that our lives bring glory to God, even in the small, everyday things.

“Whatever you are doing, let your hearts be in your work, as a thing done for the Lord and not for men.”  –  Colossians 3:23  (Weymouth New Testament)

“And serve them with all your soul in love, as unto our Lord and not as unto men,”  – Ephesians 6:7  (Aramaic Bible in Plain English)

“Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”  – I Corinthians 10:31  NASB

“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”  – Colossians 3:17

“If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.”  I Peter 4:11

Giving in times of corporate worship…

Worship from the heart

If we understand that worship is about giving, then we can come to a corporate worship service with a heart that is ready to give!  Whether things in our lives seem to be going well or whether we are struggling or dealing with many trials, the fact remains that both a private worship time and times of corporate worship are about giving.  Even when the cares of life are weighing us down, we can be honest in prayer and tell God that we are feeling drained and exhausted and worn to a frazzle.  He already knows everything we are facing and everything we are feeling anyway, so we are simply coming into agreement with the truth when we admit our status before Him.  Then, we can choose to give the sacrifice of praise by making a symbolic mental, emotional, and spiritual exchange.  We give our burdens to God and exchange the spirit of heaviness that had been pressing the life right out of us for that lovely garment of praise.

When we lift up the Lord, He lifts us up, too!  We can never out-give God because He is constantly giving more and more.  There will always be an infinite number of reasons to praise Him.  When we come into a time of corporate worship ready to give the Lord praise, honor, exaltation, blessing, surrender, our lives and hearts, our focus, our struggles, our longings, and our raw need for God and for all that He is to be reflected in our lives, He will meet us right where we are and complete the cirlcle of giving (of which He is always a part).

WHAT  ARE  WE  SUPPOSED  TO  GIVE?

1.  We are to give God THANKSGIVING and PRAISE!

* Psalm 100:4   ”Enter His gates with thanksgiving And His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name.”

* Psalm 9:1 & 2   “I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart: I will tell of all Thy wonderful deeds.  I will be glad and exult in Thee, I will sing praise to Thy name, O Most High.”

2.  We are to give God GLORY!

(or, glorify Him)

* Psalm 86:12   “With all my heart I will praise you, O Lord my God. I will give glory to your name forever.”

* Psalm 96:6 – 9   “Honor and majesty are before Him, strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.  Give unto the Lord, O ye kindreds of the people, give unto the Lord glory and strength.  Give unto the Lord the glory due unto His name; bring an offering, and come into His courts.  O worship the Lord in the beauty of Holiness; fear before Him, all the earth.”

3.  We are to give God AWE and REVERENCE, acknowledging Him as the Lord and Creator of all.

(In some verses and some translations, “the fear of the Lord”)

* Psalm 111:10   “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!”

* Psalm 86:9 – 12   “All the nations You have made shall come and bow down before You, O Lord, and shall glorify Your name.  For You are great, and You do wondrous things; You alone are God.  Teach me Your way, O Lord, that I may walk in Your truth; unite my heart to fear Your name.  I give thanks to You, O Lord my God, with my whole heart; and I will glorify Your name forever.”

4.  We are to give God BLESSING.  (Bless the Lord, bless the name of the Lord)

* Psalm 103:22   ”Bless the LORD, all you works of His, In all places of His dominion; Bless the LORD, O my soul!”

* Psalm 28:6 & 7   “Blessed be the Lord!  for He has heard the voice of my supplications.  The Lord is my strength and my shield; in Him my heart trusts; so I am helped and my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to Him.”

5.  We are to give Him EXALTATION!*  (or exalt Him, exalt His name)

From the www.thefreedictionary.com, here are the applicable definitions:

1. to raise or elevate in rank, position, dignity, etc.

2. to praise highly; glorify; extol

* Psalm 34:3   “Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together!”

*NOTE:  The word ‘exaltation’ sometimes gets confused with ‘exultation’, for which the definition is “to rejoice greatly, be jubilant or triumphant (or, as in triumph.  We rejoice greatly in His triumph.)  — same source

6.  We are to give Him SERVICE!
(giving of our hearts, our time, our gifts, and our lives in serving Him)

* Joshua 24:15   ”If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”

7.  We are to give Him WORSHIP!
True worship rises up from the people of God, who are choosing to intentionally express His infinite worth! **

**(see note at end of post)

You have probably noticed by now that there is some overlap in the various types of giving to the Lord.  For example, in singing praise to God, we can bless His name.  In the worship category of giving, there is overlap with all other types of giving.  All of these ways of giving to the Lord are worship (lifestyle worship) when we are giving with the purpose of bringing glory to God and expressing His infinite worth through giving our best to God in every area of our lives.

* Psalm 29:2   ”Honor the LORD for the glory of His name. Worship the LORD in the splendor of His holiness.”

* Phillippians 3:3   “For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.”

8.  We are to give Him our songs (SING UNTO HIM)!

* Psalm 5:11   ”But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them sing joyful praises forever. Spread your protection over them, that all who love your name may be filled with joy.”

* Psalm 30:4   “Sing praises to the Lord, O you His saints, and give thanks to His holy name.”

* Psalm 59:16 & 17   “I will sing of Thy power; yes, I will sing aloud of Thy mercy in the morning; for Thou hast been my defense and refuge in the day of my trouble.  Unto Thee, O my Strength, will I sing; for God is my defense , and the God of my mercy.”   Psalm 59:16 & 17“I will sing of Thy power; yes, I will sing aloud of Thy mercy in the morning; for Thou hast been my defense and refuge in the day of my trouble.  Unto Thee, O my Strength, will I sing; for God is my defense , and the God of my mercy.”

9.  We are to give Him TITHES and OFFERINGS!

* Malachi 3:10   “Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house.  And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.”

* Exodus 35:29  “The children of Israel brought a voluntary offering to Jehovah, every man and woman whose heart prompted them to bring for all manner of work, which Jehovah, by the hand of Moses, had commanded to be done.”

10.  We are to give Him HONOR!

* Revelation 4:11   “Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.”

* Psalm 96:6 – 9   “Honor and majesty are before Him, strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.  Give unto the Lord, O ye kindreds of the people, give unto the Lord glory and strength.  Give unto the Lord the glory due unto His name; bring an offering, and come into His courts.  O worship the Lord in the beauty of Holiness; fear before Him, all the earth.”

* Proverbs 3:9   “Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the first and best part of all your income.”

Just as we would honor a guest in our home by seeking to serve our best meal and prepare diligently so that all will be able to enjoy the best time of fellowship, we choose to give unto the Lord the best of all that we are and all that we have for His honor.   We honor the Lord by giving, just as He has chosen to honor us by seeking fellowship with us and reaching out to us through the gift of His very best.

11.  We are to give Him LOVE!

The words of Jesus Himself in Mark 12:30   “AND YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH.”

* Psalm 31:23   “Love the LORD, all you his saints! The LORD preserves the faithful but abundantly repays the one who acts in pride.”

* Joshua 22:5   “But be very careful to obey all the commands and the instructions that Moses gave to you. Love the LORD your God, walk in all his ways, obey his commands, hold firmly to him, and serve him with all your heart and all your soul.”

* Psalm 116:1   “I love the LORD, because he has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy.”

12.  We are to give Him OUR WHOLE HEART AND LIFE!

* I Chronicles 28:9   “And you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father and serve him with a whole heart and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches all hearts and understands every plan and thought. If you seek Him, He will be found by you, but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever.”

* Mark 8:35   “If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it.”

The Final KEY TRUTH:

 THERE  IS  NO  SUBSTITUTE  FOR  CORPORATE  WORSHIP  WITH  GOD’S  PEOPLE.

It is wonderful to have a personal understanding of worship that aligns with what scripture teaches, and it is vitally important that every Christian also begins to follow through and move forward from having knowledge about worship to actually putting into practice the truths that we have learned.  In other words, each of us must begin to view ourselves as not only a child of God, servant of God, and disciple of Christ but also as a worshipper.  The Bible tells us that God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.  Through worship, we are seeking more than just answered prayers and strength or comfort.  We are actually seeking to bless the heart of God with our own desire to give Him glory.  In choosing to live all of life with an attitude of worship, we are seeking to choose in every moment to do, say, and think in a God-honoring way.  Again, we will fall short, but our effort and our heart for God will not escape His notice.  He will meet with us in those moments of focused worship, and He will bless our efforts to bring Him glory through living in an attitude of worship.

Personal worship and living a lifestyle of worship are wonderful and essential to the life of every growing Christian, but those two elements of growth as a worshipper are not enough without regular corporate worship times with your church family.  Times of worship with the body of Christ are essential for the body and for the individuals who make up the body.  Here is what the Bible says about our need for corporate worship:

“We should not stop gathering together with other believers, as some of you are doing. Instead, we must continue to encourage each other even more as we see the day of the Lord coming.”  – Hebrews 10:25 (God’s Word translation)

Seeing the scripture within the context of other verses, consider the application for such a time as this:

A Call to Persevere
…23Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; 24and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, 25not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.…

Restated:  In order to persevere in our faith, we must not waver in our commitment to be a part of the body of Christ and to worship with the body of Christ.  We must hold on with all of our might to the certain hope we have been given, recognizing God’s faithfulness in keeping His promises.  We must encourage one another and work together to love each other within the church fellowship and to demonstrate the love of Christ to the world.  We must serve together, doing what is good in helping others both inside and outside of the church, in the name of Jesus.  We must learn and grow spiritually through the process of study and sharing testimonies of God’s faithfulness and proclamation of the Word.

And, we should remember that all of these things (corporate worship and all of the loving, serving, discipleship, and fellowship through the body) that can only be done by continuing to meet, worship, fellowship, and serve together as a body become even more important as time moves closer and closer to the return of Christ.

You and I cannot be who we need to be as Christians if we forsake meeting togther. 

If we are going to live in a way that honors and reverences the blood of Christ which sanctifies us, the passage goes on to say, we must demonstrate our love and commitment to the Lord through loving His body, the church, and meeting together with other believers for the primary purpose of worship and for discipleship, fellowship, outreach / missions, and service.  Verse 26 even refers back to the mention of forsaking meeting together and calls such practice “deliberate sin’, going on to talk about God’s judgement for those who have “spurned the Son of God, profaned the blood of the convenant, and outraged the Spirit of Grace” (vs. 29).  God does not take it lightly when those who know Him (and whom Jesus died to save) reject His body, the church.

Remember that we (Christians who make up the body of Christ) are all in the process of growing to be more Christlike, and we are all in different stages of spiritual growth.  Sometimes other Christians will disappoint or even hurt us.  We need to extend the same grace that we have been given to our fellow believers.  They may not have yet reached the point of conviction about something that they have done or are doing that is wrong or has been hurtful (sometimes unintentionally) to the body.  However, we can choose to demonstrate the love of Christ and the grace and mercy of God to them, knowing that love always hopes, always believes, and always trusts.  You may not be able to trust an individual, but you can trust the God who is at work in your heart and in theirs.

We are a family of brothers and sisters in Christ, and the same principles of forgiveness, moving forward, and talking through problems that you follow with your own family must also be followed with your spiritual family.  This is one of the ways that we encourage one another to good works (one of the reasons given for not forsaking the assembling together of God’s family).  Forgiveness and reconciliation, resulting in spiritual growth for both parties and in greater harmony within the body, are good works!   Don’t allow your “right” to nurse a grudge or hang on to a hurt or misunderstanding to cause you to sin against the blood of Christ.

Remember, there is no substitute for worshipping together with other believers.

May God bless you as you seek to worship Him both personally and corporately, living a life that brings Him glory and discovering that relating to God as a 24/7 worshipper is the missing piece that you have longed to find.

Colossians 1:10   “And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God.”

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* John Piper’s definition of worship. paraphrased.
This definition is found in the devotion titled  ”Bodies, Breakfast, and the Marriage Bed”  and subtitled  “A Meditation on Daily Worship”.
You can read the complete devotion at this link:  http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/taste-see-articles/bodies-breakfast-and-the-marriage-bed

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This post was written by Cynthia A. Boyd

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You may want to read some of our other posts and pages about worship:

OUR OTHER POSTS ABOUT WORSHIP: (Our pages, like the one on Lifestyle Worship, have titles that are always visible on the blog header.  Our posts are categorized, and all of the posts on worship can be found in our category called “Worship…with Wonder!”

Music is a gift…Worship the Giver!

Worship:  Definitions and Quotations

Worship…it’s all about Giving!

Worship in the New Testament

Understanding Worship

Worship is Joy!

Worship Planning and Preparation

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For further reading, here is a link to an article called,

“What is Worship?
A Survey of Scripture”

http://www.gci.org/God/worship

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Do you know someone who is looking for answers?

Thank you for spending your valuable time reading the contents of this page.  We hope that it has been helpful to you.   If you or someone that you know is looking for answers about life, we hope that you will visit our page called “Do You Know Jesus?”.   The links provided on this page will help to answer life’s deepest questions.   Here is the link to “Do You Know Jesus?”:  http://www.worshipsounds.wordpress.com/do-you-know-jesus/

Please feel free to share this URL with anyone who is looking for answers about life and eternity.

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Anthems of Praise and Thanksgiving

Click this image to go to our Worship Sounds Music website.

At Worship Sounds Music, we have an entire playlist of video demos for our anthem options that are songs of Praise and Thanksgiving!

From the easy to learn 2-part arrangement of “Since I Have Been Redeemed” (also available in SATB w/ Solo Throughout and in SATB with optional 1st verse solo, sung by The Singing Churchmen of Oklahoma in TTBB) to the SSATB arrangement of “One Like Me” (sung by The Singing Churchwomen of Oklahoma in SSAA), every difficulty level is represented.  (With a wide variety of voicings as well)
Some the anthems are written in a lyrical, ballad or hymn-like style, like the lovely creation hymn medley “The Father’s Beautiful World” and the majestic anthem, “Greater” (available in SSATB and SSAA, sung and recorded by the Jubalheirs).
Other anthems are more up-beat and syncopated, such as the jazzy SATB anthem, “Don’t Let the Rocks Cry Out” and the contemporary praise anthem, “For the Glory of God” (available in SATB, SSAA, and TTBB, with optional Full Orchestration or Accompaniment Track also available, also sung by The Jubalheirs).
There are anthems for all of your choirs:  Adult Choir “The Theme of Our Praise), Student Choir (“A Joyful Doxology”, in SAB), and Senior Adult Choir (“Thank You for the Journey”).
Some of our anthems have well-loved hymn texts set to beautiful new melodies, such as the SATB “O, For a Thousand Tongues to Sing”.

We invite you to take a few minutes to listen to the audio of voice parts and piano accompaniment as you view the music for our anthems with our Video Demo playlist on the Travis L. Boyd / Worship Sounds Music YouTube channel.

PLEASE VIEW PLAYLIST IN FULLSCREEN MODE TO SEE LYRICS BEST.
Please use “Back” and “Forward” arrows (on the YouTube toolbar at the bottom, between play/pause arrow and speaker icon) to go to the Next Video or Previous Video if desired.

*  Our anthems are the work of Music and Worship Minister and Composer Travis L. Boyd, who has published anthems with Lorenz Music, Shawnee Press / Hal Leonard, Choristers Guild, Lifeway, and Broadman.

* Many of our anthems have Full Orchestrations available. Included in the bundled PDF’s are a Director’s Score, String Reduction for keyboard, and reproducible parts for Strings, Winds, and Percussion.

* Many of our anthems have Accompaniment Tracks available, sent as an Mp3 download.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Composer Travis L. Boyd.
Thank you for your time and for your consideration of our music!  We consider it an honor to serve Ministers of Music and Worship and Church Choral Directors with the hope that we can provide support and resources for your Worship Ministry through this blog and through our music.
Blessings to you in your life and ministry,

Travis L. Boyd
Worship Sounds Music

Psalm 100: A Prescription for Praise!

“Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands.
Serve the Lord with gladness; come before His presence with singing.
Know that the Lord is God; it is He that has made us and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise; be thankful unto Him, and bless His name.
For the Lord is good: His mercy is everlasting, and his truth endures to all generations.”

~   Psalm 100 (all verses, 1 – 5)

I love Psalm 100!

These 5 short verses are a prescription for a life of thanksgiving and praise!

Within these verses, we find the “why” of praise.

Why do we praise God?

* 1 *  Because He is good  (verse 5)

* 2 *  Because His mercy is everlasting   (verse 5 ~ some translations use “steadfast love”)

* 3 *  Because His truth endures to all generations   (v. 5 ~ some versions say “faithfulness”)

* 4 *  Because we are His people   (v. 3)

* 5 *  Because He is like a Shepherd to us   (v. 3 ~ He cares for our needs since we are the sheep of His pasture.)

* 6 *  Because the pasture is His   (v. 3 ~ We dwell within His creation, another provision.)

* 7 *  Because He is God   (v.3)

* 8 *  Because He made us   (v. 3)

* 9 *  Because anything we have as far as abilities and gifts (anything good within us) came from Him  (v. 3 ~ We didn’t make ourselves.)

* 10 *  Because He allows us to come into His presence   (v. 4 ~ We can enter His gates, His courts.)

* 11 *  Because He wants to be in relationship and fellowship with us, He gives us the keys to His presence.   (v. 4 He tells us that thanksgiving and praise are the outer and inner gateways to communion with Him.)

* 12 *  Because He wants us to be glad and to be joyful, to have hearts that sing.   (v. 1 & 2 ~ He even wants to hear and share in our joy!)

Did you see those 12 reasons for praise in the 5 verses of Psalm 100 before?  I have read this Psalm hundreds of times in the 35 years since I became a Christian, but I don’t think I saw all of the reasons for praise until I started looking for them.

Isn’t it amazing that our God is so good that we can find 12 reasons for praising Him in only 5 short verses of scripture.  He is amazing!  THAT’S WHY WE PRAISE HIM!

The Lord is great, He is Sovereign, He is personal, He is a loving and caring Shepherd, He claims us as His own, He wants us to know Him, He is a God of truth, He is merciful (FULL of mercy), He is a giver, He is generous (desiring our joy!), He has our best interests at heart, and He is powerful.

He is God.

Knowing the 5 verses of Psalm 100 can be a lifelong reminder of the reasons to praise Him. There’s something else in these verses as well. We not only have the “why” of praise in Psalm 100. We also have the “how”.

So, how are we to praise the Lord?

* with a joyful noise (v. 1)
* with glad hearts as we serve Him (v. 2)
* with singing (v. 2)
* with the reverent recognition of who He is (v. 3)
* with thanksgiving (v. 4)
* with blessing for His name (v. 4)
* with knowledge that praise is the password to His presence (v. 4)
* with the desire to go deeper in seeking and knowing Him (also v. 4, drawing near as we come into his courts)

Finally, we find that remembering the how and why of praise found in Psalm 100 can help us to live in fellowship with the Lord as we continually look for more reasons to give Him praise and seek to live our lives for His glory.  

There are many benefits to living a life of praise, because praise is good medicine!

Unlike prescriptions for medication, praise has no harmful side effects. The benefits of praise are spiritual, emotional, mental, and even physical.

Here are 10 of the benefits of praise:

* Praise focuses our attention on the eternal and causes us to let go of our earthly concerns for a while.

* Praise reminds us why we love and trust our great God. It reminds us who He is.

* Praise helps us to remember that God’s salvation goes beyond meeting our greatest need (for Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior) to meeting our everyday needs through all of the ways that God shepherds and cares for us and helps us to grow in grace.

* When we praise the Lord specifically for all that He is and all that He has done, we are confronted with God’s sovereignty, Jesus’ glory as the only begotten of the Father, and the Holy Spirit’s comfort and guidance.

* Praise brings peace to our hearts because it reminds us that He is our peace.

* Praise makes us glad as we remember that He is the joy of every longing heart.

* Praise gives us eternal perspective and helps us hold on to faith in God, even when things don’t seem to make sense.

* Praise allows God to meet us where we are and minister to us at the point of our deepest need.

* Praise takes our eyes off of ourselves and focuses them on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.

* Praise allows us to give something of eternal value to the Giver of all things. We can give something of eternal value only because God invested Himself in us when He chose to die for us. He can redeem us through the power of His great love and make us into eternal beings who will see His glory and become worthy of His presence through the shedding of His own blood. He gives value to our weakest effort. His strength is perfected in our human weakness. As we praise Him, we recognize and affirm His infinite worth and supreme glory as the God of all creation. He, in turn, lifts us up with the knowledge that He cares for us and values our lives, our souls, and even our human efforts to live in such a way that our lives bring Him glory.

With results like that, this prescription for praise should be administered daily!

See the information below about our most often read blog post, 31 Days of Praise, to give you a full month of praise scripture devotions.

Below, you will find a memorization helper photo for Psalm 100.  Print it in whatever size works for you, and use it as a memory aide to help you learn the 5 incredible verses of Psalm 100.

Use this scripture memory photo for the 5 verses of Psalm 100 to read it aloud each day and memorize this passage

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31  DAYS OF PRAISE  

This blog post originally was (and still is) the praise devotion for day 17 in our “31 Days of Praise” blog post (see link below).

Most of the devotions consist of a praise verse, a truth about praise drawn from that verse, and a short, devotional paragraph with thoughts about praise inspired by that verse.  However, this particular devotion is longer…quite a bit longer.  It is the only long-ish devotion in “31 Days of Praise” because there’s just so much in Psalm 100.  The more I looked, the more I found, and the more there was to share about this passage of scripture and our great God.  With this much to share, I decided after I published the 31 devotions that this particular devotion needed to become a separate post as well.  Psalm 100 is even more special to me now that the Lord has revealed so much about it and about Himself through it.  We hope that this post will be a blessing.  Don’t forget to check out “31 Days of Praise” for 30 short devotions about praise + one that is a little long-ish.

Here’s the link to   31 Days of Praise

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This post was written by Cynthia A. Boyd.
This post can be reprinted in an unpaid church publication as long as the author’s name and blog URL are included.  It does need to be printed in its entirety.  We stand by each post on our blog, so we require that no edits be made.  Even the tiniest edit might alter the meaning or original intent of a post.  For a paid publication, obtaining permission is required.

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Do you know someone who is looking for answers?

Thank you for spending your valuable time reading the contents of this page.  We hope that it has been helpful to you.   If you or someone that you know is looking for answers about life, we hope that you will visit our page called “Do You Know Jesus?”.   The links provided on this page will help to answer life’s deepest questions.   Here is the link to “Do You Know Jesus?”:  http://www.worshipsounds.wordpress.com/do-you-know-jesus/

Please feel free to share this URL with anyone who is looking for answers about life and eternity.

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31 Days of Praise (Scripture Devotions)

In this blog post, you will find 31 short devotions, one for every day of any month.  Each one is based upon a scripture about praise and a truth about praise drawn from that scripture, with some thoughts about praise for each day.

We hope that this post will be a blessing to you in your times of private worship as well as in your daily life.

FOREWORD to the daily devotions:  Thoughts about praise

Praise in General 

Praise is an expression of something good.  When we praise another person, we tell them something good that we have observed about them or something good that we have experienced as a result of our relationship to them.  Sometimes people we’ve never personally met inspire us with stories of strength and courage; and we could choose to respond to that with praise, sharing our good thoughts in some way (telling others, writing a letter to the person, etc.)  Sometimes, our praise takes the form of saying something good about someone to others, even though the person we are praising is not present to hear our words.  I can praise my husband or children even when they are not around by sharing something good about them verbally or in writing.

Praise has an object.  There is something or someone that we are praising.

Praise also has an audience.  We either speak or write our praise directly to the person or group or family or organization we are praising, or we speak or write to others about them.

When we praise someone directly, that person is the object of our praise and also is the audience (if no one else is present) or a part of the audience (if others also hear our praise for them).  Praise for others is at its best when the motivation for it comes out of the overflow of our love and/or respect, resulting from the impact a person has made upon our lives.  Sometimes people have other motives, and praise can be meaningless or empty or even a part of a personal betrayal or an attempt to influence the actions of another person.  However, even though, as with every other human behavior, there is the potential for harm when praise is done for the wrong reasons, praise is still generally a beneficial expression that can be very meaningful and can even change someone’s life.

Praising God

When we praise God, He is both the object and the audience (or part of the audience) for our praises.  He hears our praise, even though we don’t see Him visually.  We are speaking or singing directly to God as well as about Him.  Because of this fact, words of praise to God are some of the most important words that will ever come out of our mouths.  Praise is not something to ever take lightly.  When our praise for God is genuine, we are expressing the overflow of our hearts and sharing good things about our God.  We are telling or writing or in some other way (music, dance, art) expressing a clear message about who God is and/or what He has done.  Our praise can be part of a testimony of what God has done and is doing in our lives.  Praise can be one brief statement, or it can be a more lengthy expression.  We are sharing with others the news that God is good and at the same time telling Him that we know He is good.  We do need to be careful about expressing praise only when something happens that we are happy about.  God is good all the time.  He is worthy of our praise. 

All of us have to be intentional about praise.  We have to choose to become people who make a commitment to express praise to God and to others about God.  We have to choose to be both vulnerable and strong in expressing praise to God within the congregation.  We lay aside any concerns about what other people are thinking or doing, and we simply focus on praising God with all of our hearts.  Praise opens our hearts to God as we focus on Him alone.  He inhabits (dwells within or manifests His presence within) the praise of His people.  It’s so amazing that God chooses to meet us and transform us with His presence when we make the choice to praise Him!

Praise is also necessary for the heart of every Christian even when we are feeling down, disappointed, or crushed by grief.  In the midst of our deepest valleys, we still recognize that God’s goodness and faithfulness are praiseworthy.  Because our praise opens the courts of the Lord, He will meet us there.  When we are willing to give to God the sacrifice of praise, knowing that He is good and merciful even in the midst of our trials or suffering, we give Him an opportunity to minister peace and comfort to our hurting hearts.  No matter what is happening in our lives, our God is worthy of praise.

Have a beautiful month as you praise Him each day!

Memory Challenge: 

As part of this month of praise, I hope that you will commit to memorize 2 short Psalms.

*  If you read through and speak out loud the 5 verses of Psalm 100 each day as part of your devotion time, you should have it memorized very well by day 17.

*  On day 18, begin to do the same thing with the 6 (shorter) verses of Psalm 150.

You’ll be surprised how many of the verses you already know.  You will always be glad that you memorized these 2 Psalms of praise, and they will be a blessing to you throughout your life.

Memorization helps:  In order to make the memorization easier for you, we have included printable versions of Psalm 100 and Psalm 150 in this post.

*  Just right click on the photo to choose the print option and then the size that will work best for you.

*  Place your memory photo page in a place where you will see it and work on learning it each day, or place it with your Bible for your devotional time.

*  Below, you will find the Psalm 100 printable.

*  The one for Psalm 150 is located between the devotions for Day 17 and Day 18.

*  You could also choose to simply stop at the photo verse each time to work on memorizing the verse (either before or after scrolling down to read the day’s praise devotional).

May God bless you as you praise Him and memorize His word.

Use this scripture memory photo for the 5 verses of Psalm 100, to read it aloud each day and memorize this passage by Day 17.  You can also print it to use as a memory helper.  (Photograph of beach by Carol Roberts)

THIRTY ONE DAYS OF PRAISE

*  Day One  *

Praise truth #1:  Praise takes determination and commitment.

“I will give to the Lord the thanks due to His righteousness, and I will sing praise to the name of the Lord, the Most High.”   — Psalm 7:17

Notice that the Psalmist makes a statement of his intention and his commitment to thank and praise the Lord.  He says “I will give thanks” and “I will sing praise.”  He also shares the reason for his thanksgiving, the Lord’s righteousness.  Our God loves goodness and justice, righteousness and truth.  We can trust that He will ultimately make everything right.  (Romans 8:28)  Praise Him today for His righteousness, and determine that you will make every day be a day of thanksgiving and praise to the Lord.

Memory Challenge:  Remember your memory challenge with the reading of Psalm 100 (just above this devotional).

*  Day Two  *

Praise truth #2:  Praise is job #1 for the Saints!

“Sing praises to the Lord, O you His saints, and give thanks to His holy name.”   — Psalm 30:4

As those who have believed in Jesus and experienced salvation, His saints, it is our duty as well as our joy and privelege to sing praises to the Lord and give thanks to Him.  Praise God today for His salvation and for giving you so many reasons to be thankful.  Bless His name today.  Speak aloud of the goodness of our God.  Sing praises to His holy name.

Memory Challenge:  Don’t forget to speak the verses of Psalm 100 aloud each day!

*  Day Three  *

Praise truth #3:  There is no doubt that God wants us to sing His praises and delights in the praises of His people.

“Sing praises to God, sing praises! Sing praises to our King, sing praises! For God is the King of all the earth; sing praises with a Psalm.”   — Psalm 47:6 & 7

How many times are we told to sing praises to the Lord in these two verses?  Five times!   He is the King of all the earth!  Sometimes we praise people more than we praise God.  Would we be more excited to meet an earthly King than to be in the presence of the King of all the earth?  Would we spend more time getting ready to appear before someone who is an earthly leader for a few years than we do in praising the King of all eternity?  When we begin to truly understand who God is and the incredible truth that He loves us and knows us and wants us to know Him, how can we keep from singing His praise?  Praise God today for His sovereignty over all of Creation.  Praise him specifically for all that He is and all He has done.

Memory Challenge:  How many verses of Psalm 100 can you say without looking?

*  Day Four  *

Praise truth #4:  Praise is far-reaching.

“We have thought of Thy steadfast love, O God, in the midst of Thy temple. As Thy name, O God, so Thy praise reaches to the ends of the earth.”   — Psalm 48:9 & 10

When we spend some time thinking of the steadfast love of God, right in the middle of our lives of busy-ness and inconstancy, our natural response to His faithfulness and unchanging love is praise!  Praise reaches to the ends of the earth.  It reaches the heart of God.  It reaches inside our own hearts and changes our perspective.  As important and as supreme as the name of God is, praise reaches just as far!  Praise accompanies God’s name.  We will never run out of reasons to praise Him, and He will never tire of hearing our praises, dwelling within them, and using the praises of His people to speak to the hearts of men. Praise God today for His steadfast love, and spend some time remembering His faithfulness in your life.

Memory Challenge:  Praise him with the Psaltery as you speak Psalm 100 aloud.

*  Day Five  *

Praise truth #5:  Praise is expressed verbally.

“O Lord, open Thou my lips, and my mouth shall show forth Thy praise.”   — Psalm 51:15

The Psalmist prays to God and asks that his mouth be made a vessel of praise.  He surrenders himself and his lips to the Lord and asks that God will allow them to be open for the purpose of praise.  What do I need to surrender in order that I may show forth His praise?  Clearly, I need to be willing to praise God verbally and openly.  I need to be committed to bringing God glory through my life.  I need to be passionate about sharing His praise verbally and through singing, and I need to be asking God to help me praise Him all the more. Pray the prayer of abundant praise today, asking God to take control of your heart and mind and lips and cause you to praise Him all day long.

Memory Challenge:  Psalm 100 time!

*  Day Six  *

Praise truth #6:  Praise can be joyful and glorious.

“Make a joyful noise to God, all the earth; sing the glory of His name; give to Him glorious praise!”   — Psalm 66:1

What constitutes a joyful noise to God?  Singing of His glory!  When we sing of the majesty and splendor and glory of God and praise Him with our whole heart, we are bringing Joy to the very heart of God.  Knowing that we can give something in return to the One who has given us everything we have ever had and ever will have is a joy for us as well.

Joy in Heaven and Joy on earth,

Songs of His glory and His infinite worth.

This is the way we should spend all our days,

Making joyful noise in glorious praise.

–  Cynthia A. Boyd

Memory Challenge:  The words of Psalm 100 make a joyful noise, too!  Speak them as to the Lord.

*  Day Seven  *

Praise truth #7:  Praising God is for all nations and all peoples.

“Let the peoples praise Thee, O God; let all the peoples praise Thee! Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for Thou dost judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon the earth. Let the peoples praise Thee, O God; let all the peoples praise Thee!”   — Psalm 67:3 – 5

Although God has chosen the people of Israel to be the ones that would proclaim His salvation through their history and through the coming of Jesus, He is at work within all peoples and nations.  He deals fairly and judges equitably.  He guides the nations in ways that we can’t fully understand.  This verse is a call to praise for people from all nations, tribes, and tongues.  We have reason to be glad and to sing for joy.  Our God is the righteous judge who loves the world and sent His Son to serve the sentence of death for all of mankind.  (John 3:16-17)  Praise God today for His work among the nations and for the fact that there are people in every country in the world who know Him, as well as those who will come to know Him.

Memory Challenge:  Can you say all 5 verses of Psalm 100 from memory yet?  Speak them out loud.  Saying them at the same time you are hearing yourself say them helps you to memorize them.

*  Day Eight  *

Praise truth #8:  It is important that we set aside the concerns of the day when we choose to joyfully praise the Lord.

“Let the righteous be joyful; let them exult before God; let them be jubilant with joy! Sing to God, sing praises to His name; lift up a song to him who rides upon the clouds; His name is the Lord, exult before Him.”    — Psalm 68:3 & 4

Remember who God is.  He is the Lord who rides upon the clouds.  We have read that we must enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise.  If we desire to commune with God, we must begin with thanksgiving and praise.  We must set aside the burdens and worries of the day as we give thanks and joyfully sing praise to Him.  Yes, He cares about every part of your life and about your heart and every concern that you have.  Since the Bible makes it clear that He cares for us and about us, we can lay our burdens down.  Think of your time with God as though you are visiting a friend (What a friend!).  You would not rush into your friend’s home and immediately begin listing all of your troubles and your requests for help.  Instead, you would greet your friend joyfully and let them know you are glad to be in their presence.  Later in your conversation, there will be time for deeper sharing.  When you choose to express thanksgiving and joyful praise first, you demonstrate that you trust the heart of God and know that He is already aware of everything in your life.  You are deliberately coming into God’s presence as someone who loves and cares for Him and is mindful of His infinite love and care for you.

[Be sure to notice all of the “joy words” in these 2 verses for day 8:  joyful, exult (definition:  show or feel elation or jubilation), be jubilant with joy, exult (again).  Place a joy reminder in a place where you will see it each day.]

NOTE:  Sometimes an immediate crisis in our lives allows for only a one word plea for “Help!” or a short phrase or sentence spoken as a prayer,  God hears all of our prayers and knows the cries of our hearts.  He knows each situation.  He desires that His children seek Him with all of our needs, and He places His love for us above any formula for prayer.  Just as a small child would do when afraid, sometimes all we need to do is run to the Lord (in prayer) and call out His name (just as the frightened child would call out, “Daddy!”).  The Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit helps us in our prayers, giving voice to the deepest “groanings” of our soul that are so profound we cannot even put them into words.  (Romans 8:26)  We also read that Jesus is right beside the throne of God, interceding (making requests on our behalf, praying for us).  (Hebrews 7:25)  So, when we are too exhausted with grief or pain to seek God with clarity, He knows, He helps, and He prays for us.

However, any time that it is possible for you to seek God in prayer and come to Him first with thanksgiving and praise, do so.  When you thank Him (knowing that He is good and that He cares for you) and praise Him (knowing that He is the Source and Sustainer of everything good and the Redeemer of your soul), your heart becomes open to His presence and aware of our loving Father God who is always there.  God can then manifest His love for you, His comfort, and His presence (His very “being there” for and with you) in heart to heart communication that is pure peace.

Memory Challenge:  Share Psalm 100 with your family today.

*  Day Nine  *

Praise truth #9:  The heart attitude is most important in praising God.

“I will praise the name of God with a song; I will magnify Him with thanksgiving.”   — Psalm 69:30

Singing a song of praise doen’t necessarily  mean that you are praising God as you sing.  The attitude of your heart determines whether the words you are singing match your audible expression of a praise song.  If the intention and commitment of your heart is to give God praise and thank Him wholeheartedly, then you are truly praising God when you sing.  Here, the Psalmist states his intention to praise the Lord and magnify His name through thanksgiving.  To magnify means to make something appear bigger.  God’s name is already supreme, so  how does our thanksgiving make His name appear larger?  In our own hearts, thanksgiving reveals God’s true nature and His goodness.  His name is always big, but we are more aware of who He is when we are thanking and praising Him.  Our sincere praise and thanksgiving can also impact the hearts of others and allow them to have a bigger picture of who God is as well.  So, intentionally express your praise to God with words and with song, and cause His name to be revealed as BIG with your thanksgiving.

Memory Challenge:  Repeat the words of Psalm 100 as you do something good today.  Whether you are are exercising or wrapping a gift for a friend, do a pleasant task with praise.

*  Day Ten  *

Praise truth # 10:  Praise is our heartfelt and intentional response to the revelation of who God is.

“I will praise Thee with the psaltery, even Thy truth, O my God. Unto Thee will I sing with the harp, O Thou Holy One of Israel. My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing unto thee; and my soul, which Thou has redeemed.”   — Psalm 71:22 & 23

The Psalmist reveals his thoughts about who God is as he declares his intention to praise God in response.  He mentions God’s truth, God’s commitment to personal relationship with us (“O, my God”), God’s holiness, God’s commitment to the nation of Israel (as keeper of promises and covenant, redeemer, refuge, sustainer); and, most importantly, he mentions God’s salvation (“my soul, which thou has redeemed”).  In response to the revelation of who God is in character and who God is to him personally, the Psalmist declares his intention to respond by using the Psalms (psaltery) to praise God verbally.  He also states that he will sing praise with the harp and that he will do so while greatly rejoicing.  The Psalmist realized that he had been greatly blessed and given grace, mercy, and salvation by a personal, holy, true God who is a keeper of promises and who has become his Redeemer.  His response is declaring God’s praise with his whole heart.

Memory Challenge:  Declare the praise of the Lord with Psalm 100!  You are doing exactly what the Psalmist did.

*  Day Eleven  *

Praise truth # 11:  Praise comes with blessings!

“Blessed are those who dwell in Thy house, ever singing Thy praise!  Selah.”   — Psalm 84:4

Notice that the Psalmist speaks of dwelling in God’s house and singing God’s praise continually.  For us today, I believe that this would refer to those who seek to stay in fellowship with God and who guard their thoughts and try to focus on thanksgiving and praise.  Blessings are many for us when we choose to allow God to work in our lives as we surrender our fears along with our hopes and our failures along with our strengths.   Singing God’s praise reveals the truth of His goodness and our need for Him.  When we allow Him to become our sufficiency, we do not lack any good thing.  We are living under the sheltering roof of God’s provision for our emotional, spiritual, mental, and physical needs.  As we continue to praise Him, our eyes are opened to more and more of what He has done and is doing in our lives.  The Amplified Bible translates the word ‘selah’ as “pause…and think of that”.   So, abide in His presence, rest in His provision, praise His faithfulness, and see that the Lord is good.  Now, pause and think of that.

Memory Challenge:  Psalm 100!

* Day Twelve * 

Praise truth #12:  When we praise God wholeheartedly, we bring glory to His name.

“I will praise Thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart; and I will glorify Thy name forevermore.”   — Psalm 86:12

Once again, the Psalmist declares his intention to praise the Lord.  He addresses God personally (O Lord my God) and commits himself to hold back nothing and praise God with his whole heart.  The promise of forever is as real as the present moment to him as the Psalmist makes his own promise to God.  He promises to glorify God’s name forevermore.  His life has become a testament to God’s glory as he pours himself fully into an offering of praise.  This well of praise will not run dry thoughout all eternity because the Psalmist knows that he could never out-give God.  There will always be a reason to thank and praise God, because God will continue to give and bless and love as only He can.  It will be so exciting that we will know the blessings and love of God fully, with complete understanding.  We will no longer need to walk by faith and trust God even in what seems to be a time of darkness.  Faith and trust will be replaced by complete knowledge when we know Him even as we are known.  Glory to God forever!

Memory Challenge:  Praise Him with Psalm 100.

* Day Thirteen *

Praise truth #13:   When we praise God for His faithfulness and His wonders, we are joining the heavens in congregational praise.

“The heavens shall praise Thy wonders, O Lord; Thy faithfulness also in the congregation of the saints.”   — Psalm 89:5

As we meet together for the purpose of worship, we enter into a praise party that is already happening.  The heavens are already praising God.  In ways that we can’t fully fathom, His wonders and His faithfulness are being praised in our midst by the hosts of Heaven and even by His creation.  What a tragedy it is when we fail to join this chorus of praise.  Like the Psalmist, we must choose to joyfully commit ourselves to praise, knowing that God is so good that the Heavenly realms are spilling their praise all over, even as we are meeting together.  Praise the Lord, Saints!

Memory Challenge:  Psalm 100!

* Day Fourteen * 

Praise truth # 14:  Praise is a good thing… all day long!

“It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto Thy name, O Most High; To show forth Thy lovingkindness in the morning, and Thy faithfulness every night.”   — Psalm 92:1 & 2

Oh, yes!  We trust God to get us through the day with His strength and His lovingkindness as we thank and praise Him in the morning and throughout the day.

Then, we thank and praise Him every night because He was faithful to do just that (get us through the day)!  Once again, His lovingkindness guided and comforted us all day long.  What better equation could describe our day?

_      God’s  lovingkindness______     —-    the foundation for praise!

undergirded by His faithfulness

Memory Challenge:  You ought to really know Psalm 100 by now!  As you have continued to speak these words in praise to God, you are taking the time to commit them to your life-long memory.  You’ve learned these 5 verses to the extent that they have become part of you.  Praise the Lord!

* Day Fifteen *

Praise truth #15:  Because God is great, He should be praised greatly.

“O sing unto the Lord a new song; sing unto the Lord all the earth. Sing unto the Lord, bless His name; show forth His salvation from day to day. Declare His glory among the heathen, His wonders among all people. For the Lord is great, and greatly to be praised.”   — Psalm 96:1 – 4a

God is great.  He is greater than we can imagine.  He is worthy of our songs.  He is so great that His name should be blessed.  He is so great that His glory should be declared to those who do not know Him.  He is so great that those who have experienced His salvation should live in such a way that their lives “show forth” from day to day.  (Some days may be easier than others, but the clear implication is a daily testimony of a transformed life!)

God…is…GREAT.  And, in every way that we can, His people should declare His greatness:  verbally, through songs, through our lives, and through praising Him for who He is and for all that He has done.  Praise the Lord greatly today!

Memory Challenge:  You are declaring His greatness by hiding His word in your heart.  You have treasured it enough to learn it.  Speak Psalm 100.

* Day Sixteen *

Praise truth # 16:  Praise for the Lord is celebrated joyfully with music.

(Note:  He also sings joyfully over us.  See Zephaniah 3:17)

“Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all the earth; make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise. Sing unto the Lord with a harp, with a harp and the voice of a psalm.”   — Psalm 98:4 & 5

How important is it that we should use music in praising the Lord?  Notice that these 2 verses mention musical praise in several different ways:  a joyful noise, a loud noise, rejoicing, singing praise, singing with a harp, and singing with the voice of a Psalm.  God made us, and He knows that there is something about music that speaks to our hearts like nothing else.   He also knows that music can express deep emotion and help us to remember and to celebrate.  Music can unite our hearts in an expression of team loyalty or holiday wishes or patriotism.  Music can have special meaning within relationships of friends or loved ones.  The combination of poetry and melody can be very powerful as a means of expression.  The highest use of this powerful expressive tool that we call music is to use it in praise to the Lord (genuine, heart-felt praise).  The style of music you prefer does not matter to God.  It’s your heart and the expression of your true praise that He values.  So, make a joyful noise in praise to the Lord.  It’s music to His ears.

Memory Challenge:  Really look at Psalm 100.  What do you see?  Tomorrow, you may see more in these verses than ever before.

* Day Seventeen * 

Praise truth # 17:  Praise opens the “courts” of intimacy in our relationship with God.

“Make a joyful moise unto the Lord, all ye lands. Serve the Lord with gladness; come before His presence with singing. Know that the Lord is God; it is He that has made us and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise; be thankful unto Him, and bless His name. For the Lord is good: His mercy is everlasting, and his truth endures to all generations.”   — Psalm 100 (all verses, 1 – 5)

I love Psalm 100!  These 5 short verses are a prescription for a life of thanksgiving and praise!  Here we have the “why” of praise.  Why do we praise God?  Because He is good…   Because His mercy is everlasting…   Because His truth endures to all generations…   Because we are His people…   Because He is like a Shepherd to us…   Because the pasture is His (we dwell within His creation)…   Because He is God…   Because He made us…   Because anything we have as far as abilities and gifts came from Him (we didn’t make ourselves)…   Because He allows us to come into His presence…   Because He wants to be in relationship and fellowship with us, so He tells us that thanksgiving and praise are the outer and inner gateways to communion with Him…   Because He wants us to be glad and to be joyful.

Did you see those 12 reasons for praise in the 5 verses of Psalm 100 before?  I have read this Psalm hundreds of times in the 35 years since I became a Christian, but I don’t think I saw all of the reasons for praise until I started looking for them.  Do you see them now?  THAT’S WHY WE PRAISE HIM!   He is great, He is Sovereign, He is personal, He is a loving and caring Shepherd, He claims us as His own, He wants us to know Him, He is a God of truth, He is merciful (FULL of mercy), He is a giver, He is generous (desiring our joy!), He has our best interests at heart, and He is powerful.  He is God. 

Knowing the 5 verses of Psalm 100 can be a lifelong reminder of the reasons to praise Him.  There’s something else in these verses as well.  We not only have the “why” of praise in Psalm 100.  We also have the “how”.  So, how are we to praise the Lord?

With a joyful noise,

*  with glad hearts as we serve Him,

*  with singing,

*  with the reverent recognition of who He is

*  with thanksgiving,

*  with blessing for His name

*  with knowledge that praise is the password to His presence

*  with the desire to go deeper in seeking and knowing Him

Good medicine!

One other thing to consider about the prescription for praise found in Psalm 100 is the benefits of praise.  Unlike prescriptions for medication, praise has no harmful side effects.  The benefits of praise are spiritual, emotional, mental, and even physical.  Here are 10 of the benefits of praise.

*  Praise focuses our attention on the eternal and causes us to let go of our earthly concerns for a while.

*  Praise reminds us why we love and trust our great God.  It reminds us who He is.

*  Praise helps us to remember that God’s salvation goes beyond meeting our greatest need (for Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior) to meeting our everyday needs through all of the ways that God shepherds and cares for us and helps us to grow in grace.

*  When we praise the Lord specifically for all that He is and all that He has done, we are confronted  with God’s sovereignty, Jesus’ glory as the only begotten of the Father, and the Holy Spirit’s comfort and guidance.

*  Praise brings peace to our hearts because it reminds us that He is our peace.

*  Praise makes us glad as we remember that He is the joy of every longing heart.

*  Praise gives us eternal perspective and helps us hold on to faith in God, even when things don’t seem to make sense.

*  Praise allows God to meet us where we are and minister to us at the point of our deepest need.  

*  Praise takes our eyes off of ourselves and focuses them on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.

*  Praise allows us to give something of eternal value to the Giver of all things.  We can give something of eternal value only because God invested Himself in us when He chose to die for us.  He can redeem us through the power of His great love and make us into eternal beings who will see His glory and become worthy of His presence through the shedding of His own blood.  He gives value to our weakest effort.  His strength is perfected in our human weakness.  As we praise Him, we recognize and affirm His infinite worth and supreme glory as the God of all creation.  He, in turn, lifts us up with the knowledge that He cares for us and values our lives, our souls, and even our human efforts to live in such a way that our lives bring Him glory.

With results like that, this prescription for praise should be administered daily!

Memory Challenge:  If you have memorized Psalm 100, continue to say it out loud every day during your private time of worship and praise.  Then, begin learning the 6 short verses of Psalm 150.  Here is a memory verse photo for Psalm 150 to help you learn the passage.  This can be printed or used as a reference when you are learning the verses before or after each day of praise devotion.

NOW,  IT’S  TIME  TO  BEGIN  MEMORIZING  PSALM 150.   HERE  IS  YOUR  MEMORY  HELPER  PHOTO.

Use this Psalm 150 memory photo to help you memorize the 6 verses of Psalm 150 by saying it aloud each day, days 18 through 31. The photo can also be printed in the size that works best for you. (Photograph of an Oklahoma sunset by Belinda Graham)

* Day Eighteen *

Praise truth # 18:  God was thinking of us long before our generation, longing for us to know His compassion and mercy for us so that we might be set free and be given new hearts of praise.

“Let this be recorded for a generation to come, so that a people yet unborn* may praise the Lord:
That He looked down from His Holy height, from heaven the Lord looked at the earth, To hear the groans of the prisoners, To set free those who were doomed to die: That men may declare in Zion the name of the Lord, and in Jerusalem, His praise; when peoples and kingdoms gather together to worship the Lord.“   — Psalm 102:18 – 22

* (or, “yet to be created” in some translations;  in other words, these truths were recorded for us!)

It is important for every generation to take responsibility for sharing the truth of God’s love and mercy with future generations.  Knowing what God has done and that he is a God who looks upon us with compassion and mercy allows future generations to choose to accept God’s mercy and His invitation to be free from the condemnation and the prison of sin.  People need to know that God has the power and mercy and love and grace needed to transform our lives from the inside out.  He will create within us hearts that long to praise and worship Him… because His goodness to us is so great and His life within us is a beautiful promise of the eternal life to come.  People need to know.

Memory Challenge:  Praise God today with the words of Psalm 150.

* Day Nineteen *

Praise truth # 19:  It is impossible to reach the limit for praise.  There is no limit.

“Praise ye the Lord; O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy endures forever. Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord? Who can show forth all His praise?”   — Psalm 106:1 & 2

Who, indeed, can utter the mighty acts of the Lord?  He is constantly acting on our behalf in ways that we don’t even know.  There is no way for us to speak praises for all that God has done because He is constantly doing more.  There is no end to His goodness and mercy, and there is no end to praise.  Though our praises may be incomplete, they are sweet gifts to our Lord.  So, praise ye the Lord!  Keep giving him thanks and showing forth His praise.  He’ll be showing us His love and mercy for all of eternity, and we will respond with praise.  Why wait?  Praise Him right now!

Memory Challenge:  Today, read Psalm 150 aloud twice as you praise the Lord.

* Day Twenty *

Praise truth # 20:  We fail to praise God as often as we should and as publically as we should.

“Oh, that men would praise the Lord for His goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!  Let them exalt Him also in the congregation of the people, and praise Him in the assembly of the elders.”   — Psalm 107:31 & 32

These verses are a lament and a plea for praise.  Here’s a paraphrase:  “Oh, wouldn’t it be wonderful if we would praise the Lord for His goodness and for His care (wonderful works!) in our lives!”  How would our perspective change?  How would the hearts of others be affected?  How would God use our praises to draw others to Himself.  Jesus said, “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.”  (John 12:32)  How much would our praises free the Lord to act in our lives and in the lives of others?  Let’s find out, people!  Let’s exalt (hold in high regard, elevate, raise, glorify, praise, honor) Him in the congregation!  Let’s praise Him anytime that we assemble to worship, to fellowship, or to serve Him in any way.

Memory Challenge:  Have some fun with praise!  As you speak the words of Psalm 150, beat a rhythm on a makeshift cymbal.  A pot lid and wooden spoon will do just fine.  Hold the pot lid by it’s handle and have some sounding cymbals to accompany the words of the Psalm.  If you have children, get them involved, too.  Give them each a line to say and something to make noise with as they speak their line (to the rhythm of the words, though…not with such wild abandon that they can’t even hear the words).  Everytime you do this, you add to your memory (and theirs).

* Day Twenty One * 

Praise truth #21:  Living an intentional life of praise takes a steadfast heart.

“My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast! I will sing and make melody!  Awake, my soul! Awake, O harp and lyre!  I will awaken the dawn!  I will give thanks to You, O Lord, among the peoples, I will sing praises to You among the nations.  For Your steadfast love is great above the heavens,  Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.  Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!  Let Your glory be over all the earth.”   — Psalm 108:1 – 5

Notice that the word “steadfast is used three times in these 5 verses.  The first two times, the Psalmist is referring to his own heart commitment to God.  The second time, the Psalmist refers to the steadfast love of God himself.  Notice also that even though the Psalmist has stated his clear intentions to live a life characterized by steadfastness and praise, the actions that follow his commitment are not always easy.  He tells his soul to wake up!  He wants to awaken his instruments of praise.  Then, the Psalmist reminds himself why it is so important to continue singing praises among the peoples and among the nations:  He is secure in the steadfast love of God.  His own resolve may waver, but he knows that God’s love for him is unwavering.  When he remembers God’s love and faithfulness, the Psalmist is ready to exalt and praise the Lord.  He is ready to see God’s glory spread over all the earth.  He wants other people to be secure in the love of God, too.  Praise God today for his steadfast love and far reaching faithfulness, which are greater than all of the incredible expanse of space and time and heavenly realms of which we are now aware and greater still than that which we will only know in eternity.

Memory Challenge:  Speak the words of Psalm 150 without looking, and see how much you have already learned.  Read the part that you haven’t learned yet at least twice.  Praise the Lord!

* Day Twenty Two *

Praise truth # 22:  Thanks and praise always seem to go hand in hand.

“With my mouth I will give great thanks to the Lord; I will praise Him in the midst of the throng.”   — Psalm 109:30

The Psalmists repeatedly talk about thankfulness and praise together.  Usually, thankfulness is mentioned first.  When we begin to count our blessings and say thank you to the Giver of them all, the next step is naturally going to be praise to God as the Source of all blessings.  Because God is good and because, as Jesus said, God loves to give good gifts (Matthew 7:11), we have much to be thankful for and plenty of reasons to praise God (in the midst of the throng and anywhere else we may happen to be).  Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise today, as you worship the Giver and Source of all blessings.

Memory Challenge:  Praise God with the words of both Psalm 100 and Psalm 150 today.

* Day Twenty Three *

Praise truth # 23:  As we grow in our Christian life, we begin to discover that we no longer think of praise in terms of an obligation.  It is pure privelege.

“Praise the Lord. I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart, in the company of the upright, in the congregation.”   — Psalm 111:1

The Psalmist knows that praising God is not just something that we do.  Praise flows out of who we are becoming.  Notice that the congregation is referred to as “the company of the upright”.  Because God is at work in the hearts and lives of His people, transforming us from the inside out into a reflection of God’s own righteousness and making us more like Jesus, the Psalmist expresses his praise as an outflow of what is in his own heart.  The Psalmist’s gratitude for God’s salvation and his knowledge that God is good and that He is at work for our good produces a whole-hearted response of praise.  What does that mean for today?  Because we have been deeply and infinitely loved by God, because He has provided a way of salvation, and because our hearts are becoming more and more aware of God’s mercy and His transforming power, we have the privelege of expressing our love and gratitude to Him through praise.  Praise the Lord!

Memory Challenge:  Praise God with the words of Psalm 100 and Psalm 150, and then praise Him for everything else that comes to mind.

* Day Twenty Four *

Praise truth # 24:  Genuine praise flows from a heart that knows and fears the Lord and takes delight in knowing and obeying God’s word.

“Praise the Lord. Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in His commandments!”   — Psalm 112:1

Do you remember the hymn, “Trust and Obey”?  Here are some lyrics (by James H. Sammis) from that great testimony of faith:

“When we walk with the Lord, in the light of His word,

What a glory He sheds on our way.

While we do His good will, He abides with us still;

And with all who will trust and obey.

(Refrain)

Trust and obey, for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus…

but to trust and obey.”

We do not have to be perfect in order to genuinely praise the Lord, but we need to be in the process of becoming more like Christ through walking in fellowship with the Lord.  Blessing comes from walking with Him, and then thanksgiving and praise naturally follow.

Memory Challenge:  Praise the Lord with the words of Psalm 100.  What gives us the confidence to trust Him and obey?  “For the Lord is good: His mercy is everlasting, and his truth endures to all generations.”

Praise the Lord with the words of Psalm 150.  What reflects His glory?  His mighty deeds, His excellent greatness.

* Day Twenty Five *

Praise truth # 25:  Intentional and heartfelt praise should characterize our daily lives from sunrise to sunset.

“Praise the Lord! Praise, O servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord! Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth and forever more! From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the Lord is to be praised! The Lord is high above all nations, and His glory is above the heavens.”   — Psalm 113:1 – 4

The servants of the Lord should live in an attitude of worship (intentionally giving glory to God in all of life) that creates a constant awareness of all that God has done and who He is.  In these 4 verses, the Psalmist mentions several characteristics of God.  His name is blessed, he is high above all nations, and His glory is above the heavens.  God is held in supreme regard because He is supreme over all.  Because of who He is (His character, His person) and because of who He is to us (Father, Creator, Savior, Redeemer, Shepherd,…), we praise Him at the beginning of each day and all the way through until the end.

Memory Challenge:  Try to say the words of Psalm 150 without looking.  If the Psalm is not yet memorized, take some time to work on that, visualizing the instruments and forms of praise that are mentioned (as an aid to memory).  If you can already quote Psalm 150, praise God with the words of Psalm 100 as well.

* Day Twenty Six *

Praise truth # 26:  The best time to praise the Lord is:  every moment that you can!

“Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul! I will praise the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have being.”   – Psalm 146:1 & 2

Again we see that the Psalmist speaks of praise in terms of the depth of his being (O my soul).  His praise is whole-hearted and soul deep.  The Psalmist intentionally expresses his praise to the Lord every day, and he is determined to continue to do so for the rest of his life.  He commits himself to praise.  He sings the praises of the Lord with the very breath that God has given.  He has decided to live a life of praise as long as God allows him to live on the earth, and he makes no mention of circumstance.  He does not say that he will praise the Lord only on the good days or when things go his way.  He does not say that he will praise God while he is feeling good.  He says that he will choose to praise God as long as he is alive.  Sometimes, we don’t feel well; and sometimes life is tough.  Still, we can choose, as the Psalmist did, to be alive in Christ and alive in praise….as long as we have being.

Memory Challenge:  Look once again at both Psalm 100 and Psalm 150 in print.  Notice all of the truths about God and his deeds that are praiseworthy.  Praise Him for all of these things.

* Day Twenty Seven *

Praise truth # 27:  A song of praise is pleasing to God.

“Praise the Lord! For it is good to sing praises to our God; for He is gracious, and a song of praise is comely.”   — Psalm 147:1

The Psalmist uses the word “comely” in describing a song of praise.  The definitions that I found for this word were:  pleasing, attractive, appropriate, and suitable.  Certainly it is appropriate and suitable to praise our God.  He is worthy of praise.  But singing praise goes beyond appropriate.  I believe that it is pleasing to God.  The phrase “sing praise” is found 129 times in the Bible, and “sing praises” is found 104 times.  I will say it again.  I believe that it is pleasing to God when we sing praises to Him.  Singing praises would be good (pleasing), as this scripture says, for that reason alone.  However, there are other benefits as well.  Singing praises to God can encourage and strengthen us.  Singing praises to God causes us to focus on Him rather than on problems.  Singing praises to God brings us into His presence.  Singing praises unites the hearts of a congregation in one common focus (the Lord) and intention (bringing Him glory).  So, why should we sing praises to our God?   Because He is gracious, as the verse says; because it is pleasing to God, and because singing praises strengthens, encourages, and unites us as a congregation. with Christ in our midst as we gather in His name.  It is good to sing praises to our God!

Note:  “The adjective “gracious” is applied in the Old Testament to Yahweh, as indicative of His favor and mercy, His long-suffering and ageneral inclination of favor, compassion, and kindness.”  (Bible dictionary definition by Walter G. Clippinger at this link:  http://classic.net.bible.org/dictionary.php?word=Gracious )

Memory Challenge:  Try something new with the verses of Psalm 100 and Psalm 150.  Reading from the text, alternate saying one verse of each Psalm in the manner shown below.  You may want to have a family member or friend read the verses of one Psalm while you read the other, alternating like this:

(Psalm 150, verse one)  – “Praise the Lord! Praise God in His sanctuary; praise Him for His mighty deeds; praise Him in His mighty firmament!”

(Psalm 100, verse one)  – “Make a joyful moise unto the Lord, all ye lands.

(Psalm 150, verse two)  – “Praise Him according to His excellent greatness!”

(Psalm 100, verse two)  – “Serve the Lord with gladness; come before His presence with singing.”

(Psalm 150 verse three)  – “Praise Him with trumpet sound; praise Him with lute and harp!”

(Psalm 100, verse three)  – “Know that the Lord is God; it is He that has made us and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture.”

(Psalm 150, verse four)  –  “Praise Him with timbrel and dance;  Praise Him with strings and pipe!”

(Psalm 100, verse four)  –  “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise; be thankful unto Him, and bless His name.”

(Psalm 150, verse five)  – “Praise Him with sounding cymbals; praise Him with loud clashing cymbals!”

(Psalm 100, verse five)  – “For the Lord is good: His mercy is everlasting, and his truth endures to all generations.”

(Psalm 150, verse six)  – “Let everything that breathes praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!”

Note:  Now that you have read the Psalms in the intermingled form, recite them both separately so that they don’t get mixed up in your memory.

* Day Twenty Eight *

Praise truth # 28:  A new song of praise can give us a fresh revelation of who God is and how much He loves us.

“Praise the Lord! Sing to the Lord a new song, His praise in the assembly of the faithful!”   — Psalm 149:1

As the wife of a songwriter and someone who has occasionally been given a melody and some words of praise, I am very aware of one way that writng a Christian song of praise differs from writing any other kind of song.  It is very apparent to me that the writing of a song of praise to God flows out of our relationship to God and what we are learning in fellowship with him,   In other words, a song often comes when there has been a new revelation of truth or a new perspective that we have seen concerning a truth that we already knew.  As long as God is active within the hearts and lives of His people, new songs of praise will continue to be written.  Any time that you hear a new song, remember that it is a result of God seeking fellowship with man and His desire to reveal Himself to us.  Now that is another reason to praise Him!  Sing a new song in the assembly of the faithful, and declare His praise with the breath of a fresh revelation of His love for you!

Memory Challenge:  If you haven’t yet shared Psalm 100 and Psalm 150 with a friend or family member, do that through recitation, e-mail, or a note to encourage someone with God’s faithfulness (Especially with the message of Psalm 100).

* Day Twenty Nine *

Praise truth # 29:  “Praise the Lord!”  is not a suggestion.  It is a command.

The message of Psalm 150:  Praise the Lord!

“Praise the Lord! Praise God in His sanctuary; praise Him in His mighty firmament; praise Him for His mighty deeds!  Praise Him according to His excellent greatness!  Praise Him with trumpet sound; praise Him with lute and harp!  Praise Him with timbrel and dance; praise Him with strings and pipe!  Praise Him with sounding cymbals; praise Him with loud clashing cymbals! Let everything that breathes praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!”   — Psalm 150:1 – 6  (all verses)

Ten times in the six verses that make up Psalm 150, we are told to “praise God”, “praise Him”, or “praise the Lord”.

The “why” of praise that is mentioned here (for His mighty deeds) is certainly reason enough to praise God with all that we are.

We are told how to praise Him:  “according to His excellent greatness” and with all of the instruments and the implied exuberance that are mentioned in the Psalm.

We are told where to praise Him:  “in His sanctuary” and “in His mighty firmament”.

The two locations that are mentioned for praise to God are interesing because I believe that these locations represent the dwelling place of God.  When it comes to our own praise, the physical location for our praise could certainly be inside a house or center of worship  (church), which would correspond to one interpretation of  the word “sanctuary”.  The playing of all of the instruments mentioned here may also indicate that the Psalmist is talking about praising God in a corporate worship time, which we certainly need to do as well.  However, since God is everywhere and is, at the same time, on His throne, the location of His presence is a rather mysterious concept.   Most importantly, our praises should be genuine and thereby reach the heart of God no matter where we are.

Whether you are in a workplace, your home, in a public gathering place, or in a place of worship, your genuine praise glorifies the Lord.  His presence is with you in that place, and His presence also fills the mighty firmament.  God can remain on His throne while also fulfilling His promise to be in our midst any time that we gather in His name.  The heart of our praise is always most important and matters much more than our physical location or our understanding of where God is.  Like a parent who is pleased when His child expresses appreciation for parental love and care, God is pleased when we praise Him more for what our genuine praise says about who we are becoming than for any other reason.  When our understanding of God’s loving heart allows us to genuinely praise Him, we become more like Christ, whose most important task was to bring glory to God through fulfilling the divine purpose for His earthly life.

4  “I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do. 5  “Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.”  – John 17:4-5

The Psalmist also speaks of playing instruments and even dancing for joy as well.  If there are instruments that you can play in genuine praise, do so.  My husband often plays guitar and sings praise songs in our home.  Others may want to sit at the piano and play a hymn or sing along with Christian radio in their car or with a CD at home.  Whether an individual is praising the Lord in any location or whether we are meeting together for the purpose of corporate worship and praise, we obviously are supposed to praise God with enthusiasm.  We should not be more excited about a win by our favorite team than we are by thinking about God’s power and mercy and grace and patience (long-suffering) and His infinite love, so freely given.  So, praise Him with joy and abandon (even dancing with joy!… you know, your happy dance!).  Praise him with your whole heart and being.  Make some noise!  Praise Him because He is great and because He does great things.  Praise Him in congregational worship and family worship and private worship.  As long as you are breathing, praise the Lord!

Memory Challenge:  How are you doing on memorizing Psalm 150?  Are you still saying both Psalm 100 and Psalm 150 every day?  Put in a little extra time, and make sure that you have both Psalms (all 11 verses) memorized by the end of the month.  You can do it!  When you have them memorized, begin working on Psalm 100 in your family worship times so that your children can learn it, too!

* Day Thirty *

Praise truth # 30:  Praise is happening all around the world at all times!

“They lift up their voices, they sing for joy; over the majesty of the Lord they shout from the west. Therefore in the east give glory to the Lord: in the coastlands of the sea, to the name of the Lord, the God of Israel. From the ends of the earth we hear songs of praise, of glory to the Righteous One.”   — Isaiah 24:14 – 16a\

Do you hear it?  The praises of the saints are being sung and shouted and expressed by people all over the world who love the Lord and have experienced His salvation.  They are lifting up their voices, singing for joy, and shouting over God’s majesty,  Our awareness of this worldwide symphony of praise in countless languages comes with a condition.  “Therefore”… our response should be…to “give glory to the Lord, to the name of the Lord”.  Join in the song of Heaven’s choirs.  Join with the voices of people all over the world, from the ends of the earth.  Sing songs of praise and of glory to the Righteous One.  Praise Him for His majesty today.  Praise Him for the people He has redeemed.  Praise Him for his goodness.  Praise the Righteous One.  Praise the Lord!

Memory Challenge:  Recite Psalm 100 and Psalm 150 as you praise the Lord today.  Think about what your praise Psalm would say if you were to write a personal prescription for praise for yourself or for your family.

My family’s praise Psalm might go something like this:

“Praise the Lord!  Praise Him wherever you are.

Praise God when you get up in the morning to get ready for the day.

Praise Him when you go to school or when you run to play.

Praise God when you are with your brothers and when you are alone.

Praise God at church; Praise God at home.

Think of God and praise him all day long.

Praise Him with a thank you song.

Praise God when it is time for slumber;

Count your blessings…what a number!

Praise the Lord!  Praise Him everywhere you go,

Praise Him for all of the love that you know.

For our God is so good.

His promises are true.

His love lasts forever.  His mercies are new.

Praise Him with your family.

Praise Him with your friends.

His love lasts forever.  His grace never ends.

Praise the Lord!”

(Your Praise Psalm doesn’t have to be poetic.  Mine just came out that way.  Just make sure that it reflects your personal opportunities to Praise the Lord, some reasons to praise Him, and your intention to do just that.)

* Day Thirty One *

Praise truth # 31:  When we praise the Lord for what He has done, we are also praising Him for His promises and plans that are yet to be fulfilled on earth, knowing that they are already settled in Heaven.

“O Lord, You are my God; I will exalt You, I will praise Your name; for You have done wonderful things, plans formed of old, faithful and true.”   — Isaiah 2

It is such an incredible privelege to know the God of all creation.  He is our God.  He has given Himself to us in the person of Jesus and in His Word and His promises, which will all be fulfilled.  He has given Himself for us as Christ emptied Himself of His majesty to come to earth as a baby and live a sinless life, finally laying down His life as a sacrifice for the sins of all.  He continues to give all that He is through the indwelling of His Holy Spirit in our hearts and through the fulfillment of every promise of and plan of old, faithful and true.  Unchanging in His love for us, He has continued to do wonderful things in the world and in our hearts and lives.  The scope of His care for us and for all of creation will be fully revealed when we see all of those plans and promises fulfilled.  In Christ, all of the promises of God are already “yes”and “amen” (2nd Corinthians 1:20).   The resurrection of Christ is the guarantee of fulfillment for every promise of God.  Only when we see all of God’s promises fulsilled will we fully know all of the “wonderful things” for which we praise God even now.  We praise Him for the past, for the present moment, and for the certain promise of an eternal life that is beyond human imagination.  He holds all of time in His hands, just as He holds you and me.  Exalt Him, and praise His name!

“For as many as are the promises of God, they all find their Yes in Him [Christ]. For this reason we also utter the Amen (so be it) to God through Him [in His Person and by His agency] to the glory of God.”  – 2nd Corinthians 1:20, Amplified Bible

Memory Challenge:  Praise the Lord with the words of Psalm 100 and Psalm 150.  Praise the Lord!

Note from the author of the 31 devotions:  Bless you for your commitment to praise!  I hope you have a clearer picture of how much you are loved and of how much our love and praise, returned to God, means to Him.  Continue in praise from day to day.  The Lord will bless your commitment to Him and meet you there.

PRAISE  AND  AMEN… let it be so!

“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting; and let all the people say, “Amen.”  Praise the Lord!”   — Psalm 106:48

Thank you for your faithfulness in choosing to worship the Lord and seek Him through these 31 days of praise.  Let praise continue!

“Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name.”   – Hebrews 13:15

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The devotions for “31 Days of Praise” were written by Cynthia A. Boyd

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Note:  You can use these praise scriptures and devotions as part of your personal worship at any time.  The devotions were completed in time for use in October of 2013, but they can be used in any month.  Just double up a couple of devotions in the shorter months.  Make every month a month of praise!

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You can also use any of our other resources for praise, thanksgiving, and worship.  God bless you!  Praise the Lord!

*  Our “30 Thankful Verses” post has 30 days of brief devotions based upon 30 scriptures about giving thanks.

30 Thankful Verses

*  Our “Lift Your Voice” page has an extensive collection of worship scriptures from both the Old and New Testaments, in chronological order.

https://worshipsounds.wordpress.com/lift-your-voice/

*  Our “Old Testament Worship Scriptures” post contains the same worship scriptures for the Old Testament found in “Lift Your Voice”.  (We added them as a post also so that we could tag the post and make it easier for people to locate these resources.

Old Testament Worship Scriptures

*  Our “New Testament Worship Scriptures” post contains the same worship scriptures for the New Testament found in “Lift Your Voice”.

New Testament Worship Scriptures

One benefit to having the New Testament scriptures posted by themselves is that there is no need to scroll through all of the Old Testament worship scriptures to get to them.  In addition, we posted these scriptures as separate pages so that we could tag them and make it easier for people to find these separate resources in their search results.

*  Our “WORSHIP…with wonder!”  category of posts

https://worshipsounds.wordpress.com/category/worship-with-wonder/

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This post, including the devotions for each day of praise, was written by Cynthia A. Boyd

The daily devotions can be reprinted (one at a time) in your weekly worship e-mail to team members if the author’s name and blog URL are included.  The entire post may not be published or reprinted without permission.

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Do you know someone who is looking for answers?

Thank you for spending your valuable time reading the contents of this page.  We hope that it has been helpful to you.   If you or someone that you know is looking for answers about life, we hope that you will visit our page called “Do You Know Jesus?”.   The links provided on this page will help to answer life’s deepest questions.   Here is the link to “Do You Know Jesus?”:  http://www.worshipsounds.wordpress.com/do-you-know-jesus/

Please feel free to share this URL with anyone who is looking for answers about life and eternity.

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The Choir in Praise

 “Sing praises to the Lord, O you His saints, and give thanks to His holy name.”   Psalm 30:4

As Choir members (soloists, vocalists in ensembles or Praise Teams), we are in a position of leadership in Worship Ministry every time that we are in the loft or on the platform. 

We need to have a clear understanding of praise and worship in order to both personally worship the Lord and to lead others in worship.  First, we must understand the difference between praise and worship.

Consider this fact:  the Bible speaks about praise and worship in distinctive ways, sometimes using both words in the same passage of scripture.

*  “O Lord, open Thou my lips, and my mouth shall show forth Thy praise.”   Psalm 51:15

*  “Make a joyful noise to God, all the earth; sing the glory of His name; give to Him glorious praise!”   Psalm 66:1

*  “I will praise the name of God with a song; I will magnify Him with thanksgiving.”   Psalm 69:30

*  “Praise ye the Lord; O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy endures forever.  Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord?  Who can show forth all His praise?”   Psalm 106:1 & 2

In the verses above, certain facts about praise begin to emerge.

1.  Praise is outward.  It is sung or spoken; it is uttered; it is shown forth.

2.  Praise focuses on the attributes of God and what He has done.

3.  Praise is obviously important, for we are told repeatedly to do it.

Now, lets look at some verses that talk about worship.

*  “Honor and majesty are before Him, strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.  Give unto the Lord, O ye kindreds of the people, give unto the Lord glory and strength.  Give unto the Lord the glory due unto His name; bring an offering, and come into His courts.  O worship the Lord in the beauty of Holiness; fear before Him, all the earth.”‘   Psalm 96:6 – 9

*  (Jesus speaking)  “The hour is coming, and now is, when true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such people to worship Him.  God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”  John 4:23 & 24

*  “I appeal to you therfore, brethren, by the mercies of God , to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”  Romans 12:1

*  “Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe; for our God is a consuming fire.”  Hebrews 12:28

From these scriptures, we see several truths about worship.

1.  Worship is our response to who God is and what He has done, as we lovingly and reverently choose to acknowledge God’s supremacy over all of Creation and his ultimate worth as Creator, Sustainer, Savior, Comforter, and the Author and Finisher of our faith.

2.  Worship must be done in honesty, knowing that God sees our hearts.  We worship Him truthfully as we come to Him in a spirit of humility and acknowledge our own faults and even our struggles with faith and doubt.  Truthful worship honors God because we are trusting our weaknesses to Him, knowing that He is good.

3.  Worship that is acceptable and holy to God involves a commitment of all our our lives, choosing to live in a way that honors God and give Him glory.  He has sacrificed His all for us; and we, in turn, become living sacrifices to Him as we commit ourselves to living reverently.  Notice that the physical (presenting of our bodies and our lives as an offering to the Lord) becomes spiritual (our spiritual worship) as we respond to God’s mercies by lovingly giving ourselves.

4.  No matter what has happened in our lives, true worship involves choosing gratitude to God as we recognize that what is temporary is only part of reality.   We look forward in faith, with the assurance that the eternal reality we will someday experience in full will replace all sorrow and pain with joy and the complete knowledge of how much we are loved.

With the fundamental understanding that praise is choosing to express our acknowledgement of who God is and what He has done and that worship is our loving and reverent response to God’s goodness and love in every area of our lives, let us continue to focus on the role of God’s singers in praise and worship.  Although we are always concerned with musical excellence, that concern is secondary to the intentional commitment of our voices in praise and our hearts and lives in worship.

“As a worship pastor and a choir leader, I am constantly desiring to walk the line where authenticity and excellence meet, ministering deeply to the hearts of people, and, more importantly to the heart of God.”

–  Travis Cottrell, Christian Artist, worship pastor, songwriter

Let’s look at a Psalm that puts our lives and God’s supremacy into perspective.

Psalm 103

English Standard Version (ESV)

Bless the Lord, O My Soul

A Psalm of David.

103 Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me,  bless his holy name!  ² Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits;  ³   who forgives all your iniquity,  who heals all your diseases, ⁴ who redeems your life from the pit,  who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, ⁵ who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

⁶ The Lord works righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed. ⁷ He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the people of Israel. ⁸ The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. ⁹ He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. ¹⁰ He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. ¹¹ For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; ¹² as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. ¹³ As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear Him. ¹⁴ For He knows our frame;  He remembers that we are dust.

¹⁵ As for man, his days are like grass;  he flourishes like a flower of the field; ¹⁶ for the wind passes over it, and it is gone,  and its place knows it no more. ¹⁷ But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children’s children, ¹⁸ to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments. ¹⁹ The Lord has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all.

²⁰ Bless the Lord, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his word, obeying the voice of his word! ²¹ Bless the Lord, all his hosts, his ministers, who do his will! ²² Bless the Lord, all his works, in all places of his dominion. Bless the Lord, O my soul!

So, WHY DO WE PRAISE THE LORD?

1) Because the very greatness of God demands it.

2) Because we have been very blessed.

3) Because it helps us to focus on God and not on ourselves.

4) Because praise helps to prepare our hearts for God to do a work in them.

WHY DO WE SING PRAISES TO GOD AS A CHOIR?

1) Because it is Biblical.

2) Because it is a powerful way to express praise to God

3) Because it adds energy and life to the times of focused, congregational worship

4) Because a choir is able to prepare expressions of praise that a congregation can not.

WHAT ARE SOME THINGS WE MUST ALWAYS REMEMBER WHEN SINGING IN CHOIR?

1)  We are a singing group, not a group of singers.  We are joining our voices together in praise, with the ultimate goal of bringing glory to God.

This choir is aware that part of communicating the message effectively is eye contact and facial expression. They are visually engaged in worship when they sing.

2)  We must do all we can do to help further an atmosphere conducive to leading God’s people in worship each week.

a. We must have invested the time to be prepared (musically and spiritually).

b. We must be ready to serve the Lord through worship ministry, bringing a servant’s attitude.

c. Our countenance (facial expression and radiance) should be a reflection of worship and praise as well.

d. We must be authentic worshippers who seek to live a lifestyle of worship throughout the week.

3)  The reason that we have come together is not to sing.  It is to worship.  Singing is a part of our worship as we seek to bring glory to God and to express our praise to Him, but the heart of worship is our desire to intentionally express God’s ultimate worth through all that we are.

WORSHIP SCRIPTURES

“But I, through the abundance of Your steadfast love, will enter Your house, I will worship toward Your holy temple in reverence, and awe of You.”  Psalm 5:7

“Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at His footstool; for He is Holy.”   Psalm 99:5

“Honor and majesty are before Him, strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.  Give unto the Lord, O ye kindreds of the people, give unto the Lord glory and strength.  Give unto the Lord the glory due unto His name; bring an offering, and come into His courts.  O worship the Lord in the beauty of Holiness; fear before Him, all the earth.”‘   Psalm 96:6 – 9

“And Jesus answered him, ‘It is written, you shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only shall you serve.”‘  Luke 4:7

(Jesus speaking)  “The hour is coming, and now is, when true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such people to worship Him.  God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”  John 4:23 & 24

“I appeal to you therfore, brethren, by the mercies of God , to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”  Romans 12:1

“Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe; for our God is a consuming fire.”  Hebrews 12:28

“And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, ‘Great and wonderful are Thy deeds, O Lord God the Almighty!  Just and true are Thy ways, O King of the ages!  Who shall not fear and glorify Thy name, O Lord?  For Thou alone art Holy.  All nations shall come and worship Thee, for Thy judgements have been revealed.”  Revelation 15:3 & 4

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The above post includes teaching about worship and praise shared with our Adult Choir by Travis L. Boyd

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FOR FURTHER STUDY ON WORSHIP AND PRAISE

(Below, you will find information about praise and worship from a leadership course about what it means to praise God and what it means to worship God.  The information has been slightly and condensed and edited.)   The web address for the resource found below is http://leresources.com/praise_and_worship.html

Praise and worship are distinct, yet closely related activities. 

A.  Praise is an outward expression of your love for God.  It is a natural and very important part of worship, which is our loving response to the presence of God in our lives.

1.   Praise is a choice.  You can choose to express your love for God at any time, and in any situation.  You can praise Him for who He is, for what He has done, and for what He has promised to do.

2.   Your praise can be addressed directly to God, but it is often directed to others around us, proclaiming His greatness and encouraging others to praise Him.  Praise can even be directed to the spiritual forces in the heavenlies, proclaiming the greatness of the true God.

3.  Though God certainly knows when we are in an attitude of praise and hears the praises of our hearts, we must remember that, by definition, praise must be expressed.  If you have thought about something nice regarding someone you know but have not expressed those thoughts verbally, you have not praised him or her.  Within gatherings such as the congregation and within relationships, praise is expressed by voicing our love and admiration, often specifically mentioning the attributes or actions of the person being praised.  Praise can be written, spoken or sung; but it must be expressed.

4.  When you praise God, He will respond by manifesting His presence to you.  When you experience God’s presence, you are able to respond directly to Him, and tell Him how much you love Him.  That response is called worship.  In worship, you experience intimacy with God, and express your adoration to Him.

B.   Praise is the gateway through which we must pass to enter into the presence of God and worship Him. 

1.  Praise and worship are the activities of heaven and are also very important for the Body of Christ on Earth.

2.  If you do not learn to praise God as He wants to be praised, you will fail to experience His presence, and your worship will be lacking.

3.  You were created to praise and worship God.  (See Romans 12:1)  When you give yourself to the activity of praise and worship, you are fulfilling the purpose for which you are made.  Because of this, the praise and worship of God brings a fulfillment and satisfaction that nothing else in the universe can bring.             

C.  It pleases God when we praise Him.

1.   The Psalms tell us that God comes and manifests His presence in our midst when we praise Him. He inhabits the praises of His people!

2.   The importance that God places on praise is revealed by the frequency of scriptural exhortations about it.  The most frequent exhortation in all of the Bible is to PRAISE THE LORD!  (It is also interesting to note that the longest book in the Bible is the book of Psalms — a book of praise songs!)

D.  It is important to God how you praise and worship Him. 

1.  The example of the tabernacle of Moses in the Old Testament shows us that God has the right to be praised and worshipped as HE desires.  When the people chose to disregard His instructions and follow their own ideas and traditions, He was displeased!

2.   If we are to praise and worship God, we must look to His Word to understand how He desires to be praised and worshipped.  We must allow God to instruct us about how we are to offer up our praise and commit to doing so!

What is Praise?

A    Remember the definition of praise:  Biblical praise is the free expression of love and appreciation to God.

1.    It is important that you love God.  Jesus said that the greatest commandment is that you love the Lord your God.  It is also important, however, for that love to be expressed outwardly.

2 .   A husband and wife may love each other; but if that love is never expressed, if there are no loving words or actions exchanged, their relationship is not good.  A general principle is:  When love is not expressed, it shrivels up and dies.  When love is expressed, it grows.

3.    It is important for your love of God to be expressed outwardly.  That outward expression of your love for Him is PRAISE.

B.  How can we express our love for God in a way that pleases Him?

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength.” — Mk 12:30

1.  We must open our hearts to God and not attempt to withhold any part of our lives and hearts from Him.  He knows all about us, anyway.

2.  Because we are emotional beings, we must not suppress genuine emotion in expressing our praise.

3.  Praise must come from our innermost being (our soul), which involves choosing to surrender our will.  The decision to praise is a decision of the will.

4.  Even though we are emotional beings, our decision to praise the Lord must not be based upon feelings or circumstances.  In the Psalms, we can see that David spoke to his soul even in the midst of despair and commanded it, “Praise the Lord, O my soul!”   David made a decision, an act of the will, that he would praise the Lord even if he did not feel like it.  Psalm 146 says, “I will praise the Lord all my life, I will sing praise to Him as long as I live!”  That is a choice!  Very often, the times when we do not feel like praising are the very times we need to praise God most.  We need to decide to praise Him because He is worthy of praise, even when we do not feel like it!  When we make that choice, we are expressing love for God from our very souls.

5.   Our minds must be fixed upon God, and our praise must be more than simple repetition.  This involves our intellect.  This is important!  Some people express praise to God that has no meaning.  They just say, over and over, “Praise the Lord.  Praise the Lord.”  God wants your love to be expressed with your minds.  To praise God deeply, you need to express a real understanding of who God is.

4    Our strength is also to be employed in expressing our love for God through praise.  Praise involves physical activity.  The Bible talks of David “praising God with all of his might.” (2 Sam 6:14).  That is expressing love with your strength.

C.   Why is Praise Important?

Eph 1:6,12,14 and 1 Pet 2:9 state that one of God’s purposes for saving us is to be a people who would show forth His praises in the earth.

1.  Praise aligns our hearts to God. 

2.  Praise opens our hearts to receive from Him.

3.  Praise clears away distractions.  Only when we choose to focus on praising the Lord can we clear our minds of other concerns.

4.  Praise builds faith.  As we choose to focus on praising God rather than upon our problems, faith rises within us.

5.  Praise brings His presence.  When we truly praise God, His presence is manifested in your midst, often in a very tangible way.  We know that God is present everywhere, at all times and that there is nothing that is out of His control (His omipresence).  We also know that, for every person who is a true believer in Jesus Christ, God lives within that individual in a special way.  (When you trusted in Jesus as Savior, the Holy Spirit of God took up residence in your heart.  He is always with you to comfort, to enlighten, and to teach you as you read His Word.  You may not feel His presence, but by faith you can know that He is there.  This is God’s indwelling presence.)  What the Bible speaks of when scripture says that God inhabits the praise of His people (Psalm 22:3) is His manifest presence.

a)   God’s presence is manifest when He chooses to make His presence known.  It is when He makes Himself tangible to you.  You experience Him and enter into a spiritual intimacy with Him.  This is also when His power is revealed.  (Power is an outflow of communion with Him.)

b)   When we experience the manifest presence of God, He is there to heal, to comfort, to energize His gifts, or to manifest His power.  If you want to experience God’s presence, and see God work in power in your life, the solution is to learn to praise Him.

6.   Praise defeats the enemy.  See Psalm 149:   The first six verses give us a beautiful description of praise, but in verse 7 and following, it changes to a description of warfare.   There are times when you know you are under attack.  Everything seems to go wrong.  Many times, it is just after you have made a step forward in your spiritual life.  Sometimes it is when you are just getting ready to begin a new area of ministrWhat do you do when the enemy attacks?  One solution is to praise God.

How is Praise Expressed?

In the Old Testament, there are seven Hebrew words used for praise.  Each one of these describes a specific way of expressing your love to God.

A.   The Physical Expression of Praise.

1.  Yadah and Towdah (to praise with lifted hands).

a)   The first two words for praise are very similar in meaning.  They are Yadah and Towdah.  They both come from the Hebrew word that means “to extend the hand”.  These two describe an expression of praise by extending the hands upward to God in adoration.

b)  “Yadah” is the most frequently used word for praise in the Bible.  Most of the exhortations to praise use this word.

c)   The lifting of hands is an outward expression of love, dependency, submission, and appreciation.

d)   When you raise your hands to God, it tells your mind that you are dealing with someone greater than you are.

2.   Barak (To bend the knee in praise, to bow down before).

a)   “Barak” describes an expression of praise that uses not just the hands, but the whole body.  It is the expression of praise by kneeling or bowing down to God.

b)   When we bow down before God, we are acknowledging Him as our Lord, the King of the universe.  It is very appropriate to express our praise to Him in this way.

c)   Your bodies were designed by God to be instruments to express His praise.  It is valid to stand, kneel, lift your hands, or fall down on your face before Him.  God wants you to be free to express your praise to him with your bodies.

B.  The Musical Expression of Praise.

Music is spiritually significant for a number of reasons.  Music makes you sensitive to hear God (2 Kings 3:14-16), it communicates spiritual truth (Col 3:16), and (if played under the anointing of God) it can drive away spiritual enemies (1 Sam 16:14-23).

1.   Zamar (to praise God with a musical instrument).

a)   Zamar comes from a root word that means “to pluck strings of a musical instrument.”  This word is used in several passages, including Psalm 135:3 and Psalm 147:7.  (This is the Hebrew word we get the word “Psalms” from.  The Psalms were songs to be sung together with instruments.)

b)   The Bible indicates that the instrumental part of the music is important.  Psalm 150 exhorts us to praise God on string, wind, and percussion instruments.  The Israelites used all the instruments they had as instruments for praising God.

2.  Tehillah (to express praise in song).

a)  The word “tehillah comes from a root word that means “to sing.”

b)   It is used in such passages as Psalm 34:1-2.  “His praise (tehillah) shall continually be in my mouth” and Psalm 100:4, “Enter His courts with praise (tehillah).”

c)  Not all singing is praise, even if you are singing hymns or praise songs.  Singing songs of praise becomes praise when you are singing to the Lord as an expression of love to Him.

d)   In Eph 5:19 and Col 3:16, Paul describes three categories of songs to sing to the Lord.

       Psalms – The Psalms are Biblical songs.  Even though we do not know the original tunes to the Psalms, we can take the words of the Psalms and set them to music and sing these inspired songs to God.

       Hymns – Hymns are songs of praise to God that are not part of the Bible.  The modern expressions of praise we sing today, as well as the hymns written through the history of the church, would all be included in the category of hymns.

       Spiritual Songs – Spiritual songs are songs given by the Spirit, for a particular moment.  They are a spontaneous expression of love for God.  There are two categories of spiritual songs:

C.   The Free Expression of Joy

Sometimes God wants you to be deep and thoughtful in your expression of love, but at other times the love inside of you wants to burst forth in free expression.  There are times when you want to shout it from the rooftops!  There are two words that describe this kind of praise:

1.    Halal (to celebrate)

a)    “halal” is a Hebrew word that means to celebrate. 

b)   Halal means to express your love for God by joyously and freely celebrating before Him.

c)   Biblical descriptions of Halal involve clapping hands, dancing, shouting, and rejoicing before the Lord.  This word is used in such passages as Psalm 47:1-6 and Psalm 150.

d)  It is from the word “halal” that we get the word “hallelujah”.  (Hallelujah is an exhortation to have a halal for Yahweh).

In 2nd Samuel 6, when the ark was brought into Jerusalem, David took off his robe and danced before the Lord.  (That was halal.)  His wife, Michal, watched David dance and despised him for it.  When he returned, she criticized him and accused him of making a fool of himself by dancing before the Lord.

David responded to Michal by saying that it was all right to look foolish for God.  He told her that he would continue to be foolish for God, because everything he had was given to him by God.

The passage concludes by mentioning God’s judgment on Michal for criticizing David’s dancing.  Because she despised David’s joyful praise, God made Michal barren for the rest of her life.  The lesson here is to be careful of criticizing other people’s praise.

2.  Shabach (to shout).

a)  “Shabach” means to praise in a loud tone, to shout, or to shout in triumph.  It is used in such passages as Ps 117:1 and Ps 147:12.  This form of praise is common in the Bible.

b)  In Nehemiah, the people rejoiced before the Lord; and the noise of their celebration was so loud that it could be heard a long way off.  They were shouting before the Lord.

c)   Rev 19:1, 4-6:  In this description of heavenly praise, the roar of all the heavenly hosts shouting their praises is so loud that it sounds like thunder.

If your praise is weak, your worship will be shallow.  If you enter into the high praises of God and praise Him with all of your might, you will find that your high praise will be followed by a time of deep worship.

Note:  The worship resource above, copied and edited here, can be found in its entirety at http://leresources.com/praise_and_worship.html

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More about praise from http://www.allaboutprayer.org/how-to-praise-and-worship-god-faq.htm

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.

You are here: Prayer >> Praise To God

Praise To God – The Importance of Praise

Praise to God is what we offer in acknowledgement of God’s excellent being. You might think that praise is the same as saying “thank you,” but there is a difference. Thanksgiving describes our attitude toward what God has done, while praise is offered for who God is. Psalm 18:3 says “I call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise…”

All believers are commanded to praise God! In fact, Isaiah 43:21 explains that praise is one reason we were created, “This people I have formed for Myself; they shall declare My praise.” Hebrews 13:15 confirms this: “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise – the fruit of lips that confess his name.”

Praise originates in a heart full of love toward God. Deuteronomy 6:5 says, “Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” Are you a Christian today? If so, you know that you love God because He first loved you! Without God’s love, any praise you can offer is hollow. Love, born from a relationship with God through Jesus Christ, is an essential part of your praise.

Praise To God – How to Praise God

How can you bring praise to God? What can you do to make it an integral part of your life? Praise can be expressed in song, in verse, or in prayer and it is to be done continuously! Psalm 34:1 instructs, “I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips.” Psalm 71:6 says, “From birth I have relied on you; you brought me forth from my mother’s womb. I will ever praise you.”

Praise to God is expressed outwardly through our everyday actions, as well as inwardly in our thoughts. Praise is an act of Christian worship.

“Where do I begin?” you may ask. “How do I start praising God?” If praising God is new to you, try praising God for who He is to you, personally. Proclaim that God’s goodness is without measure; it is abundant and overflowing! Here are some ways to get started:

• Praise God for His holiness, mercy, and justice (2 Chronicles 20:21, Psalm 99:3-4).

• Praise God for His grace (Ephesians 1:6).

• Praise Him for His goodness (Psalm 135:3).

• Praise God for His kindness (Psalm 117).

• Praise God for His salvation (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Praise to God can be offered anywhere! In time, it will become as normal as taking a breath. Sometimes we praise God inwardly as in Psalm 9:2, “I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.” Other times we have opportunity to give glory and praise to our God publicly. Psalm 22:22 says, “I will declare your name to my brothers; in the congregation I will praise you.” Search out opportunities to bring praise to God!

Praise To God – Who Praises God?

Praise to God, while offered particularly by His children as the freewill expression of grateful hearts, will one day be offered by everyone! The Bible says that when He comes again, all mankind will praise Him and acknowledge Him as Lord. He is King over all the earth. When we know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, our hearts long to praise His name. Philippians 2:9-11 tells us His name represents His being, describing who He is, “Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

The Bible also records:

• All nature praises God (Psalm 148:7-10).

• The sun, moon, and stars praise Him (Psalm 19:1 and 148:3).

• The angels praise Him (Psalm 148:2).

• Even the wrath of men is used by God to praise Himself (Psalm 76:10).

• Children are to be taught to praise God (Psalm 78:4).

Praise To God – Do You Proclaim His Praise?

Your praise to God is evidenced through your salvation. 1 Peter 2:9 says, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”

NOTE:  The above can be found at http://www.allaboutprayer.org/how-to-praise-and-worship-god-faq.htm

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Read more!

The book “God’s Singers”, by Dave Williamson, is a great resource for Worship Leaders and Choir Directors.  Singers would enjoy the special Singer’s edition of the book.  Here  is a review of the book, from Worship Leader online magazine.

God’s Singers

By Worship Leader | Categories: In Review

Author: Warren Anderson
Every so often a worship music book is published that becomes recognizable as the definitive, go-to reference for its particular genre in its particular generation.  In our time, if you wish to talk about the history of music in the Church, go to Paul Westermeyer’s Te Deum.  If building a case for congregational song is your desire, your first stop should be John Bell’s A Case for Congregational Song.  Want a grad-school-level analysis of how contemporary worship music is used these days?  The Message in the Music (Robert Woods and Brian Walrath) is your best bet.Dave Williamson’s God Singers joins these other must-haves where the specific subject of worship-leading choirs is concerned.  Every possible topic that should be covered in a book of this nature is here.  Biblical support for the use of choirs in worship?  Check.  Lots and lots of practical how-to’s for getting the best sound out of your singers?  Got it.  Sociological discussions of issues inherent in corporate ministry, even ones peculiar to choral singing?  Yep.  Stylistic techniques for transforming your choristers into a black-gospel choir, a rock choir, or a modern-worship choir—i.e., what to do with vibrato, vocal licks, and syncopation?  They’re here.  Helpful appendices from Williamson’s 40 years in the biz?  Nine of them.  Consider purchasing the (condensed) singer’s edition for your choir members and the (expanded) director’s edition, which includes a CD-ROM of ancillaries, for yourself.  Highly recommended. Title: God’s Singers Author: Dave Williamson Publisher: In:cite Media

Here’s a link to the book on Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/Gods-Singers-guidebook-Worship-Directors/dp/0615406327

Here’s a link to the Singer’s Edition of the book on ChristianBook.com:  http://www.christianbook.com/gods-singers-singers-edition-dave-willimason/9780615406312/pd/406312

NOTE:  The quotation by Travis Cottrell found in this blog post came from his online recommendation for this book.

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Looking for answers for yourself or for a friend?

Thank you for spending your valuable time reading the contents of this page.  We hope that it has been helpful to you.   If you or someone that you know is looking for answers about life, we hope that you will visit our page called “Do You Know Jesus?”.   The links provided on this page will help to answer life’s deepest questions.   Here is the link to “Do You Know Jesus?”:  http://www.worshipsounds.wordpress.com/do-you-know-jesus/

Please feel free to share this URL with anyone who is looking for answers about life and eternity.

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Worship Sounds Music Christmas Anthems

“When the fullness of time had come, God reached down and sent His Son.”

Christmas is coming!

Here are some SATB Christmas Anthems
from
Worship Sounds Music

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“A Christmas Hymn”
(subtitle:  Christ is Born Today, SATB)

Written by Worship Pastor and Composer Travis L. Boyd, “A Christmas Hymn” is subtitled “Christ is Born Today”.   The message is a proclamation of Christ’s birth, sharing all He came to be as the “crowning jewel of God’s great plan”.

The Accompaniment Track, as heard in this music video, works for either the Choral or Solo version of the Song.  “A Christmas Hymn” is available as an SATB Choral and as a Vocal Solo.  The mp3 Accompaniment Track also comes with a lead sheet.

“O, Come, O Come, Emmanuel”

MEDIUM DIFFICULTY SATB

A fresh, new arrangement of the well-loved Christmas carol, this anthem features a rhythmic verse section with a new melody in a minor key. The longing for the coming Messiah comes through clearly as the familiar words are heard in their new melodic setting. The traditional refrain is woven into this arrangement, with a special treatment for one of the verses. This anthem is suitable for Adult or Youth Choirs. It would be an excellent anthem for Advent or your Christmas program.

PLEASE VIEW THIS VIDEO DEMO IN FULLSCREEN MODE TO SEE LYRICS BEST.

“The Praises of the King”

MEDIUM DIFFICULTY SATB

This anthem is a rhythm, energetic song of praise that will have your choir and congregation rejoicing! It would work well as an opening song or closer for your Christmas program or a wonderful anthem to use during the advent season. Both the introduction and the ending for this anthem feature some of the melody from “For Unto Us a Child is Born”. Some creative options for this anthem include using it as a combined Adult and Student Choir anthem. The 2-Part verses could be sung by the Youth Choir, leading into the full SATB sections where the Adult Choir would join. In addition, the verses could be sung as a male/female duet, with the same duet on both verses or a different pair of singers for each verse. “The Praises of the King” is suitable for Adult or Youth Choirs.

“Glory to the Newborn King”

MODERATELY  DIFFICULT SATB

This anthem is a bluesy, rockin’ celebration of Christ’s birth. Your choir will find this one easy to learn and fun to sing, and the joyful message will resonate with your congregation.

“Christmas Joy”

MODERATELY DIFFICULT SATB

This 6/8 anthem is perfect for the Christmas Season. It could be sung by Youth or Adult Choirs or in a combined choir presentation. It’s length and the upbeat style and message make this anthem appropriate for any worship service or Advent program.

“God Reached Down”

MODERATELY DIFFICULT SATB

This anthem is a meaningful and lyrical testimony of God’s love for us as “reached down, and sent His Son”. It features an optional flute descant. Your choir and congregation will be touched by this message about the incredible gift given to us through the birth of Christ.

“Magnify”

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“Magnify” and “The Praises of the King”

                                             are also available as Vocal Solos.

Share this information with a friend!

Travis L. Boyd
Worship Sounds Music

Here is the link to “Do You Know Jesus?”:  http://www.worshipsounds.wordpress.com/do-you-know-jesus/

Please feel free to share this URL with anyone who is looking for answers about life and eternity.

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