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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Old Testament Worship Scriptures

From the rising of the sun until it’s setting, the name of the Lord is to be praised.

OLD  TESTAMENT  SCRIPTURE  RESOURCE

This post contains scripture verses that tell us to lift our voices in song to the Lord as well as verses that speak of praising, exalting, blessing, worshipping, magnifying, thanking, and glorifying the Lord. Verses are placed in Biblical order so that this post can be a useful resource for those who want to use the Psalms and other worship scriptures in their personal worship, as well as for those who lead God’s people in worshipping Him. More verses will be added as time permits.
(Key West photo by Herschel Avra, 2010)

Note: To view a different translation of any verse, begin typing the verse into your search engine, and the Online Parallel Bible, http://www.biblecc.com , will come up as one of the choices. You will immediately go to the page for the verse you have typed and be able to see several translations at once. You can then close the window and come right back to this resource page if desired. (Bible CC is also a great resource when you know a verse or portion of a verse but not the reference.)

New feature: With our most recent update to this worship scripture resource, we added a new feature. The Bible book and chapter are still listed before each verse, and we have now added key words in bold in front of each scripture to help you find worship scriptures with the kind of message you are seeking more easily.

SCRIPTURE VERSES THAT REFER TO PRAISING, EXALTING, WORSHIPPING, BLESSING, MAGNIFYING, AND GLORIFYING THE LORD, AS WELL AS VERSES THAT REFER TO LIFTING OUR VOICES OR SINGING TO THE LORD:

OLD TESTAMENT WORSHIP SCRIPTURES

Exodus 15 sing, praise, exalt “Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the Lord, saying, ‘I will sing to the Lord, for He has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider He has thrown in to the sea. The Lord is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise Him, my father’s God, and I will exalt Him.”
Exodus 15:1 & 2

Judges 5 sing, make melody “Hear, O kings; give ear, O princes; to the Lord I will sing, I will make melody to the Lord, the God of Israel.” Judges 5:3

I Chronicles 16 thanksgiving, sung “Then on that day, David first appointed that thanksgiving be sung to the Lord by Asaph and his brethren.” I Chronicles 16:7*
* Note: Immediately following this verse, the passage in I Chronicles 16:8 – 36 contains words from 3 Psalms. Verses 8 – 22 contain the words of Psalm 105:1 – 15. Verses 23 – 33 contain the words of Psalm 96:1 – 13. Verses 34 – 36 contain the words of Psalm 106, verses 1, and 47 – 48.

I Chronicles 29 blessed, bowed, worshipped “Then David said to all the assembly, “Bless the Lord your God.” And all the assembly blessed the Lord, the God of their fathers, and bowed their heads, and worshipped the Lord, and did obedience to the king.” I Chronicles 29:20

II Chronicles 20 bowed, fell, worshipped, stood to praise, sing, praise, give thanks “Then Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the Lord, worshipping the Lord. And the Levites, of the Kohathites and the Korahites, stood up to praise the Lord, the God Of Israel, with a very loud voice. And they rose early in the morning and went out into the wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem! Believe in the Lord your God, and you will be established; believe His prophets, and you will succeed.” And when he had taken counsel with the people, he appointed those who were to sing to the Lord and praise Him in holy array, as they went before the army, and say, “Give thanks to the Lord, for His steadfast love endures forever.” And when they began to sing and praise, the Lord sent an ambush against the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah, so that they were routed.” II Chronicles 20:18 – 22

II Chronicles 29 song to the Lord, worshipped, singers sang, trumpeters sounded, sang praises, bowed down “The Levites stood with the instruments of David, and the priests with the trumpets. Then Hezekiah commanded that the burnt offering be offered on the altar. And when the burnt offering began, the song to the Lord began also, and the trumpets, accompanied by the instruments of David king of Israel. The whole assembly worshipped, and the singers sang, and the trumpeters sounded; all this continued until the burnt offering was finished. When the burnt offering was finished, the king and all who were present with him bowed themselves and worshipped. And Hezekiah the king and the princes commanded the Levites to sing praises to the Lord with the words of David and of Asaph the seer. And they sang praises with gladness, and they bowed down and worshipped.” II Chronicles 29:26 – 30

Nehemiah 12 celebrated with gladness, thanksgiving, singing, instruments “And at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought the Levites in all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem to celebrate the dedication with gladness, with thanksgivings, and with singing, with cymbals, harps, and lyres.” Nehemiah 12:27

Nehemiah 12 chief (director) of singers, songs of praise and thanksgiving “For in the days of David and Asaph of old there was a chief of the singers, and there were songs of praise and thanksgiving to God.” Nehemiah 12:46

Psalm 5 woship in reverence and awe “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

Psalm 5 rejoice, sing, exult “But let all who take refuge in Thee rejoice, let them ever sing for joy; and defend them, that those who love Thy name may exult in Thee.” Psalm 5:11

Psalm 7 give thanks, sing praises “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

Psalm 9 give thanks, exult, sing praise testify (tell) “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

Psalm 16 bless the Lord “I bless the Lord who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me. I keep the Lord always before me; because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.” Psalm 16:7 & 8

Psalm 18 I love You, O Lord, worthy to be praised “I love You, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shild, and the horn of my salvation, my stronglhold. I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and so shall I be saved from my enemies.” Psalm 18:1 – 3

Psalm 28 hearts trusts and exults, song of thanks “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.” Psalm 28:6 & 7

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

Psalm 32 be glad, rejoice, shout for joy “Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!” Psalm 32:11

Psalm 33 rejoice, praise the Lord, make melody, sing a new song “Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous! Praise befits the upright. Praise the Lord with the lyre; make melody to Him with the harp of ten strings! Sing to Him a new song, play skillfully on the strings with loud shouts.” Psalm 33:1 – 3

Psalm 47 sing praises, with a Psalm “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

Psalm 48 praise, meditation (thought) “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

Psalm 50   thanks, honor (in some translations, “glorifies“)    “He who sacrifices thank offerings honors me, and he prepares the way so that I may show him the salvation of God.”   Psalm 50:23

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

Psalm 59 sing aloud “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

Psalm 63 sing for joy “You have been my help, and in the shadow of Your wings I sing for joy.” Psalm 63:7

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

Psalm 67 praise, be glad, sing for joy “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

Psalm 68 be joyful, exult, be jubilant, sing praises, lift up a song “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

Psalm 68 sing praises “Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth; sing praises to the Lord.” Psalm 68:32

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

Psalm 71 praise, sing, rejoice “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

Psalm 72 bless the Lord, bless His name, glorify “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who alone does wondrous things. Blessed be His glorious name forever; may His glory fill tehe whole earth! Amen and Amen!” Psalm 72:18 & 19

Psalm 75 give thanks, call on His name, recount His deeds “We give thanks to Thee, O God: we give thanks; we call on Thy name and recount Thy wondrous deeds.”
Psalm 75:1

Psalm 81 sing aloud, make a joyful noise “Sing aloud unto God our strength; make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob.” Psalm 81:1

Psalm 84 sing for joy “How lovely is Thy dwelling place, O Lord of hosts! My soul longs, yea, faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God.” Psalm 84:1 & 2

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

Psalm 86 bow down, glorify Your name, give thanks “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.” Psalm 86:9 – 12

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

Psalm 89 sing, make known “I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever; with my mouth will I make know Thy faithfulness in all generations.” Psalm 89:1

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

Psalm 92 give thanks, sing praises, demonstrate His kindness and faithfulness “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

Psalm 95 sing, make a joyful noise, come before Him with thanksgiving and Psalms “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

Psalm 96 sing, bless His name, show His salvation, declare His glory and wonders, greatly to be praised “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

Psalm 96 give glory and strength, give glory due His name, bring an offering, come, worship in the beauty of holiness “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

Psalm 97 rejoice, give thanks, remember “Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous, and give thanks at the remembrance of His holiness.” Psalm 97:12

Psalm 98 sing a new song “O sing unto the Lord a new song; for he has done marvelous things; His right hand and His Holy arm have gotten the victory.” Psalm 98:1

Psalm 98 make a joyful noise, loud noise, rejoice, sing praise, with instruments and psalm “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

Psalm 99 exalt, woship “Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at His footstool; for He is Holy.” Psalm 99:5

Psalm 99 exalt, worship “Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at His Holy hill; for the Lord our God is Holy.” Psalm 99:9

Psalm 100 make a joyful noise, serve with gladness, come with singing, enter with thanksgiving and praise, be thankful, bless His name “Make a joyful moise unto the Lord, all ye lands. Serve the Lord with gladness; come fefore 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)

Psalm 101 sing of mercy and judgment, sing to Thee “I will sing of mercy and judgement; unto Thee, O Lord, will I sing.” Psalm 101:1

Psalm 102 that a people yet unborn may praise the Lord, declare His name, worship “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)

Psalm 104 sing as long as I live, sing praise, meditation on Him, be glad in the Lord “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

Psalm 105 give thanks, call upon His name, make Him known, sing unto Him, sing Psalms, glory in His name, rejoice, speak of Him “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

Psalm 106 praise, give thanks “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

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

Psalm 107 thanksgiving, songs of joy “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

Psalm 107 praise, exalt “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

Psalm 108 sing, make melody, give thanks, sing praises, be exalted, glory “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

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

Psalm 111 praise, give thanks “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

Psalm 111 reverential awe (fear of the Lord), praise “The reverential awe of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and all who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!” Psalm 111:10

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

Psalm 113 praise, bless “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

Psalm 115 give glory to His name “Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to Thy name give glory, for the sake of Thy steadfast love and Thy faithfulness!” Psalm 115:1

Psalm 115 bless, praise “The dead do not praise the Lord, nor do any that go down into silence. But we will bless the Lord from this time forth and for evermore. Praise the Lord!”
Psalm 115: 15 & 16

Psalm 117 praise, extol “Praise the Lord, all nations! Extol Him, all peoples! For great is His steadfast love toward us; and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord!”
Psalm 117:1 & 2 (all verses)

Psalm 118 songs of victory, exalt His strength “The Lord is my strength and my song; He has become my salvation. Hark, glad songs of victory in the tents of the righteous: “The right hand of the Lord does valiantly, the right hand of the Lord is exalted, the right hand of the Lord does valiantly.” Psalm 118:14 – 16

Psalm 135 praise, sing “Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good: sing to His name, for He is gracious!” Psalm 135:3

Psalm 145 praise His greatness, greatly to be praised “Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and His greatness is unsearchable.” Psalm 145:3

Psalm 146 praise as long as I have being “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

Psalm 147 praise, sing praises “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

Psalm 147 sing with thanksgiving, make melody with instruments “Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving; make melody to our God upon the lyre.” Psalm 147:7

Psalm 147 praise, sing a new song “Praise the Lord! Sing to the Lord a new song, His praise in the assembly of the faithful!” Psalm 149:1

Psalm 150 praise, praise His greatness, praise with instruments and dance, let everything that has breath praise the Lord “Praise the Lord! Praise God in His sanctuary; praise Him for His mighty deeds; praise Him in His mighty firmament! 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)

Isaiah 12give thanks, proclaim, sing “Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted. Sing to the LORD, for he has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world.” Isaiah 12:4-5

Isaiah 24 lift up voices, sing for joy, glory, praise “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

Isaiah 25 exalt, praise “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 25:1

Isaiah 27 sing “In that day: ‘A pleasant vineyard, sing of it! I, the Lord, am its keeper; every moment I water it. Lest any one harm it, I guard it night and day.'”
Isaiah 27:2 & 3

Isaiah 27 worship “And in that day a great trumpet will be blown, and those who were lost in the land of Assyria and those who were driven out to the land of Egypt will come and worship the Lord on the holy mountain at Jerusalem.” Isaiah 27:13

Isaiah 35 singing, joy, gladness “And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness; and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” Isaiah 35:10

Isaiah 42 sing a new song, praise, lift up, sing for joy, shout, give glory, declare praise “Sing to the Lord a new song, His praise from the end of the earth! Let the sea roar and all that fills it, the coastlands and their inhabitants. Let the desert and it’s cities lift up their voice, the villages that Kedar inhabits; let the inhabitants of Sela sing for joy, let them shout from the top of the mountains. Let them give glory to the Lord, and declare His praise in the coastlands. Isaiah 42:10 – 12

Jeremiah 31 sing aloud, raise shouts, proclaim, give praise, be radiant “For thus says the Lord: ‘Sing aloud with gladness for Jacob, and raise shouts for the chief of the nations; proclaim, give praise, and say, “The Lord has saved His people, the remnant of Israel.”…They shall come and sing aloud on the height of Zion, and they shall be radiant over the goodness of the Lord…'” Isaiah 31:7, 12a

Daniel 4 praise, extol “Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven; for all His works are right and His ways are just; and those who walk in pride He is able to abase.” Daniel 4:37

Zephaniah 3 sing aloud, rejoice, exult, HE will rejoice, renew, & sing over you “Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! The Lord has taken away the judgements against you, He has cast out your enemies. The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst; you shall fear evil no more. On that day, it shall be said to Jerusalem:
‘Do not fear, O Zion; let not your hands go weak. The Lord, your God, is in your midst, a warrior who gives victory; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will renew you in His love: He will exult over you with loud singing, as on a day of festival.'” Zephaniah 3:14 -18a

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The scriptures in this post were compiled by Cynthia A. Boyd for our page entitled “Lift Your Voice (Worship Scriptures)”, which contains worship scriptures for both the New and Old Testaments.  We decided to publish the scriptures in separate Old and New Testament posts to make it easier to view the New Testament worship scriptures without having to scroll through the Old Testament scriptures first and to make it easier to find this resource on search engines.  It is our hope that having 3 separate entries (2 posts and one page) appearing in web searches will result in allowing more people to find and utilize this resource.

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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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30 Thankful Verses

Thankful hearts, rejoice!

Here are thirty verses about giving thanks to God.  There is one verse for each day of the month, with some brief devotional thoughts to inspire you.

  DAY  ONE

  “The trumpeters and singers joined in unison, as with one voice, to give praise and thanks to the Lord.   Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals and other instruments, they raised their voices in praise to the Lord and sang:  “He is good; His love endures forever.”   Then the temple of the Lord was filled with a cloud.”    II Chronicles 5:13

Jesus prayed that we (God’s people) would be one.  When we come together as one to praise and thank Him, God’s presence is made known to us as he inhabits (literally, dwells within) the praise of His people.  Today, let us thank God, as the trumpeters and singers did, for His great love that endures forever.

  DAY  TWO

  “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

He is holy and righteous.  Thank God today for His righteousness.

  DAY  THREE

  “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

How are we supposed to give thanks to the Lord?  This verse tells us that we should give thanks to God with our whole heart.  A half-hearted thankfulness results from giving thanks out of a sense of duty, just because we know we should.  However, when we spend some time thinking and meditating on all that God has done (His wonderful deeds), thankfulness is the natural overflow of our hearts in response to our great God.  Spend some time thinking of His wonderful deeds, and thank Him with your whole heart!

  DAY  FOUR

  “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.”    Psalm 28:6 & 7

Thank the Lord today for being a God that we can trust.  He has our best interests at heart.  He gives His strength, protects us, and helps us.

  DAY  FIVE

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

His saints…   He has accepted us as we are, saved us, and is at work in our hearts to make us like Jesus.  Thank God for His mercy in all of these things!

 

  DAY  SIX

  “Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God, and keep the vows you made to the Most High.”    Psalm 50:14

He has given sacrificially to us in every way, and He always keeps His promises.  Thank God today for accepting your thankfulness as a sacrifice to Him, for the sacrifices He has made to you, and for His unchanging character as a keeper of promises.

  DAY  SEVEN

  “I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving.”    Psalm 69:30

Thank God for the songs that allow you to praise His name and bring glory to Him through thanksgiving.  Sing one of these songs to the Lord today.

  DAY  EIGHT

  “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

Thankfulness is a good thing!  From morning until night, give thanks for God’s lovingkindness and faithfulness today.

  DAY  NINE

  “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

He is a great God!  Our God is the sovereign ruler and creator of all things!   And yet, he regards us with tenderness, as the sheep of His hand.  Thank God for His might and for His tenderness today.

  DAY  TEN

  “Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous, and give thanks at the remembrance of His holiness.”    Psalm 97:12

We can be called righteous only to the extent that His righteousness indwells our hearts.  Thank God today for living within you.

  DAY  ELEVEN

  “Make a joyful moise unto the Lord, all ye lands.  Serve the Lord with gladness; come fefore 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)

The Lord is good!  His mercy lasts forever!  (He never tires of showing mercy!)  His truth will prevail, even when it seems that the world is full of lies.  Thank God today for these great truths about who He is.

  DAY  TWELVE

  “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

We can rejoice and give thanks because when we call upon the Lord, He hears us.  When we seek Him, He responds.  Before we knew we needed Him, He met our need.  These are among the wondrous works of the Lord.  Thank Him today for being a God who knows us and who wants to be known by us.

  DAY  THIRTEEN

  “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

Thank the Lord that His mighty acts are so numerous that no one can name them all.  Thank Him for the ways that He is at work that we cannot see.  The Lord is good!  Show forth His praise today.

  DAY  FOURTEEN

  “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

No matter who we are, where we’ve been, or what we’ve done, God’s love for us is steadfast.  Thank God today for His wonderful, everlasting love.

  DAY  FIFTEEN

  “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

God’s faithfulness reaches to the clouds.  It is beyond any faithfulness that we have ever known.  God’s faithfulness is not dependant on perfection from us.  He is faithful is spite of our sinfulness.  Thank God for His faithfulness today and every day.

  DAY  SIXTEEN

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

Where did the Psalmist give thanks and praise to God?  ….in the midst of the throng.   And how?  …with his mouth.  Thank God today, no matter where you are and who is there with you.  Thank Him out loud!

  DAY  SEVENTEEN

  “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

Where else did the Psalmist give praise and thanks to the Lord?  …in the company of the upright, in the congregation.  You will never know how much your presence and the testimony of your praise may mean to the heart of another believer.  Do not forsake the worship of God with your congregation.  As iron sharpens iron, the faith of others increases our own faith, and your faith increases the faith of others.  Thank God today for those who have been a spiritual influence in your life.  Give Him praise with your whole heart, and remember to assemble with the saints in your congregation every time that you can be there.

  DAY  EIGHTEEN

  “Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving; make melody to our God upon the lyre.”     Psalm 147:7

Why are we told in scriptures so many times to sing to the Lord with thanksgiving?  It’s because we matter to Him, and our praise matters to Him as well.  We were created to bring Him glory.  Thank God that you matter to Him, and that He considers you to be of such infinite value that your praise brings Him glory.  Glorify Him with your praise and thanksgiving today.

  DAY   NINETEEN

  “Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted.  Sing to the LORD, for he has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world.”     Isaiah 12:4-5

To whom are we to make God’s name and His deeds known?  …to the nations, and to all the world.  Our God wants everyone to know Him.  He values all people.  He loves all people.  Today, thank God for the fact that He has allowed you to be part of His great mission to make Himself known and to reach the hearts of people around the world.

  DAY  TWENTY

  “All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.”    II Corinthian 4:15

Thank God for His wonderful, incredible grace, reaching out to us in spite of our sinfulness and covering our sin because of His great love.

  DAY  TWENTY  ONE

  “And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”    Eph. 5:20

For what should we be thankful?  …everything.  This is the most difficult thing for us to do, but He is with us and is working all things together for our good.  Give thanks for the hard places in your journey.

  DAY  TWENTY  TWO

  “Do not be over-anxious about anything, but by prayer and earnest pleading, together with thanksgiving, let your request be unreservedly made known in the presence of God.”    Phil. 4:6

Thank God today for the fact that we have the ability to talk to Him in prayer about anything.  We are to come to Him without reservation.  We do not need to worry.  He hears our prayers and answers them in His wisdom.

  DAY  TWENTY THREE

  We also pray that you will be strengthened with all His glorious power, so you will have all the endurance and patience you need.  May you be filled with joy, always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to His people, who live in the light.    Col 1:11 – 12

God continues to give!  He gives strength through His glorious power, along with endurance and patience.  He gives us an inheritance as His people.  He allows us to live in the light of His glory and grace.  Thank Him today, with joy!

  DAY  TWENTY  FOUR

  “Let your roots grow down into Him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.”    Colossians 2:7

We don’t have to stay where we are in our walk with the Lord.  He accepts us and loves us as we are, but He also continues His work in our hearts as we build our lives on Him.  Thank God for His work in your heart and life.  He will be faithful to complete it!

  DAY  TWENTY  FIVE

  “And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts.  For as members of one body you are called to live in peace.  And always be thankful.”    Colossians 3:15

Thank God for His peace, and ask Him to help you allow His peace to rule in your heart no matter what circumstances surround you.

  DAY  TWENTY  SIX

  “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, as you teach and admonish one another in all wisdom, and as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God.  And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”    Colossians 3:16 & 17

Thank the Lord for Christ our Savior!   He has given His all for us, so may we live to bring Him glory!

  DAY  TWENTY  SEVEN

  “Therefore, we never stop thanking God that when you received his message from us, you didn’t think of our words as mere human ideas.   You accepted what we said as the very word of God–which, of course, it is.  And this word continues to work in you who believe.    I Thessalonians 2:13

Thank God for the power of his Word, which continues to work in us, and for Jesus the living Word, who has been the physical incarnation and demonstration of the Word

  DAY  TWENTY  EIGHT

“Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”    I Thessalonians 5:18

We belong to Christ Jesus!  He has saved us, and God holds us in the hollow of His hand.  How can we fail to be thankful?

  DAY  TWENTY  NINE

  “I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them.”    I Timothy 2:1

Thank God for the people in your life…all of the people!  And, when God brings a name or face across your path (whether you know the person or not), thank Him for this person and ask God to help them.

  DAY  THIRTY

  Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably, with reverence and awe.”    Hebrews 12:28

Thank God for His eternal Kingdom and His ultimate victory.  With our thankfulness, we offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence for Him and awe because of who He is and what He has done.  Thank Him for being who He is.

WORTHY  OF  OUR  THANKSGIVING

For all of time, God has been the same.  He has always been worthy of praise and thanksgiving, and He always will be.  Our grateful hearts on earth foreshadow the thankfulness of the great multitude in Heaven.  Give thanks to Him every day!  Amen.

“After this I looked, and behold, a great multititude which no man could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits upon the throne, and to the Lamb!”  And all the angels stood round the throne and round the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshipped God, saying, ” Amen!  Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God for ever and ever!  Amen.”
Revelation 7:9 – 12

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This thankfulness guide could certainly be used in the month of November as many people focus on thanksgiving to God.  However, it can be used at any time!  Everyday, we have 10,000 reasons to thank God and give Him praise!

Note:  The verses used in this post were copied from BibleCC, the Online Parallel Bible at http://bible.cc/
The verses were found using the following search terms:  ‘thank’, ‘thanks’, ‘thankful’, ‘thankfulness’, ‘thanksgiving’, ‘give thanks’, and ‘giving thanks’.  In each case, the Bible translation which seems to convey the meaning of the verse most clearly was used, so the verses represent various Bible translations.  There were other verses in which the thankful terms also appeared.  However, many of the verses in Psalms were very similar to verses already chosen.  Other verses were part of a narrative and would have sounded incomplete when used out of context.  The 30 verses chosen were just the best representation of verses about the subject of being thankful or giving thanks.

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These scriptures were compiled and the devotional thoughts were added by C. A. Boyd

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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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WORSHIP…it’s all about Giving!

The one true God,
the Creator of all that is,
has given to us everything that we have ever known.

Our lives,
our very breath,
our families,
our gifts and talents,
our earthly home,
sunshine and rain,
all of creation,
the capacity to love and be loved,
our minds and bodies,
our eternal souls,
His great love and mercy,
salvation,
and even His only Son

… all these are given to us from the hand of God the Father, the maker of Heaven and Earth.   What do we have that we can give to him?   Can any gift from the created ones be of value to the Creator of all that is?   After all, what do you give to the One who has absolutely everything?

God has shown us His eternal and pure love through the giving of all that He is. 
He has given us His message, the Word, both in the form of the scriptures and in the form of the Living Word, Jesus;  He has given His creativity, order, power, brilliance and majesty in Creation; He has given His love, mercy, grace, forgiveness, and patience in allowing us to choose whether to love and serve Him.  He has given us new life and purpose and an eternal home in Heaven through the gift of salvation.   He has given us His only Son, the most precious gift ever given, when we, as the recipients of this gift, were lost in sin and ugliness and the filth of selfishness.

As we think about the giving and loving nature of God, it follows that if God is our model for giving, there are certain facts that are always evident about the kinds of gifts that truly make a difference.

First of all, His giving is sacrificial to an extent that we are unable to fully comprehend.

Secondly, His giving always has our best interests at heart.

 Thirdly, God is ever present in His giving.

*  He gave us the earth as our temporary home, but he sustains it so that this life can continue according to His plan

*  He gave us himself in the person of His Son, God with us, Emmanuel.

*  He gives us salvation and comes to live within us.

With every gift, God also gives Himself.  If we are to give a gift that has meaning and value to Him, we must also be very present in the giving, not just for a moment in time but for a lifetime.  Though none of us will be able to perfectly fulfill the goal of giving our all to the Lord, we must press on and continue, with God’s help, to focus upon Him and diligently seek Him, striving to grow in our relationship with Him and to surrender all that we are to Him day by day and moment by moment.

What does the Bible have to say about our giving and how we must be present in the gift, in other words, giving ourselves? 

From Romans 12:1 & 2, the meaning is abundantly clear:

“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.”

Because of God’s mercy, we know that He is good.  Our response to His goodness (as it has been revealed through His choice to show mercy) should then be (according to this scripture) our true and proper
(in some translations, “reasonable”) worship:
the giving of ourselves.

This is to be a sacrificial gift, and yet we are allowed to continue living this earthly life.  We become living sacrifices, giving up our own will for His good, pleasing, and perfect will.  We allow Him to transform us through His Spirit.  As our mind is renewed, we gain some level of understanding of His purpose and His will for our lives.  As we give ourselves to Him, all that we are is changed and made new.  (II Corinthians 5:17  “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”)  This new, spirit life within us causes us to want to live in a manner that brings honor and glory to the Lord, and this desire changes the focus of our lives.  We are no longer focused exclusively upon self and the world as it relates to our selves.  Instead, we begin to become aware that all that we think, say, and do has eternal importance.  Though we will never achieve perfection in this earthly life, we still seek to give to the Lord an intentional living sacrifice with every choice that we make.  We have the power of God through his Holy Spirit within us to help us follow through with our commitment to live for God’s glory, so we do not have to strive in our own strength.  We are to live as to the Lord, and not unto men.  (See Colossians 3:23 & 24)

When the very living of our lives has become an act of worship, recognizing God’s supremacy and worth in every decision and thought, worship is no longer an action but rather a lifestyle.  It’s a 24 / 7 / 365 … every moment of every day … goal of intentionally expressing God’s glory in all that we do, think, and say.**   In living out this lifestyle and this heart commitment to the One who has given us His all, we give the only gift that we can give to our Creator and Savior:  the gift of a transformed life that brings Him glory and joy!

CORPORATE  WORSHIP  AND  GIVING…

What about when we come together to worship the Lord?   How will we give to Him a time of focused worship that is meaningful and reverent, joyful and celebratory, and based upon what we read in the Bible about the types of giving that should characterize a gathering of God’s people for the purpose of worshipping Him together?  What are some of the Biblical references that could be applied to our efforts to give of ourselves to the Lord through worship?

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.”

Lift up His name!

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.”

John 4:24   “For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.”

8.  We are to 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.

Psalm 8:3 – 5  

“When I consider Your heavens,

the work of Your fingers,

the moon and the stars,

which You have set in place,

what is man that You are mindful of him,

the son of man that You care for him?

You have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings^c

and crowned him with glory and honor.”

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.”

Give Him your heart

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.”

* 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.”

* 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.”

* Psalm 56:13   “For you have rescued me from death; you have kept my feet from slipping. So now I can walk in your presence, O God, in your life-giving light.”

* 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.”

In demonstration of His infinite love for us, God continues to give.
In response to our efforts to give, He gives again in return.  It is impossible to give more of ourselves that He gives of Himself.  For God and for Jesus, demonstrating perfect love for us has been, is now, and will always be about giving.  For us, in giving to God honor, blessing, exaltation, thanksgiving, praise, glory, awe and reverence, love, honor, service, tithes and offerings, songs, and all that we are in life and in our hearts is our gift of worship and devotion to Him.  Again, he responds with more giving.  He gives His presence in response to true worship, and all Heaven breaks loose!  The Bible is full of promises for those who will give to the Lord their all.
Giving is about worship, and worship is all about giving.

“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

GOD HAS GIVEN HIS ALL…may we follow His example.

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**Here is a link to John Piper’s devotion where this definition of worship, paraphrased here, can be found:  http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/taste-see-articles/bodies-breakfast-and-the-marriage-bed

The wording of the original definition (directly quoted) in the first paragraph of this devotion is as follows:

“Worship” is the term we use to cover all the acts of the heart and mind and body that intentionally express the infinite worth of God. This is what we were created for, as God says in Isaiah 43:7, “Everyone who is called by my name, and whom I have created for my glory…” That means that we were all created for the purpose of expressing the infinite worth of God’s glory. We were created to worship.”

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This post was written by C. Boyd.

For other posts on worship, view our category called “Worship with Wonder” at https://worshipsounds.wordpress.com/category/worship-with-wonder/

We also have a page entitled “Lifestyle Worship”  at this link:  http://wwwworshipsounds.wordpress.com/lifestyle-worship

The titles of additional pages related to worship ministry (on topics such as creative worship ideas, worship planning and preparation, and avoiding burnout in ministry) can be found in the header on our home page at the bottom of the scenic photo.

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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/

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