Worship: Claiming Victory in the Lord

Worship is expressed in countless ways in many different church traditions and cultures, but true God-honoring, Christ-centered, Spirit-led worship always involves expressions of gratitude, awe, and devotion.

When we, as Christians, worship with sincerity, we are expressing back to God His enormous worth in our lives.

God doesn’t encourage you to worship Him because He needs your worship. He wants you to worship Him because you need that kind of intimate connection with Him for yourself.

When you worship the Lord, you acknowledge that there’s a higher being who is greater than you. You acknowledge that there is a living God and that He is Lord over your life.

It’s these acknowledgments that will cause you to draw upon His strength for victory in every situation you face — whether it’s related to your physical health, your finances, your relationships, or any other challenge that comes before you!

Worship will lift you up and out of the troubles of this world and set you in the realm of God’s Spirit. It is there the Lord will surround you with His presence! It’s in that peaceful place where you can exchange your worries for the incredible joy of intimate friendship with Him.

Many Ways to Worship

What’s surprising to a lot of Christians is there are many ways to express genuine worship to God:

Shouting: The Bible says, “Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth: break forth and sing for joy and sing praises to the Lord … with the lyre and the sound of melody. With trumpets and the sound of the horn shout joyfully before the King, the Lord” (Psalm 98:4-6)

Clapping: The Bible also says, “Clap your hands, all peoples; shout to God with the voice of joy” (Psalm 47:1). Hand clapping is a form of praise, and one of the best “instruments” you can play are your own two hands!

Lifting Hands: You can also lift your hands toward Heaven in worship of the Lord. “Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the Lord” (Psalm 134:2). David said in Psalms 63:4, “I will lift my hands in thy name” (KJV).

Singing: The Bible is filled with verses telling us that singing is a form of worship. In just this one verse we are told four times that we are to sing to the Lord, “Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises” (Psalm 47:6). You don’t have to be an expert vocalist to sing to the Lord — God hears you singing from your heart, not your vocal chords!

Dancing: Some people dance before the Lord as they worship Him. The Bible says that the Spirit of the Lord came upon King David, and “David danced before the Lord with all his might” (2 Samuel 6:14).

Giving: A special way to worship God is through offering monetary gifts to Him. These gifts are often referred to as “tithes,” which simply means giving God back 10% of what He has given you through His blessings. Offerings are different from tithing since they are over and above your tithe. When you give a special offering to God, it needs to be an offering that costs you something in order for it to be “sacrificial giving.” Throughout the Bible, there are numerous examples showing the need to sow financial seeds to God that go beyond tithing.

You can praise the Lord in the countless ordinary activities you do throughout the day — worshiping Him doesn’t have to be done in a church setting. In fact, He desires to hear from you often throughout the day!

This kind of moment-by-moment connection to the Lord is what we refer to as “walking with Christ.” Paul writes of this continual worship, “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).

As you go through your day, determine that you will accomplish your responsibilities through God’s strength. When you do, you’re actually worshiping God and claiming victory in His name!