Sugar Fast Day 17
It is good to stop and worship God. I am almost halfway through my sugar fast. As I look back through this journey thus far, I am grateful for the things that God is showing me. He is teaching me lessons about who He is, who I am in Him and strengthening me every day.
When you think about worship what comes to mind? Most people think of singing. But that is just one form of praising God.
Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!
2 Serve the Lord with gladness!
Come into his presence with singing!3 Know that the Lord, he is God!
It is he who made us, and we are his;[a]
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise!
Give thanks to him; bless his name!
I love this Psalm. Partly because I am a musician and love to give praise through music. I am blessed to be able to use my talent as worship leader at my church, but I understand that singing and playing music is just one means of worship. In their book Holy Roar, Chris Tomlin and Darin Whitehead introduce us to 7 Hebrew words for worship.
Seven Hebrew Words
- Yâdâh— To worship with extended hands
- Hâlal—To boast. To rave. To celebrate.
- Bârak—To kneel
- Tehillâh—A new song
- Shabâch—To shout
- Zâmar—To make music
- Tôwdâh—Thanksgiving
Recently the worship team at church and I led our congregation in a service where we explored these seven words and invited the congregation to worship in ways other than just singing. Hands were raised, shouts of joy filled the sanctuary as we allowed the Holy Spirit to invade our time of praise. We knelt before a holy God to sing praises and boast in the Lord. It was a challenging yet freeing experience for many.
We were made to worship God. You may not consider yourself a singer, but don’t let this keep you from praising God. I encourage you to explore these 7 ways and allow the Spirit to join in.
So today I am sharing some of my favorite songs, as I love to praise Jesus through singing and playing music, but remember these other forms. I hope you will stop and praise Him with me in your own journey. It is good to Worship God.
Some of My Favorite Songs (check out each link)
Oh sing to the Lord a new song,
for he has done marvelous things!
His right hand and his holy arm
have worked salvation for him. (Psalm 98:1)