Praise and Worship?

Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in the truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and His worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth. John 4:23-24 NIV.

  Every Sunday morning, Christians meet to celebrate the “Lord’s Day.” It always begins with some form of praise and worship, such as singing, prayer, and even communion. But have you ever considered what it is and why we do it?  

We express adoration, reverence, and appreciation for God through praise and worship—distinct yet interconnected. Praise is an outward declaration of God’s greatness and goodness, while worship is a deeper, more intimate expression of our love and respect for God. Praise and worship reflect our entire being, devoted wholeheartedly to God. Honest worship to an honest God.

Praise

Praise is a verbal expression of admiration and acknowledgment of God’s attributes, character, and actions. We praise God for recognizing Him as the one and only Almighty God. Our praises toward God express our joy in knowing and being known by Him. We praise God for who He is and for what He does. Praising Him for who He is is called adoration, and praising Him for what He’s done or is doing for us is thanksgiving.

Praise may be in song or prayer, individually or in fellowship, spontaneous or pre-arranged. It comes from the heart and the will. We willfully praise the Lord, not out of obligation, but out of love. We exalt God’s name, celebrate His power, and recognize His goodness: “For He is good and His steadfast love endures forever.”

Worship

Worship is a much deeper level of devotion and reverence, showing respect and love for God. It is personal and intimate, often involving a change of heart and lifestyle. The “with-God” life is a life of worship. The highest form of praise is obedience to Him and His Word.

I appeal to you, therefore, brothers, 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 ESV.

Key Differences

Praise is often an outward expression, while worship involves a more profound inward transformation. Praise focuses on verbally acknowledging God’s character, while worshiping emphasizes the intentions and actions that reflect our love and respect for God.

Praise can be a step towards worship because it draws us closer to God and cultivates a deeper love relationship. But genuine worship cannot happen without drawing close to the One who knows intimately.

Worship is reverent devotion and allegiance to no one else but God. True worship happens under the inspiration of God’s Spirit. Genuine worship is in Spirit and in truth.

• In Spirit does not mean an uncontrollable expression of enthusiasm, but a yielding to the Holy Spirit.
• In truth, worship means a heartfelt awareness of God’s presence and the revelation in the Person of Christ Jesus. Our worship must correspond to the nature of God, in Spirit and truth.

You see, praise can be vocal and instrumental, while worship encompasses a wider range of things, including how we live our lives and relate to God daily. Look closely, and you see that the internal attitude of reverence and gratitude influences our outward expressions and actions in all areas of life: word, home, relationships, and priorities.

Our experience with God and engagement in sacred Scripture at home (in the Secret Place) affect our praise and worship in the assembly of fellow believers.

Praise God in His sanctuary; praise Him in His mighty heavens. Praise Him for His acts of power; praise Him for His surpassing greatness. Praise Him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise Him with the harp and lyre. Praise Him with timbrel and dancing, praise Him with the strings and pipe. Praise Him with the clash of cymbals, praise Him with resounding cymbals. Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD! Psalm 50 NIV

Praise and Worship – Can it Go Wrong?

Let all things be done decently and in order. 1 Cor 14:40 KJV.

Praise and worship can go wrong in several ways. When it strays from its true purpose, it becomes so distorted that it causes harm.

Misplaced Focus

Focusing on performance or entertainment is more about putting on a show or creating an emotional experience for the congregation than genuine adoration of God. It is misguided praise and worship.

Prioritizing personal preferences over God’s standards by allowing music style to dictate the direction of worship is a risk, turning it into a self-centered exercise rather than a focus on God. Worshipping for personal gain, such as blessing or freedom from difficulties, undermines worship’s true purpose. As we worship the Lord, He may bless us and free us from trouble, but that is not the purpose of praise and worship.

We honor and glorify God simply because He is worthy.

Lack of Biblical Depth

Now here is a slippery slope. We may try to praise and worship God with shallow or theologically inaccurate lyrics. Pay attention to the words in the song.

• Does it lack biblical substance or promote inaccurate doctrines?
• Does it hinder your genuine understanding and experience of God?  
• Do the words seem to focus more on self than God?

A self-centered form of praise praises only the self. God-centered praise will always be biblically correct. Praise and worship should be grounded in the truth of the Bible.

If we do not know God, how can we honestly worship Him?

Emotionalism vs Genuine Emotion

Emotionalism as the primary goal is not harmless.

Worship should not be a matter of seeking emotional highs or measuring its success solely by intense feeling. Emotionalism cannot replace genuine spiritual fellowship with God. Emotional responses that are not grounded in the truth are dangerous.

Although emotions are a natural response to encountering God, they must be based on a genuine understanding of His character and the Word, not artificially manufactured or fueled by external stimuli.

Avoid the slippery slope of nice-sounding words and catchy tunes.

Are you looking for music to bring you into worship? Look to music as a simple expression of praise, leading you to the heart of God.

We worship from the heart because that’s how God made us, but not uncontrollable emotion, but done correctly with the right heart attitude.

Christian praise and worship can go wrong when the focus shifts away from God, the worshiper lacks biblical grounding, and the worshipper prioritizes an emotional experience over authentic encounters with God.

We have lost the art of worship. ~ A.W. Tozer

In Conclusion

Praise and worship are invaluable in cultivating our relationship with Christ and other believers. Shouting, dancing, and playing instruments are not bad.

The Lord is pleased with energetic expressions of joy and appreciation for His goodness. He also takes pleasure in a deeper, more humbling, surrendered posture of worship from the heart and soul.

A physical sign of awe and respect through prayer and reflection is of great value.

Praise and worship express our love, adoration, and gratitude for God. Take it seriously and don’t let anyone or anything try to shift you away from true worship, for God seeks those who worship Him in spirit and in truth.

So, don’t enter blindly the next time you go to church, a conference, women’s ministry, or anywhere they begin with praise and worship; use your God-given discretion, and if it’s genuine, then freely enter. If not, well, excuse yourself and don’t look back.

We are saved to worship God. All that Christ has done for us in the past and all that He is doing now leads to this one end. ~ A.W. Tozer