What are your thoughts when worship comes up in conversation? Do you only think about music? Is it preaching? More often than not, the focus regarding worship tends toward music. There are different elements that make up a worship service. Music is just one part of a bigger picture. There are many ways in which we show our worship to God. In this section, we will look at five individual elements that give the worshiper a more complete experience in the worship service. These things include the following: Singing, Praying, Preaching, Giving and Communion. Let’s start with the chant first.
Singing
Ephesians 5:19
Here’s a story about Sam, a new Christian, while attending a church retreat. The first activity at this event was singing worship songs. Sam was very intimidated with singing out loud. However, he now sings with more confidence.
He sings louder. That’s because of this weekend retreat. At this retreat, the worship leader encouraged everyone to do more than mumble the lyrics. The worship leader at this retreat taught everyone to do more than just mumble the lyrics. He said, “The Lord has given you a voice to sing praises to Him. Now is the time to offer it to Him. If you sing well, that’s great, but if not, it’s time to get even!”
Encouraged by these words Sam blood. Very! But despite the years he discovered that the only way to improve was by practicing. The difficulty was that the only place where he could rehearse was during the church service.
It took Sam a while to gain confidence in concentrating on the One to whom he sang. He didn’t care how it sounded. This change in sight made him worship better.
Eventually, Sam bought a songbook and began to sing during His devotional time. The absence of music only highlighted his vocal weakness. But again, taking the focus off his singing voice and concentrating on offering the songs to God enhanced his experience.
The surprising thing is that Sam enjoys singing more than ever. Realizing that raising his voice to the Lord and hearing others do the same is a wonderful experience.
Most would agree that worship incorporates the act of singing. Singing is a physical action that all the faithful can do to express what is in their hearts. Singing, although similar to speaking, is quite different. Perhaps the most unique thing about singing is the ability for an assembly of people to say their worship in unison. It is by singing as a group that we can express praise, gratitude, and thanksgiving. We can at the same time communicate with God. The church as a whole can make an offering. Also singing can provide an emotional element to worship. Music causes various emotions and moods through melody and tempo. Music is its own language.
praying
Matthew 6:7-15
Let me tell you about a man who took his son for lunch at a local restaurant. They went to the counter to sit on the stools. The father lifted his son to the counter seat. They ordered lunch, and when the waiter brought the food, the father said, “Son, we’ll just have a silent prayer.” Dad finished praying first and waited for his son to finish her prayer, but he sat with his head bowed for a long time. Once the son finished praying, the father had to ask him “What have you been praying all this time?” The boy seemed puzzled and replied, “I’m not quite sure what I was praying for.” “It was a silent prayer.”
Many of our prayers are like this. The words we use are empty. We call the mind words, but they are repetitive or insincere. Here’s a revelation for some of you. When you pray, you are simply talking to God. One thing you need to realize; God likes when you talk to him. He wants a complete relationship. It is through Prayer that you can converse directly with God. Some elements of prayer can be a form of worship. It is by prayer that an open door of communication with God is established.
Prayer can be silent. It can be said out loud so others can agree. You can even sing a prayer. When it comes to the sentence I like to use the acrostic FACTS Each letter represents an important part of the sentence. Here are the parts of speech:
- A = Adoration
- C = Confession
- T = thanksgiving
- S = supplication
prayer worship
Take time at the beginning of your prayer to offer worship to God. It is at this moment that you tell God how much you appreciate and love him. Affirming your love for him is important. How many times have you started to pray asking for things? A great way to start your prayer is to declare to God how he loves you.
confession in prayer
When you pray, your heart needs to be in the right place. Face it, humans are sinners by nature. Confession is a kind of acknowledgment of what is true. Most of the time we confess our sins. God already knows our sin. However, we still have to confess them. God is always faithful to forgive the sins we confess. But I also want to bring another point of view to the confession. This will produce a new dimension in your thought process. You can confess the greatness of God. You can confess your faith. Confess the truth!
Thanksgiving in prayer.
God has abundant resources available to every Christian. God is in the business of showering you with blessings. The obedient thing to do is thank him for all the good things he does in your life. No matter the scenario, it is a good plan to thank God/
Supplication in Prayer
As I said earlier, it is common for Christians to accumulate petitions to God. God give me this, God give me that. The supplication is your request for something. Prayer needs balance. Many times it is the supplication that Christians spend most of the time. It’s okay to ask. The Bible says to ask. But this should not be the focus. Your prayers must be according to the will of God. Remembering these areas of prayer – Adoration, Confession and Thanksgiving before asking for anything will put you in the right attitude. Your plea to God must be bold. He is a God of unlimited resources. He asks for things beyond yourself.
preaching
1 Timothy 3:16-17
2 Timothy 4:1-5
We need to learn the word of God. Preaching is a fundamental part of worship. This element of worship lets you know about God. It is God’s desire that you know him. He wants you to understand who and what he is. This is the key to his relationship with you. After all, how can you adore or love someone you don’t know? That’s why it has preachers.
Preaching is really an opportunity to immerse yourself in God’s word, the Bible, and learn more about who he is. You will learn how He operates. The food of worship is in the word of God. Keep in mind that music is not just a “warm-up” exercise. Each element is important to a complete worship experience. One complements the other just like all the other areas we are discussing in the section.
Donation
2 Corinthians 9:6-7
It’s okay, with all your heart, mind and soul, you must give. The Christian life is not about receiving but about giving.
Growing up at Christmas, it was our family tradition to get gifts for everyone in the immediate family. I would get gifts for mom, dad, brother and sister. It was often difficult to make a decision about what gift to give. First, because I was young, my resources were very limited. So any gift that was too expensive had to be passed on. This left the playing field quite low. But it became apparent that my parents already had quite a few items that they already had. There was only a small number of things that he could really get. With God it is much like this. God owns the universe and everything in it. But one thing that we can give is our worship to Him. This is one thing that He really enjoys in his people.
Money is the first thing most think of when the subject of giving comes up. Giving money to the church is an honor that we can all do. But, I want you to also know that it goes beyond that. Your whole life is what God wants. You have the incredible opportunity to give all your resources to God. This includes your time, your body, your mind, and all your possessions.
When you give God all the resources available to you, it is at that moment a true sacrifice of praise and worship.
Communion
Matthew 26:26-29 And while they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and broke it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to him, saying, Drink all of it; For this is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. But I tell you that I will not drink any more of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in the kingdom of my Father.
Christians experience one of the greatest privileges during Communion. This is a time for a true intimate relationship with Jesus. This is a time of unity. It is time for the worshiper to unite with his Savior. He identifies the believer with Christ. Communion allows us to focus on the greatest gift ever given to the world. It is a time to remember that Jesus’ death on the cross is the last and final sacrifice for the sins of the world.
putting it all together
As you can see, there are several aspects to the worship experience. Each one is as crucial as the other. The key to rich and satisfying worship is balance. By balancing these five components in your worship service, you offer more opportunities for the worshipper.
