Psalm 81 begins with, "Sing praises to God, our strength. Sing to the God of Jacob. Sing! Beat the tambourine. Play the sweet lyre and the harp. Blow the ram's horn at new moon, and again at full moon to call a festival! For this is required by the decrees of Israel; it is a regulation of the God of Jacob. He made it a law for Israel when he attacked Egypt to set us free. I heard an unknown voice say, 'Now I will take the load from your shoulders; I will free your hands from their heavy tasks. You cried to me in trouble, and I saved you; I answered out of the thundercloud and tested your faith when there was no water at Meribah (1-7).'" Declaring the greatness of God and His goodness through singing and musical instruments has always been part of worshiping and praising God. God created music and musical instruments for His glory. One of the ways we delight in God is through praise and worship songs. God uses biblical Christian songs to minister to us, and at the same time, it gives us a way to show our adoration and gratitude towards Him.
Singing in church services is as important as hearing the message being preached. Many Christians do not understand the purpose of praise and worship in church services. For some Christians, it is another song to sing, but to God, it is always a delight to hear us sing for Him. When the Praise and Worship team begins singing, we need to stop chatting or looking at our phones and start to prepare our hearts to sing to our God. Going to church is not about us, but it is about God. We gather for church service to worship Him and let Him speak and minister to our hearts. Church services are not only about getting what we want but, most importantly, what we can give to God. Our respect, adoration, worship, praise, giving, and love, we give to God to express how much we appreciate and adore Him.
When we go to church this Sunday, let us not be late in praise and worship at the beginning of the service. God desires our praise and worship. When we sing, we sing to our God to express our love, gratitude, praise, and worship. As we sing to our God, let Him minister to our hearts and minds.
Questions for application: (Think through these questions carefully, meditate on them while answering them, and let the Spirit of God speak to you.) Why is praise and worship very important to God at the beginning and the end of church services? How do I feel singing praise and worship to God? Do I listen to Christian music that glorifies and honors God more than I listen to worldly music?
Write down all the worries you face today and lift them to God.
Prayer:
Dear Father in Heaven, you delight in the worship and praises of your people. Please help me sing praise and worship to you. Please help me declare your faithfulness and love. Please forgive me if I haven't taken praise and worship in church services seriously. Please change my heart and give me a heart of worship. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.
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