The Spiritual Practice of Worship

Worship is a great way to express our love for God. There are so many ways to worship, too – it engages our whole hearts and our entire body.

by CTK Bellingham

Introduction

In 2019, CTK did a sermon series on worship called Join the Mighty Chorus. In that series, we explored 7 Hebrew words for worship (click on the name below to watch the sermon). Biblical worship engages our whole hearts and our entire body. It can feel like a stretch to some of us, but it’s something we can grow in and learn to love.  

  • Yadah – to worship with extended hands
  • Zamar – to make music and celebrate through son
  • Halal – to celebrate; to be clamorously foolish
  • Barak – to kneel; to bless God (as an act of adoration)
  • Towdah – an extension of the hand; thanksgiving (even for things not yet received); a sacrifice of praise
  • Tehillah – laudation; a hymn; a song of praise; a new song; a spontaneous song
  • Shabach – to address in a loud tone; to shout; to commend, glory, and triumph   

For Individuals

If you have 5-10 minutes:

  • If you normally worship only during church services, spend a few minutes a couple of times this week worshiping at home. Put on a worship song you love (CTK has a playlist on Spotify & Apple Music) or sing a song by yourself and worship God in a posture or position that feels best to you in that moment. See how it feels to worship God at home. If it’s uncomfortable, don’t give up but try it again and see if it starts to feel more natural with regular practice.If you have a bit more time 

If you have a bit more time:

  • Make an effort to worship daily in some way or have a longer time of worship. Maybe explore the 7 postures of worship from Join the Mighty Chorus and try a different one each day this week. Or just commit to daily worship and try adding different types along the way. 

How to include worship in your small group 

Set aside a whole small group meeting just for worshiping together. Read Psalm 96:1-4 and spend time praising God through prayer. You can try some of the different worship postures as you do this. Share with each other what was comfortable for you and what was a stretch. Include worship through music if your group would benefit from that too.

Ways to experience worship as a family 

Turn your time in the car into a time of worship. Put on a worship song and sing praise to God together as you run errands or go about your daily life. Or make your next family night a worship night and sing your hearts out in praise together. If music is not your preferred way to worship, try shouting with praise (shabach) together! Try out each of the types of worship, and have fun finding new favorite ways of worship as a family.

If you’re ready for more

If worship at home or away from the church building is already a part of your life, try expressing worship in a way that you don’t normally. If you don’t often kneel in worship (barak), try doing that and learn to become comfortable with it. If you don’t normally shout praises to God (shabach), do that and see how it feels to loudly proclaim God’s goodness. We often get in a habit of worshiping in a certain way that feels most comfortable to us, so try to mix it up and see how you can grow closer to God by trying something new!

Additional Resources

Try these books:

Tags: worship, spiritual, disciplines, practice, spiritual practice

Previous Page