I've been thinking a lot about praising God lately, and to be completely honest, I've struggled praising Him in an "outward" fashion. Hands in pockets or at my side has been the norm. It was a big step for me when I started closing my eyes and lifting my head while singing praises. But I have to tell you, if I knew that this Sunday would be the last Sunday I could sing... man, would that ever change things for me...
Now, I'm not proud of that. In fact, I really hate that about me. What is it that prevents me from "going crazy" for the Lord? Am I so caught up in what others might think that I'm preventing myself from truly "letting loose" and praising the Creator of All Things?
So I'm "gearing up" for this Sunday... not only so that I will praise God despite my current circumstances, but that I will unabashedly and intentionally give Him the praise He deserves... and that I long to bring to His throne.
Hi there,
I just happened upon your site because I Ioved the name.
But what you wrote touched a chord with me. I love singing, praising the Lord and dancing in place, but there are times I feel led to raise my hands in the air and I won't do it. I worry what will people think, and then I feel so disloyal to God. Why can't I just submit? But if I close my eyes and imagine HIM before me, well that does change things.
Anyway, I guess I just wanted to say, take baby steps and confess your fears to God. He knows they are there, you might as well get it all on the table. And best of all, He understands.
I know the feeling . In spite of our circumstances I want to praise Him in all things. Have you ever read Streams in the Desert? Great book. The Lord has used it daily to help me see past me. He is at work in spite of us. We can praise Him for His faithfulness. I too wish I could just let go. My brain cannot even comprehend the thought. Striving to let go with you. Love & prayers
In a paragraph, whatever I say could be misconstrued... so take it at its possible best :)
It is my passion to see God's children set free to worship without inhibition... my journey has been slow to get to the level of inhibition I have, but His Spirit gently leads me further to forget about those around me and give my all to Him... physically and spiritually...
SO I just wanted to encourage you, and I am excited for you.
And in case anyone wonders, I don't think people who don't raise their hands are not worshippers!!
The Lord desires us to worship in spirit (most likely His Spirit) and in truth (most likely His Truth). I'd be careful about "letting go"--physically, emotionally...what's the purpose? We are to be sober, Spirit-controlled, etc. I don't think that means we can't have joy in the Lord, but I do think we have to be careful to distinguish between worship and what makes *us* feel good. Or allowing our flesh and emotions to control us, ever. God knows your thoughts and your heart. He doesn't need an outward show--that is usually for the eyes of man. Just some thoughts.
I remember David dancing and his wife saying it was indecent, yet I can only imagine the joy he felt and praise he was giving to the Lord. I know while I was growing up, even a hand lifted in praise would have been "ridiculous". Religion was something we did... not something we experienced.
I understand that we all worship in different ways... I just can't imagine being reserved when I stand in front of my Lord... (overwhelmed, speechless, falling at His feet... certainly VERY emotional!) and how can I expect others to be "on fire" for Christ if I myself show no emotion? (Again, I'm not saying that I have to "show" others how to act... but that when you're around an excited person, you tend to get excited.) I think of people watching a football game and how they hoot and holler for the team... and it's a game... what if those same people shouted praise to the Lord on Sunday? Now, I realize that not all denominations would accept this... but I guess that's another post, not in defiance of denominations, but in support of the Kingdom of God... and growing it.
While our relationship with the Lord is personal (He looks at our hearts) I know that what others see me doing as worship to my King should not be my concern. I can't judge another's heart while they worship and shouldn't worry about what others think of me while I worship... I'm not doing it for anyone other than God.
While Jesus did anything but blend into the crowd, I have to say that blending in is what I've tried to do. By "letting go", I'm certainly not saying that I feel I should because I've seen other people doing it... I have wanted to praise the Lord with hands stretched to the Heavens any number of times and have let it pass.
I guess I realized my hesitancy in giving "my all" to God when I saw my 5 year old singing as loud as she could with her hands in the air and her eyes closed a couple of weeks ago. She wasn't looking to see what others thought... she didn't care... she was giving her all to the Lord. It brought tears to my eyes...
We watched A Heart Ablaze by Jon Bevere a while back at Church on the 5th night of the week...and in part 8 he made us look up the following verses and also said the words that follow them:
Rev. 2:1-2, 8-9, 12-13, 18-19, and 3:1, 7-8, 14-15 all start with I know your works....it doesn't say I know your hearts...
he went on to say many christians jusitify an ungodly lifestyle by saying "HE knows my heart" -- ((double ouch))
We don't take a drill to an apple tree to see if it is a good tree, rather we judge it by it's fruit.
I also notice more and more denominations are allowing the raising of hands in praise and worship time...it's great to see, actually....I know as a kid at one church we attended we were told if someone raised their hands they'd be thrown out...but it doesn't appear that "harsh" anymore.
I agree that if you are led of the Holy Spirit to do it, then ya should.
I know at Shabbat service they have dancing....not anything vulgar, more like everyone stands in a circle and all go in the same direction, clap, etc....no "boy/girl dancing" or anything like that.
In my city, college football is a HUGE thing. Everyone worships the local university PAC 10 team. At church the worship leader spoke on worship one Sunday. He said something that really made sense and struck a chord in me (although I don't care for football) but I hope the football worshipping fans also. He said, however you behave when you team is winning, you should behave in church worshiping the LORD. WOW. Something to think about huh!
Susan
Hi, just read the comments and saw you already mentioned football games. Funny. i am not a big displayer of worshipping the Lord, and I admit I have felt the urge of raising my hands and suppressed it. But at our new church i have felt the ability to let go and praise as God wants me too, and i don't worry what others might think. I don't do it for show, I do it because the spirit leads me. When the words in a song say, "lift my hands to the Lord", well, then i can hardly not lift my hands. The impulse is too great to lift them and I am learning to listen. You will get there. It has taken me a long time.
Susan
(mamaduso----currently at fromthenarrows.wordpress.com)
Although praise and worship are a personal thing between the individual and God, there are many passages in the Bible concerning praise and worship that can shed some light on the subject.
Psalm 63:1-5 says: O GOD, You are my God, earnestly will I seek You; my inner self thirsts for You, my flesh longs and is faint for You, in a dry and weary land where no water is. So I have looked upon You in the sanctuary to see Your power and Your glory. Because Your loving-kindness is better than life, my lips shall praise You. So will I bless You while I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name. My whole being shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips. (Amplified)
This seemingly indicates that David believed that the raising of the hands was appropriate in this instance of praise.
Psalm 66:1-4 says: MAKE A joyful noise unto God, all the earth; Sing forth the honor and glory of His name; make His praise glorious! Say to God, How awesome and fearfully glorious are Your works! Through the greatness of Your power shall Your enemies submit themselves to You [with feigned and reluctant obedience]. All the earth shall bow down to You and sing [praises] to You; they shall praise Your name in song. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! (Amplified)
David indicates in this passage that at times it is appropriate to worship on your knees.
Some select verses from Psalm 68 (which is long so I will only pick a few) tell us: 3But let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice before God: yea, let them exceedingly rejoice.
4Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his name JAH, and rejoice before him. (KJV)
24They have seen thy goings, O God; even the goings of my God, my King, in the sanctuary. 25The singers went before, the players on instruments followed after; among them were the damsels playing with timbrels. 26Bless ye God in the congregations, even the Lord, from the fountain of Israel.
David suggests here that we are to be exceedingly joyful, (which indicates emotion), but also orderly.
Psalm 92:1-3 says: IT IS A GOOD THING TO GIVE THANKS UNTO THE LORD, AND TO SING PRAISES UNTO THY NAME, O MOST HIGH: To shew forth thy lovingkindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night, Upon an instrument of ten strings, and upon the psaltery; upon the harp with a solemn sound. (KJV)
Here we are told that the harp has a solemn sound.
Psalm 95: 1-6 - O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms. For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In his hand are the deep places of the earth: the strength of the hills is his also. The sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land. O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker.
This Psalm indicates that there is a time for a joyful noise and a time to worship and bow down.
Lastly Psalm 134 says: Behold, bless ye the LORD, all ye servants of the LORD, which by night stand in the house of the LORD. Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the LORD. The LORD that made heaven and earth bless thee out of Zion.
This commands us to stand in the sanctuary and lift our hands to bless the Lord.
As I said, praise and worship are very personal and individual. There is a time for corporate praise. How you praise and worship is up to you. There are times that God commands us to "lift our hands".
Ultimately, we should never be ashamed to honor God with our praise. We should never let our fear of what others might think, hinder our obedience to Him if He prompts us to praise in a way that is not the same as everyone around us. We should be orderly and respectful in our praise and worship, but at the same time we should also be free from the hindrances of the world.
May each of us praise Him in whatever way He prompts us, so that His name is lifted high and exalted above every name. Whether this is by standing quietly and soberly, lifting your hands, bowing your knee or falling prostrate before Him, the ultimate goal is to exalt Him!
Hi Amy,
I found that "He inhabits the praise of His people." Also I've discovered along the way that this is a personal worship that follows you and builds up in you as you draw into deeper depths with Him while you are continually growing in the Lord.
Myself, I've had a problem all my life with bashfulness. After I recieved Salvation through Jesus Christ He has progressively brought me to a place of more and more surrender which caused me to fear man less and worship God more.
He brought me from being afraid of looking up while singing in the church choir to lifting one hand or both hands in church, at work, in hospitals, in my yard, in my house or anywhere I feel the need to worship Him who is worthy of all worship and praise.
Am I bold and brave? No way, It's Him who moves on me and stirs up my emotions for His purpose. So worshiping is an act of obedience to God. I didn't mean for this to be so long, but when it comes to the Lord I can just go on and on.
I pray that maybe I made sense and not confusion. I do love the lord so much and I can tell you do to! Lift up those feeble hands and praise Him! I feel ashamed by not raising my hands.
Sorry, I was suppose to stop.
In Him; Elton
Your daughter brings tears to my eyes too. Jesus knew what he was talking about when he said that we must be like children. I don't know too many solemn and sober children (unless they are made to be by their solemn and sober parents).
AMEN! Reminds me of the praise that David did before the Lord. He cared not what others thought, only that God deserved the praise. He got "crazy", I mean plum wild, for the Lord. :o It is the best feeling I have ever felt...to get caught up in praising Him. I danced crazy for the world (now that's embarassing), so hey, I can do it for Jesus and so can you:)
God bless you as you praise Him!
Stacy
I just wanted to say that I'd be praying for you. Seems like you've going through a rocky patch right now. BTDT. We too are in the process of giving our finances to the Lord and controlling spending. We had hit a real low about 2 1/2 years ago; I do understand.
About the praising thing. I'm in the same boat. Oh, I'll say "amen" in church but really praising...my flesh is so prideful. The Spirit inside longs to praise the Lord but this flesh....I will be thinking of you this Sunday and praying for you.
You have been a great encouragement to me many times in the past. I want you to know that *I appreciate you!*
I missed this one! And I'm going through much the same....
It is so amazing to me to finally be attending at a place of worship where there are some people who aren't afraid to show their joy and love of the Lord.
I think it will be good for me! I was raised to show what I guess they (the denomination) thought was "reverent reserve"??
I've often thought of David, too, through it all. Unashamed worship!
Ok, I will draw the line at dancing in that attire...
Too often I feel like his wife. =/
And no, I don't think you "have" to. It's when you want to and can't because of conditioning that I see a problem.
and a woman seeking the Lord's Will (daily), a wife (striving to keep the romance alive), a "Smamma" (Step- mother) of one and a homeschooling mom of seven (I was never going to have children), who starts every day over (after messing SOME thing up the day before), knowing God's grace is overflowing (just like my laundry), and so thankful He's blessed me more than I'll ever deserve.
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•Tuesday, August 7, 2007 - Encouragement
I just happened upon your site because I Ioved the name.
But what you wrote touched a chord with me. I love singing, praising the Lord and dancing in place, but there are times I feel led to raise my hands in the air and I won't do it. I worry what will people think, and then I feel so disloyal to God. Why can't I just submit? But if I close my eyes and imagine HIM before me, well that does change things.
Anyway, I guess I just wanted to say, take baby steps and confess your fears to God. He knows they are there, you might as well get it all on the table. And best of all, He understands.
God Bless you. I enjoyed visiting you.
Heidi