I will call on the Lord, who is worthy of praise, for he saves me from my enemies.
— 2 Samuel 22:4 ESV
Shout for joy to God, all the earth; sing the glory of his name; give to him glorious praise!
Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power that your enemies come cringing to you.”
— Psalm 66:1–3 ESV
Praise the Lord! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heaven! Praise him for his mighty works; praise his unequaled greatness! Praise him with a blast of the ram’s horn; praise him with the lyre and harp! Praise him with the tambourine and dancing; praise him with strings and flutes! Praise him with a clash of cymbals; praise him with loud clanging cymbals. Let everything that breathes sing praises to the Lord! Praise the Lord!
— Psalm 150:1–6 NLT
After talking it over with the people, Jehoshaphat appointed a choir for God; dressed in holy robes, they were to march ahead of the troops, singing, “Give thanks to God, His love never quits.”
— 2 Chronicles 20:21 MSG
There is power in the name of Jesus.
Worship, singing out our praises, crying out to God, ushers us into his presence. A lifestyle of worship focuses the attention of our hearts, the underlying current of our lives, on God. This is the sweet spot of life. It allows peace to reside over me because God is with me! He is always near, but intentionally seeking to praise him with all that I am in all that I do draws him close.
Worshipping God through song is my personal favorite. I would actually say that I have a song on my heart 90% of the time. For me, it keeps the truth of God’s word on my lips and sets the tone of my life. It reminds of who God is. It also anchors me when all around me seems out of sorts. One of the hardest and most amazing times of my life was when I was sitting with my grandmomma during her final days. My favorite moments were the times I was able to just sing her favorite hymns in the room, and when I couldn’t utter the words, I would hum. Her soul was likely already with Jesus. I know the songs that he placed on my heart drew me closer to him and gave me comfort.
So often, worship prepares me for what God is leading me to just like in a service worship prepares our hearts to receive God’s word. Worship prepares us for battle. Worship prepares us to move forward to victory in Jesus! As John Piper says, “Singing to God isn’t just a nice emotional trip to spice up a worship service, it’s an attack against sin and Satan.” One of my favorite worship songs today is Elevation’s Graves into Gardens. I love the entire song! It reminds me that there is nothing greater than the Lord. He meets me with love and grace right where I am every moment of every day, always exchanging his best for what is offered. Here’s a sneak peek at the lyrics to show you what I mean.
You turn mourning to dancing
You give beauty for ashes
You turn shame into glory
You’re the only one who can
You turn grave into garden
You turn bones into armies
You turn seas into highways
You’re the only one who can
You’re the only one who can
Oh, there’s nothing better than You
Oh, there’s nothing better than You
Lord, there’s nothing
Nothing is better than You
— Graves into Gardens, Elevation Worship
This song puts me in the right frame of mind and ignites my heart, testifying of who God is and all that he has already done. I want to walk in the power of God, giving him praise and delighting in who he is. God uses worship to empower me and illuminate his word.
We all know that we are walking through days of uncertainty. An old song says, “For I know who holds tomorrow, and I know who holds my hand.” Worship reminds me that God is in control. He is always worthy to be praised, and he is God.