Gospel Music https://www.gospelmusic.net Praise unto the Lord Sat, 05 Jan 2019 04:04:28 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.1 Can worship be wrong? https://www.gospelmusic.net/can-worship-be-wrong/ Wed, 17 Oct 2018 03:13:38 +0000 https://www.gospelmusic.net/?p=1588 God looks at our hearts. What is the state of our heart as we worship God? If you’re doing it because you want something back in return from God, it isn’t genuine worship. If you’re doing it for the sake of ticking off a chore, it isn’t genuine worship. If you’re doing it for show for others around you to see, it isn’t genuine worship.

Always ask yourself: What is the motive behind my worship? Your heart must truthfully desire the fellowship of God. 

The post Can worship be wrong? first appeared on Gospel Music.]]> Can I worship without songs? https://www.gospelmusic.net/can-i-worship-without-songs/ Wed, 17 Oct 2018 03:07:40 +0000 https://www.gospelmusic.net/?p=1581 Yes. Songs aren’t a requirement for worship. Songs may help you get into the mindset of worship, but it is your heart that God truly cares about. There are other ways you can worship that don’t involve music. Some of these include:

  • Speaking in tongues: Tongues is the language of God’s Spirit. 
  • Blessing the Lord with your lips: you don’t need music to do this. You can just speak from your heart and tell God the things you are grateful for & how much He means to you. Put all distractions aside and talk to God as though you are talking to a friend. Like talking to a friend, make sure that you open your ears to listen to God. Don’t have a monologue where you’re the only one speaking! Have a conversation. Be silent, quiet down your mind and listen for God’s voice. 
  • Read Psalms and then write your own poem to God and read it to Him. 
  • If you love to dance and would like to express to God how much you adore Him through dance, go for it! Dancing before the Lord has been done in the bible: Psalms 149:3-4, 2 Samuel 6:14-17, Psalms 150:4

Worship is when your heart demonstrates that it loves God above everything else.
With their detailed lyrics and emotionally stirring melodies, songs can help bring us into worship. However, all worship isn’t hinged on the need for music.

The post Can I worship without songs? first appeared on Gospel Music.]]> Why do people raise hands for worship? https://www.gospelmusic.net/why-do-people-raise-hands-for-worship/ Wed, 17 Oct 2018 03:02:11 +0000 https://www.gospelmusic.net/?p=1577 Raising your hands during worship is a sign of surrender. It shows humility and complete dependence on God. Raising your hands is a physical demonstration to God that we give Him our all. Like the lyrics of the famous song by Carrie Underwood, ‘Jesus, Take the Wheel’, when we surrender to God we are telling Him that we give Him control over our lives. There are numerous examples in the Bible where hands are raised during praise and worship:

Ultimately, God looks at our hearts. We can have our hands raised as high as possible, but if we are just doing it for show, God can tell. On the other hand, if we don’t raise our hands but our heart is fully surrendered to God, that is exponentially better than raised hands for show. It is the state of our hearts that God truly cares about – Psalms 44:21, 1 Samuel 16:7. 

The post Why do people raise hands for worship? first appeared on Gospel Music.]]> Is there a best time to praise and worship? https://www.gospelmusic.net/is-there-a-best-time-to-praise-and-worship/ Wed, 17 Oct 2018 02:58:13 +0000 https://www.gospelmusic.net/?p=1574 The best time is anytime and as often as you can! (Psalms 34:1)

God never tires of hearing our praises and worship, so you can continually do so at any time of the day. If you’re thinking of doing your focused quiet time once a day, the best time to do it is when you are at your optimum self during the day. You want to give God your best attention, so choose a time where you know you’ll be mentally and physically alert. Many choose to do their quiet time first thing in the morning – you can also dedicate your day to God when you do it then. However as mentioned above, praise and worship doesn’t have to be once a day – in fact, the more the better! For example, if you feel that an evening quiet time works best for you, please have your time with God in the evening. The most important thing is that you have your quiet time at some point during the day! 

The post Is there a best time to praise and worship? first appeared on Gospel Music.]]> Is there praise and worship in heaven? https://www.gospelmusic.net/is-there-praise-and-worship-in-heaven/ Wed, 17 Oct 2018 02:54:04 +0000 https://www.gospelmusic.net/?p=1570 Yes, the book of Revelation contains many verses about worship in heaven. There are also other verses throughout the Bible with references to praise & worship in heaven:

So, you might well learn to praise & worship well now!

The post Is there praise and worship in heaven? first appeared on Gospel Music.]]> What is worship ‘in spirit’ and ‘in truth’? https://www.gospelmusic.net/what-is-worship-in-spirit-and-in-truth/ Mon, 15 Oct 2018 02:40:41 +0000 https://www.gospelmusic.net/?p=1557

Worshipping “in spirit” – The engagement of your entire heart and being led by the Holy Spirit during worship. Your spirit must actively seek the Lord. Merely worshiping just to tick off an expectation or activity isn’t worshipping “in spirit” because your heart isn’t engaged. You must be genuine in your act of worship. 

Worshipping “in truth” – To worship God genuinely, we need to have the knowledge of God. If you do not know who you are worshipping, how can you engage in true worship? You should not be worshipping God because of a sense of duty. True worship is emotional and deep because you are aware of the God you are worshipping – who He is and what He has done. 

The post What is worship ‘in spirit’ and ‘in truth’? first appeared on Gospel Music.]]> Is praise & worship planned or spontaneous? https://www.gospelmusic.net/is-praise-and-worship-planned-or-spontaneous/ Mon, 15 Oct 2018 02:18:55 +0000 https://www.gospelmusic.net/?p=1553

Both are possible. 

Planned worship – Planned worship happens in many instances. For example, when you go to church there is often a scheduled start time and duration for praise and worship. This helps keep order. Planned worship is also mentioned in the bible: when the church in Corinth was not worshipping correctly, Paul wrote “When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up.” (1 Corinthians 14:26). Planning your worship time could also help you keep to it – for example if you have a busy day but want to ensure that you do your daily quiet time faithfully. So you set 7am as the time to do your daily quiet time with the Lord. The fixed time may help you ensure that you are consistent in your praise & worship.

Spontaneous worship – Some churches partake in spontaneous worship. For example, Bethel church defines spontaneous worship on their blog as “fresh expressions of worship beyond the songs that have been pre-written, planned and practiced”. It is important to be open to the Holy Spirit and let Him move in our worship. We shouldn’t move with regime but with God’s Spirit instead. When we are open to spontaneity, we don’t let our minds keep us in a strict pattern. Instead, we let our hearts guide us as they pour out before God. A good way to transition into spontaneity during worship is to start singing in tongues, singing in scripture or singing your own words of praise and worship to the Lord. 

The post Is praise & worship planned or spontaneous? first appeared on Gospel Music.]]> Am I praising and worshipping correctly? https://www.gospelmusic.net/am-i-praising-and-worshipping-correctly/ Mon, 15 Oct 2018 02:14:35 +0000 https://www.gospelmusic.net/?p=1550 What is the attitude of your heart? God looks at our hearts – He cares about the state of our heart. Your singing pitch, your music, your venue etc. doesn’t play a part towards whether you are worshipping correctly or not. 

In the bible, a woman asked Jesus about the different ways one can worship. Jesus replied, “But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way.” (John 4:23). Worshipping “in spirit and in truth” means that you are genuine in your act of praise and worship. Your heart must truthfully desire the fellowship of God. You cannot be doing it for show – just to go through the motion of things or to tick off an expectation.

The post Am I praising and worshipping correctly? first appeared on Gospel Music.]]> Why is praise and worship important? https://www.gospelmusic.net/why-is-praise-and-worship-important/ Mon, 15 Oct 2018 02:06:22 +0000 https://www.gospelmusic.net/?p=1546 Praise & Worship acknowledge God’s greatness and draws us closer to Him. When we praise and worship God, we are telling God how much He means to us. God is not a vending machine. He is not there for us to just ask for what we want and walk away. We were made to worship God and have a deep relationship with Him.

It is important that we realise the sovereignty of God’s nature and how much He has done for us. If you’re struggling to think of reasons to praise and worship God, perhaps you’re in a tough spot in your life, then remember this:

  • Because God’s love for us is so deep, He chose to send Jesus down to Earth to suffer and die for our sins (John 3:16). We were the ones with death marked on us because we fell away from God. But Jesus – who was faultless – took our punishment upon Himself, suffered the most wicked fate, and bled on the cross while thinking of us. 

No matter the state of your life, never forget what God has done for you. No one would sacrifice their life for someone unless there was a deep love involved. Good news for us – we have a God who loves us more than we can ever imagine. Don’t you want to know the One who loves you the most? Praise and worship ushers in God’s presence. It allows God to reveal Himself to us as we get to know, encounter and love the God who gave everything up for you and me. 

The post Why is praise and worship important? first appeared on Gospel Music.]]> What is the difference between praise and worship? https://www.gospelmusic.net/what-is-the-difference-between-praise-and-worship/ Mon, 15 Oct 2018 01:56:10 +0000 https://www.gospelmusic.net/?p=1529 Praise is often linked with thanksgiving. You are praising God, which includes the acknowledgement of His power, grace, sovereignty & authority. Praise songs are bubbly and upbeat. When we sing praises to God, we are joyfully describing what the Lord has done for us. We can praise God in many ways. Here are a few from the bible:

While praise can be given to anyone (eg. you can give praise to your friends & family), and is a celebration of works, worship is devotional. Worship is a total surrender and attitude of the heart. 

Worship isn’t offered to anyone else but God (Luke 4:8). Worship is relational – you are baring your spirit before God and receiving His own Spirit. It is very intimate. Though we often sing and utter words when worshipping God, it is also important to be quiet so you can hear God – listening is important in worship (Ecclesiastes 5:1-2). It should not be a monologue, but a conversation!

The post What is the difference between praise and worship? first appeared on Gospel Music.]]>