Worship is in itself one of the most complex multi-faceted functions in the spiritual realm, yet, it is also the most simple to conduct.  When we enter into worship, we are entering into communion with our Heavenly Host, our Bridegroom.  We adore Him, we recognize Him and exalt His Name above anything else.  We give Him His rightful throne on our hearts, lips and minds and establish His seat in the heavens as the L-rd of Hosts, King of Kings and the Ancient of Days.  Yet, there are more dynamics to worship than singing praises.  It evokes His presence, as He inhabits in the praises of His people.  Psalm 22:3 says, “But You are holy, enthroned in the praises of Israel.”  He sits on a throne of praise! 

Worship is not just an act of the soul responding to G-D on a spiritual level, it requires our physical bodies to participate.  Our minds must concentrate on the rhythm and the words, in fact, our minds must be occupied with to Whom we are singing to, to avoid that distractive battle field of the mind we have to contend with.  Our emotions are involved too.  And, our lips have to sing, our hands may clap or be raised, we may even dance-and it’s all not only appropriate to be liberated in worship, it is commanded!! “I beseech you therefore brethren, by the mercies of G-D, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to
G-D, which is your reasonable service”  Romans 12:1.  Psalm 150:4 says, “Praise Him with the timbrel and dance.”  Psalm 47 says to clap hands and to SHOUT unto G-D.  I believe we are commanded or encouraged to worship by the Word of G-D. (specifically psalms).  We are also commanded to lift up our hands, our eyes, our voices.  These are all physical displays of praise, adoration, affection, and worship as well as acknowledgment of Who our King is.  We lift ourselves as best we can heavenward with outreached arms demonstrating our thankfulness towards Him.  He demands it.  He is zealous over His people.  He is a jealous G-D, there shall be  nothing in our hearts before Him.  Today, we feel a bit reserved in expressing our worship to Him.  Fear inhibits us from feeling totally free before Him unless we are in the privacy of our own homes.  Yet, we know, fear is not from the L-rd.  For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. 2 Tim 1:7  We must overcome that spirit of fear thanking the L-rd for rebuking it and being set free to worship Him freely. Where the Spirit of the L-rd is, there is liberty. Psalm 47 also says that He ascends amid shouts of joy and with the sound of trumpets (or a shofar-a ram’s horn used in Biblical  feasts and worship).  Shouting and trumpets are loud! It’s okay to ‘loosen up’ and rejoice before our Father in Heaven.  The Word tells us He ascends on our praises and He’s sitting on the throne of our offerings of praise!  So go ahead, and liberate yourselves in worship!

We also know, by the story of Jericho that worship breaks strongholds.  The very act of obedience of Joshua leading the camp around the walls for seven days and on the last day gave shouts and blew their shofars, the walls came tumbling down!!  They gave the shout of victory.  There can be prophetic praise  in shouting.  The NIV version of Isaiah 42:13 tells us that the L-rd will raise the battle cry with a shout and triumph over His enemies! We can indeed shout unto the L-rd, however, everything must be done in order, in corporate worship.  We see one extreme or another these days, with very little balance to the order of worship. If we are not sitting in a very oppressive solemn setting, we may find ourselves in a place where everyone is in a frenzy and distractions and lack of order is inevitable.  Yes, I said there is liberation where the Spirit is, but we must be careful with exactly what spirit we are worshipping with.  The enemy tries to sabotage the very act that will put him to silence: worship.   If we all recognize that we are an army and we need a commander, colonels, captains, and so forth, and we are willing to accept our orders, battles in the heavens may be less of a struggle for believers and we may see more victories than defeat.  I notice in  chapter 6 of Joshua, he is giving simple but precise directions, telling the company they shouldn't make a noise until he say so.   “Now Joshua had commanded the people, saying, "You shall not shout or make any noise with your voice, nor shall a word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I say to you, "Shout!' Then you shall shout."   Joshua 6:10  It took team effort, and the whole company to cooperate to accomplish this very simple yet powerful miraculous work of the L-rd.  He fought their battles, all they did was march, blow trumpets, and shout.  They demonstrated physically for six days that they were claiming this territory as their own.  On the seventh day they again demonstrated their claim but with this time a powerful war cry comes out and the walls fell.  This is not only a great demonstration of faith but it also demonstrates that G-D uses simplicity in complicated situations.  It is a mark of diligence, Joshua and his army passed the test.  Even if marching around the wall six days in a row seemed as if they couldn't understand what this could do, they blindly obeyed trusting their L-rd for His deliverance.  Marching can also be used in dance steps, stomping to music, marching in the aisles at church or privately in your home and it is significant physically because the L-rd says that He will make all His enemies His footstool.  (Psalm 110:1, Matt 22:44)

I believe that the very act of the army of G-D marching in this simple obedience brought down only a physical replica of an even greater spiritual barrier on that day.  Wouldn't it be wonderful if all our barriers could be broken down by this simple act of obedience?  I believe spiritually they still can.   Our spiritual breakthroughs and barriers can be broken and crumble by the very act of worship. It takes simplicity, willing to obey the Father, and willingness of the body to yield to the Holy Spirit that will bring down strongholds such as never before.  I think it will also take an open mind, on behalf of pastors and worship leaders to expand beyond the allotted time frames and orders of song lists that might otherwise constrain what the Holy spirit wants to do.  It takes great discipline to listen to the voice of the L-rd and follow His lead in worship.  It takes a disciplined team to humble themselves and obey their leader.  It takes a congregation who knows and trusts their leadership to be able to know that they are being led as the Father is drawing them.  It’s a great responsibility on the body as well as the administrative teams to play their roles.  It’s not lightly that the lay person should submit to any authority.  Everyone needs to feel comfortable that all are submitted under the guidance of none other than the Holy Spirit.  Fluency is needed in these last days as the L-rd is showing His people to come back to the heart of worship: Tabernacle worship.  To Tabernacle is to dwell with.  And, we are His Tabernacle now, as we are His Temple.  We are to return to the styles and forms of biblical principals of worship.  This includes instruments that some churches may feel restrained from using, as well as dance.  Some churches refrain from freedom of worship because Satan polluted music.  My rebuttal  is, “well, he also polluted intimate acts between man and woman, does that mean husbands and wives should no longer practice marital intimacy?”  I realize some would answer that question in the affirmative.  We won’t go there! 

Just because Satan and sin has tainted gifts that G-D has given us, doesn’t mean we can not use them to  glorify the original giver of the  gift.  I can name  traditions of  church  practices today that were never birthed by 
G-D, nor given to us by Him, but rather stem out of pagan rituals and worship.  Christians “gave” them to G-D instead.  Why not take something back that G-D gave to us from the world and glorify Him with it?  Feel free to worship in your churches, in your homes, and cell groups.  BLESS the L-rd with your talents, sing aloud a new song, sing from your hearts, dance with joy before Him and give Him the praise!

One more dynamic of worship is the act of warfare.  This is heaven’s best secret, but it’s not meant to be kept from His people.  Praise and Worship makes the enemy flee.  He can’t survive in the presence of the L-rd and we already established that G-D is present during times of worship.  “from the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.”  Psalm 8:2 NIV  The L-rd silences the enemy with our praises!  Isn’t that exciting?  You have yet another powerful tool over the enemy and it’s right on your singing lips.  Anytime you are having an oppressive day, try singing a few tunes to the L-rd, see if Satan sticks around or does he flee?  There’s a very good story of warfare in worship in 2 Chronicles chapter 20.  We read of the children of Israel under the leadership of Jehosophat.  Jehosophat appointed praisers and worshippers.  Why was this appointment so necessary?  Because they were going to go out before the army (vs. 21) and so this is a very strategic placement.  This is why it is so necessary when believers serving on the worship team realize that this is more than a talent display.  It’s more than singing adoration and praise, it’s a WAR that we are being called into.  The body of believers should be in prayer for the members of the worship team and worship team members should be in prayer as to whether or not that’s the battlefield position to which they are called.  It doesn’t matter how significant you think your role may or may not be on the team, or, if you are part of a dance worship team, or even worship through the arts in another way.  Know the position you hold, the authority that comes with leading the armies of G-D and walk in that calling.  Know that you are called, and better yet, may the authorities over you know you are called.  Pray for anointing on your worship, and for the anointing to walk in that gift.  Pray to be sensitive to His leading and Spirit during worship times.  Ask Him what He’d have for you that morning. Pray over the sanctuary or the home you are worshipping in.  Ask the L-rd to prevent any spirit that is not of Him to be present.  The victory is already yours, you just have to take it.  We see in the rest of the story the perilous end of the enemies as the worshippers triumphantly and confidently went before the army.  He sent ambushes on the camps of the enemies.  (vs. 22) The enemies were smitten just by the praises on the lips of the L-rd’s people!  How victorious a G-D we serve! 

We read upon the  return of the armies of G-D that "the fear of God was on all the kingdoms of those countries when they heard that the LORD had fought against the enemies of Israel"  (vs. 29) We need to not only enable the Spirit of the L-rd to set the captives free, but we need to be a testimony of His power.  The fear of the L-rd needs to be released in the heavens.  Believers need to be a witness to the unsaved of a G-D that is living and powerful and among us even today.  Our G-D is not just a G-D of an historical book, but He is real.  Some of our members are hurting, damaged, need restoration, and healing in  physical, emotional, and spiritual aspects.  We need to unleash this power over the enemy and worship is one way of achieving that outcome. 

May you be encouraged and strengthened today to change worship in your life, personally and in your congregation.

*For additional recommended reading on the subject of worship, see our  reading list page.