Have you ever been shopping for a wedding gift? If you are like me, you find out where the bride is registered. Why? Well, I want to give the bride and groom something that they really want, especially if I am spending a lot of money.
Right now with two brides-to-be under my roof, I am thinking a lot about registries. If truth be told, I would buy everything on my girls’ registries and wrap them up. I love them both so much and I want to bless them in every way.
When it comes to worship, I am amazed at how many people don’t think about what God wants.
“This is the style of worship music I like,” I often hear from Christians.
“I don’t like old hymns. There too boring.” I hear from my brothers and sisters in Christ, while others say, “Clapping and shouting are just not my style.”
I am always dumbfounded. Maybe because I am more concerned with what God wants than how I want to worship.
So, what is it that God wants. What is His worship registry?
For a look at the Lord’s Worship Registry, Scripture gives us a clear picture of how God wants to be worshipped. Would you like a quick view at some of the things on God’s Worship Registry?
God Wants Us to Worship Him in Spirit & in Truth
“But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:23-24 NASB).
It matters to God that Truth, His Truth, permeates our worship, our singing, our prayers, our declarations. The words we sing should be true, aligned with Scripture. If a song has words that contradict Scripture, why would we sing it to the Lord?
Jesus wants us to worship Him in the power of the Holy Spirit with a reliance on Him, not the flesh. God looks for hearts that are fully devoted to Him, relying on His Spirit. We can put on a show for the Lord if we want to, but that’s not what God’s looking for. He sees our heart.
Sing to the Lord
“I will sing of loving kindness and justice, to You, O Lord, I will sing praises” (Psalm 101:1 NASB).
The Lord likes to hear us sing to Him, about Him, and about all the wonderful things He has done.
Make Music to the Lord
“Praise Him with trumpet sound; Praise Him with harp and lyre. Praise Him with timbrel and dancing; Praise Him with stringed instruments and pipe. Praise Him with loud cymbals; Praise Him with resounding cymbals. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!” (Psalm 150:3-6 NASB).
God wants to hear music played just for Him–all kinds of instruments.
Clap Your Hands
“O clap your hands, all peoples; Shout to God with the voice of joy” (Psalm 47:1 NASB).
I love to clap my hands to praise the Lord! How about you? You can clap your hands to the beat of the music or clap your hands to exalt the Lord. After all, you clap for your favorite sports team or at a concert. Isn’t the Lord worth more applause.
Shout for Joy!
“Shout for joyfully to God, all the earth” (Psalm 66:1 NASB).
No, not a shout like your being murdered; this is a joyful shout! We shout, “Hallelujah” or “You are Awesome” or “Jesus!” to the One Who is Worthy of All Praise.
Praise the Lord with Dancing
“Let them praise His name with dancing; Let them sing praises to Him with timbrel and lyre” (Psalm 149:3 NASB).
Dancing, twirling, and jumping for joy are all ways to give worship to Christ. When the joy of our salvation bubbles over, we just have to dance!
Kneel Down
“Come, let us worship and bow down, Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker” (Psalm 95:6 NASB).
Kneeling is an outward sign of surrender. “Lord, have your way,” our hearts cry out in worship and we kneel bow in reverence and awe.
Bow Down
“And let all kings bow down before him, All nations serve him” (Psalm 72:11 NASB).
On earth, we bow down to a king or queen to show respect and submission. In worship, we bow to Jesus to declare that He is King of Kings.
Be Still
“Be still and know that I am God“ (Psalm 46:10 NIV).
Contemplative silence honors and pleases the Lord, too. We can be silent, not moving, not squirming, just still–enjoying His Presence, realizing that He is amazing, wonderful,, awesome, powerful, mighty, and everything we are not.
Wow! There are so many different things on God’s worship registry. If you’re like me, you want to give the Lord every single gift of worship! After all, worship is all about Him, not us.
Loving Jesus with you,
Meredith Curtis
