What the Bible Says About Physical Expressions of Worship
Have you ever wondered why people raise their hands, clap, shout, and sing in church? If you’re anything like me, there have been moments in my life when I’ve asked the question, “what are we doing and why?” Well, the Bible has a lot of things to say about this topic, and a recent article I read by Ajay Thomas took me deeper into the subject. Both of these have helped my worship life tremendously.
I grew up in a pretty charismatic church where my dad, as the lead pastor, often taught me the value of our physical posture during worship. However, as I grew up in the church and started finding God and His grace for myself, I found myself needing to understand why I did and believed the things that I do. When it comes to style and preference, I naturally find myself leaning towards upbeat, bop-around type music; but even in that preference, I felt a longing to understand more deeply what it even meant to praise the Lord. You may have grown up like me, or you may have grown up in a more subdued type of congregation. Both have value in the body of Christ, but how can we let what the Bible says truly inform our living? The first thing that I have learned is this: It is better to let go of “What do I want?” and to ask the better question of “What does God want?” We surely have our own opinions and very real backgrounds as a part of who we are, but let us allow ourselves to be transformed by what Scripture says.
Our bodies were made to glorify God.
We can see so many references throughout Scripture stating that we were created to worship God with our whole selves.
Worshiping God is what we were created to do. When we worship Him, we are experiencing part of the original design of God before the fall of man happened. We get to connect with God in so many different ways, and the beauty of physical expressions of worship is that we are joining with all of creation by letting the very air that we breathe and moves that we make be in glory and honor unto Him. Historically even, we see Jewish sages have associated the covenant name of God, Yahweh, with “breath.” The idea is that the way it is pronounced is the sound of breathing, corresponding to the intake and outtake of breath (Yah - in, Weh - out). This means that the very action that we do without even thinking, the very breath in our bodies, was created for the worship and adoration of God.
Scripture gives us cues on how to physically worship God.
Just in these verses alone, we can see different physical postures of worship. Job, in all of his anguish, laid on the ground and worshiped the Lord. The writers in Psalms clapped their hands and used their voices to shout unto God. We also see the lifting of hands, weeping, kneeling, and singing songs to the Lord. All of these being physically done in the name of blessing God with our bodies.
So what does this look like when we come to church?
When we gather together as the body of Christ, whether that’s a Thursday, Sunday, or any other day, we are there to be together and to worship and honor the Lord. I know that sometimes going to church is hard, and sometimes it’s even harder to get into a place where we feel free enough to set aside the burdens of the day so that we can focus on Him.
One way that we can enter into His courts with thanksgiving (Psalm 100:4) is by participating physically in worship. Whether that be singing, clapping, jumping, kneeling, or bowing in reverence, there are so many scriptural ways that we can participate in adoring God. It can look different for everyone. You may not be as expressive as the person to your left or to your right, and that’s okay! God wants you, truly and authentically. But I would encourage you to look at and listen to Scripture and the Holy Spirit, and say “yes” to what God wants and what is pleasing to Him. There is something that shifts in us, even on our worst days, even in the valley of the shadow of death, when we align ourselves and our bodies with God’s heart. There is a type of freedom that comes when we show up and give ourselves to God, no matter what we’re facing or walking through. Those moments are when the Holy Spirit, who is always so near to us, stirs up greater faith, joy, love, and hope.
One of our founding pastors, Greg Kennedy, had a vision for Opendoor that “we would be a spirit-filled house who worships God passionately and unashamedly.” Let us look towards God with love and adoration, giving ourselves fully completely to Him through our worship in every way that we can. It can be hard to learn, and even uncomfortable at first, but my prayer is that you’ll find so much freedom in partnering with what scripture says and what is pleasing to our Father in Heaven.
ACTIVATION: Find a quiet place to sit with a piece of paper. Then set a timer for 5 minutes and simply ask God the question, “Lord, in what ways can I worship You that would make You happy?” Then just start writing and trust that God loves speaking to you and will speak to you. All you have to do is listen. Then once the timer goes off, pray a prayer like this:
PRAYER: “God I pray that You would help me align myself with Your Word and the words that You have just now spoken to me. I pray that You would fill me with a boldness to worship You with everything that I have. Teach me, God, what it means to love You more and more each day. Amen.”
I grew up in a pretty charismatic church where my dad, as the lead pastor, often taught me the value of our physical posture during worship. However, as I grew up in the church and started finding God and His grace for myself, I found myself needing to understand why I did and believed the things that I do. When it comes to style and preference, I naturally find myself leaning towards upbeat, bop-around type music; but even in that preference, I felt a longing to understand more deeply what it even meant to praise the Lord. You may have grown up like me, or you may have grown up in a more subdued type of congregation. Both have value in the body of Christ, but how can we let what the Bible says truly inform our living? The first thing that I have learned is this: It is better to let go of “What do I want?” and to ask the better question of “What does God want?” We surely have our own opinions and very real backgrounds as a part of who we are, but let us allow ourselves to be transformed by what Scripture says.
Our bodies were made to glorify God.
We can see so many references throughout Scripture stating that we were created to worship God with our whole selves.
- 1 Corinthians 6:20 says, “... for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.”
- Romans 12:1 says, “... present your body as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”
- Philippians 1:20 says, “As it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death.”
Worshiping God is what we were created to do. When we worship Him, we are experiencing part of the original design of God before the fall of man happened. We get to connect with God in so many different ways, and the beauty of physical expressions of worship is that we are joining with all of creation by letting the very air that we breathe and moves that we make be in glory and honor unto Him. Historically even, we see Jewish sages have associated the covenant name of God, Yahweh, with “breath.” The idea is that the way it is pronounced is the sound of breathing, corresponding to the intake and outtake of breath (Yah - in, Weh - out). This means that the very action that we do without even thinking, the very breath in our bodies, was created for the worship and adoration of God.
Scripture gives us cues on how to physically worship God.
- Job 1:20 says, “Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped.”
- Psalm 47:1 says, “Clap your hands, all peoples! Shout to God with loud songs of joy.”
- Psalm 134:2 says, “Lift up your hands to the holy place and bless the Lord!”
- Psalm 61:1,8 says, “Hear my cry O God, listen to my prayer… so I will ever sing praises to your name…”
Just in these verses alone, we can see different physical postures of worship. Job, in all of his anguish, laid on the ground and worshiped the Lord. The writers in Psalms clapped their hands and used their voices to shout unto God. We also see the lifting of hands, weeping, kneeling, and singing songs to the Lord. All of these being physically done in the name of blessing God with our bodies.
So what does this look like when we come to church?
When we gather together as the body of Christ, whether that’s a Thursday, Sunday, or any other day, we are there to be together and to worship and honor the Lord. I know that sometimes going to church is hard, and sometimes it’s even harder to get into a place where we feel free enough to set aside the burdens of the day so that we can focus on Him.
One way that we can enter into His courts with thanksgiving (Psalm 100:4) is by participating physically in worship. Whether that be singing, clapping, jumping, kneeling, or bowing in reverence, there are so many scriptural ways that we can participate in adoring God. It can look different for everyone. You may not be as expressive as the person to your left or to your right, and that’s okay! God wants you, truly and authentically. But I would encourage you to look at and listen to Scripture and the Holy Spirit, and say “yes” to what God wants and what is pleasing to Him. There is something that shifts in us, even on our worst days, even in the valley of the shadow of death, when we align ourselves and our bodies with God’s heart. There is a type of freedom that comes when we show up and give ourselves to God, no matter what we’re facing or walking through. Those moments are when the Holy Spirit, who is always so near to us, stirs up greater faith, joy, love, and hope.
One of our founding pastors, Greg Kennedy, had a vision for Opendoor that “we would be a spirit-filled house who worships God passionately and unashamedly.” Let us look towards God with love and adoration, giving ourselves fully completely to Him through our worship in every way that we can. It can be hard to learn, and even uncomfortable at first, but my prayer is that you’ll find so much freedom in partnering with what scripture says and what is pleasing to our Father in Heaven.
ACTIVATION: Find a quiet place to sit with a piece of paper. Then set a timer for 5 minutes and simply ask God the question, “Lord, in what ways can I worship You that would make You happy?” Then just start writing and trust that God loves speaking to you and will speak to you. All you have to do is listen. Then once the timer goes off, pray a prayer like this:
PRAYER: “God I pray that You would help me align myself with Your Word and the words that You have just now spoken to me. I pray that You would fill me with a boldness to worship You with everything that I have. Teach me, God, what it means to love You more and more each day. Amen.”
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1 Comment
Thank you!! This is such needed instruction and I pray we will get this, as a Body. Thanks for adding Pastor Greg's quote, which gives me confidence in knowing that this is the posture, the church desires to boldly express our worship to the king in this House Of the OpenDoor. Often I l cannot look around at the congregation who are holding coffees, and casually watching. We are created to worship! Corporately there's such a tangible presence and power when we are unified in this way. So thank you again and let it BE as God sees fit going forth. Amen.