Sacred Moments In Worship

I pen this article to express my own revelation about the way we express ourselves during worship. During worship as believer I am responding to God the best way I know how for there is no one word or expressions that can adequately thank God for all He has done and continues to do. As individuals we communicate differently and that is why there are various ways that we express ourselves during worship. As a psalmist and worship leader I am personally moved from time to time to express myself in more ways than the usual singing or meditative stance and I know the same is true of each of us. I have therefore studied again the topic of worship from a point of view of how we express ourselves. The scriptures give us the basis for these expressions, which help us to acknowledge the Lord and what HE has done for us. I have termed this study: Sacred Moments in Worship. Expressions of Worship as found in Scripture Make a Joyful Noise/Loud Expressions – Scripture speaks to us of shouting and making a joyful noise to the Lord. "Shout unto God with a voice of triumph" [Psalm 47:1] is just one of many passages in the bible that admonish us to express ourselves in this way. Think about the overwhelming sense of relief that comes after we would have spent our time before the Lord in worship and HIS presence was felt. Expressed in Hebrew worship it is called Shabach Clapping of the Hands - In the Old Testament we see people clapping their hands as a show of blessing as found in 2nd Kings 11:12: Then he brought out the king's son, put the crown on him, and gave him the covenant; they proclaimed him king, and anointed him; they clapped their hands and shouted, "Long live the king!" For us in the 21st century, clapping of hands is a feeling of joy in the presence of the Jehovah expressed in Hebrew as Halal. Quiet Reflections - Quiet reflective worship is rooted in Psalm 46 where we are told “be still….” Sometimes during worship the presence of the Lord is so awesome all you can do is BE STILL! Dancing - There are many scriptures that speak of praising God by dancing. Psalm 150 tells us "Praise Him with the timbrel and dance" [Psalm 150:4]. Uplifted Hands - Hebrew worship included Yadah and Towdaw which meant a lifting of hands in adoration and sign of appreciation, love, submission and dependency on GOD.

Singing - Here we are not talking about the usual ‘singing’ of songs, but of singing in the spirit, as found in I Corinthians 14:15 "... I will sing praise with the spirit…..” The Hebrews called this form of worship “Tehillah”. Looking at all the varied ways we express ourselves in worship, I conclude with a listing of scriptures for study and to increase your intimacy with the Lord. In order to do this, please follow the guidelines for study and meditation of the scriptures listed. BE LED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT, you don’t have to study and meditate on the scriptures in any particular order. Study & Meditation Guide A. Begin by quietly sitting in a comfortable area at home, the office or school. B. Breathe out all of your anxieties and breathe in Holy Spirit’s essence. C. Read the scripture with intention the first time and sit quietly for anywhere from 5 – 10 minutes. D. Read the scripture again and this time meditate on the memory verse. E. Finally read the scripture the third time and then pray for more intimacy and understanding. Scriptures for study & meditation From the Book of Psalms 30 - Memory Verses #11-12 33 - Memory Verses #1-3 35 - Memory Verse #27 37 – Memory Verse #7 46 - Memory Verse #10 47 – Memory verse #6 63 - Memory Verse #4 66 - Memory Verses #1-2 95 - Memory Verse #1 98 - Memory Verse #8 100 - Memory Verse #1 134 – Memory Verses #1-2 141 - Memory Verse #2 149 – Memory Verses #1-3 150 - Memory Verses #1-4 From the Old Testament Exodus 15 – Memory Verses #20-21 2nd Samuel 6 – Memory Verses #16-22 2nd Kings 11 – Memory Verse #12 Isaiah 55 – Memory Verse #12 Zephaniah 3 – Memory Verse #3

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From the New Testament Matthew 11 – Memory Verse #17 Romans 12 – Memory Verse #10 Romans 13 – Memory Verse #7 1st Corinthians 12 – Memory Verses #23-24 1st Corinthians 14 – Memory Verse #14 Ephesians 3 – Memory Verse #14 1st Timothy 2 – Memory Verse #8 Hebrews 2 – Memory Verse #12 Revelation 5 – Memory Verses #6-8 Author: R Cecilia Askew Copyright@2006

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