Day 4 - Vocal Praise

[alangustin]

I often try to encourage folks to clap hands, sing, shout, dance, kneel... but only in response to God during praise and worship. I believe that God will accept doing backflips if it is truly in response to His love for us.

It is interesting to hear how each body of believers has it's own personality as it relates to responding to God in a worship service. Does God consider one style of praise to be better than another? I think not. God looks at the heart.

"I'm sorry Lord for the thing I've made it, 'cause it's all about You;
All about You, Jesus."

[alangustin]

I think god is digusted by our ability to clap and shout with forceful, sometimes ridiculously fervent zeal at a football game, yet we can't seem to bring ourselves to give that to Him on the day we come together to celebrate Him - the God of creation.

[Wrapped in Jesus Love!]

Just like TWC I like the following phrase from the book.

That's how we can get up week after week and sing and praise with consistent enthusiasm. We always have hope!

It's really hard some Sundays to be up front leading music worship if you've had a bad week prior to that. It's hard to uplift people if you don't feel very uplifted yourself. Those are the times that I put on a fake smile, and sing because I have to and don't really praise God in the process. This phrase shows that we can praise with enthusiasm because we always have hope in God. He will get us through those moments if we turn our praise toward him.

I also like alangustin's comment about clapping, singing, shouting, dancing in response to God during praise and worship. Don't do all the outward things because someone wants you to. Do them as a way to praise God. Do them because you love him.

[Rahel]

Vocal praise - speaking...
...is something that I started to do more in church through testimonies. Our church is small so a lot of people can join to create the Personal-Philadelphia-Community-Praise for that morning (Philadelphia Community is the name of our fellowship). Last Sunday we sang "If You're happy and You know it" and in the german version there is this line saying: if God forgave Your sin in Your life...
I then asked them to come forward and tell in one sentence: I did this or that in my life, but Jesus forgave me. And once they got started, they could not stop anymore

Refering all the clapping, dancing, shouting and so on....I always look for what life God gave into different things. He commands us very often in the Psalms to clap, dance, shout, sing...it is not really something what we can chose to do or not, if we want to be obedient. Yes, the heart has to be there too, otherwise it will be empty. But as every command and law of God carries life in it, so do these command either.
I experienced EVERY TIME when I decided to dance and clap and shout and give all that my strength would give during praising and celebrating God, the rest of the more worshiping and devotional time happened automatically. It was not heavy anymore...my spirit just flwe to God and his spirit to mine.
It is like it helps sacrificing the flesh and setting our spirit free.
There is life in these commands...

[Wrapped in Jesus Love!]

Originally Posted by Rahel

Last Sunday we sang "If You're happy and You know it" and in the german version there is this line saying: if God forgave Your sin in Your life...
I then asked them to come forward and tell in one sentence: I did this or that in my life, but Jesus forgave me. And once they got started, they could not stop anymore

I like hearing different ideas that people do in their worship services. Thanks!