What are your thoughts when worship comes up in conversation? Do you only think about music? Is it preaching? Most of the time, the focus regarding worship tends toward music. There are different elements that make up a worship service. Music is just one part of a bigger picture. There are many ways in which we show our worship of God. In this section, we will look at five individual elements that provide the worshiper with a more complete worship service experience. These things include the following: Singing, Praying, Preaching, Giving, and Communion. Let’s start with singing first.

Singing

Ephesians 5:19

Here is a story about Sam, a new Christian, while attending a church retreat. The first activity at this event was singing worship songs. Sam was very intimidated with singing out loud. However, he sings more confidently now.

He sings louder. That is because of this weekend Retreat. At this retreat, the worship leader encouraged everyone to do more than murmur song lyrics. The worship leader at this retreat taught everyone to do more than murmur the lyrics. He said, “The Lord has given you a voice to sing praises to Him. Now is the time to offer it to Him. If you sing well, that’s great, but if not, it’s time for revenge!”

Encouraged by these words, Sam sang. Very! But despite the years, he discovered that the only way to improve was by practicing. The difficulty was that the only place where he could rehearse was during the church service.

It took Sam a while to gain confidence by concentrating on the One to whom he was singing. He wasn’t concerned with how it sounded. This change in sight made him worship better.

Eventually, Sam bought a songbook and began singing during His quiet time. The absence of music only highlighted his vocal weakness. But again, taking the focus off her singing voice and concentrating on offering the songs to God enhanced her experience.

The amazing thing is that Sam enjoys singing more than ever. Realizing that raising your voice to the Lord and listening to others do the same is a magnificent experience.

Most would agree that worship incorporates the act of singing. Singing is a physical action that all the faithful can do to express what is in their heart. Singing, although similar to speaking, is quite different. Perhaps the most unique thing about singing is the ability of an assembly of people to say their adoration in unison. It is by singing as a group that we can express praise, gratitude, and thanksgiving. We can at the same time communicate with God. The church as a whole can make an offering. Singing can also provide an emotional element to worship. Music causes various emotions and moods through melody and tempo. Music is its own language.

Praying

Matthew 6: 7-15

Let me tell you about a man who took his son to lunch at a local restaurant. They went to the counter to sit on the stools. The father lifted his son to the seat of the counter. They ordered lunch, and when the waiter brought the food, the father said, “Son, we’ll only have a silent prayer.” Dad finished praying first and waited for his son to finish his prayer, but he sat with his head bowed for a long time. Once the son finished praying, the father had to ask him “What have you been praying all this time?” The boy looked puzzled and replied, “I’m not quite sure what he was praying for.” “It was a silent prayer.”

Many of our prayers are like this. The words we use are empty. We call the mind words, but they are repetitive or insincere. Here’s a reveal for some of you. When you pray, you are simply talking to God. One thing you must realize; God likes it when you talk to him. He wants a complete relationship. It is through Prayer that you can converse directly with God. Some elements of prayer can be a form of worship. It is through prayer that an open door of communication with God is established.

Prayer can be silent. It can be said out loud so others can agree. You can even sing a prayer. When it comes to the sentence I like to use the acrostic FACTS Each letter represents an important part of the sentence. Here are the parts of speech:

  • A = Adoration
  • C = Confession
  • T = thanksgiving
  • S = Supplication

Worship in prayer

Take some time at the beginning of your prayer to offer worship to God. It is in this moment that you tell God how much you appreciate and love him. Affirming your love for him is important. How many times have you started praying asking for things? A great way to start your prayer is to declare to God how you love him.

Confession in prayer

When you pray, your heart needs to be in the right place. Face it, humans are sinners by nature. Confession is a kind of recognition of what is true. Most of the time we confess our sins. God already knows our sin. However, we have yet to confess them. God is always faithful to forgive the sins that we confess. But I also want to bring another point of view to the confession. This will produce a new dimension in your thought process. You can confess the greatness of God. You can confess your faith. Confess the truth!

Thanksgiving in prayer.

God has abundant resources available to every Christian. God is in the business of showering you with blessings. The obedient thing to do is thank him for all the good things he does in your life. No matter the setting, it is a good plan to thank God /

Supplication in Prayer

As I said before, it is common for Christians to accumulate petitions to God. God give me this, God give me that. Supplication is your request for something. Prayer needs balance. Many times it is the supplication that Christians spend most of the time. It’s okay to ask. The Bible says to ask. But this should not be the focus. Your prayers must be according to God’s will. Remembering these areas of prayer – Adoration, Confession and Thanksgiving before asking for anything will put you in the right attitude. Your plea to God must be bold. He is a God of unlimited resources. Ask for things beyond yourself.

Preaching

1 Timothy 3: 16-17

2 Timothy 4: 1-5

We need to learn the word of God. Preaching is a fundamental part of worship. This element of worship lets you know about God. It is God’s wish that you meet him. He wants you to understand who and what he is. This is the key to His relationship with you. After all, how can you adore or love someone you don’t know? That is why it has preachers.

Preaching is actually an opportunity to immerse yourself in God’s word, the Bible, and learn more about who he is. You will learn how He operates. The food of worship is in the word of God. Keep in mind that music is not just a “warm-up” exercise. Each element is important to a complete worship experience. One complements the other just like all the other areas we are discussing in the section.

Donation

2 Corinthians 9: 6-7

Okay, with all your heart, mind and soul, you must give. The Christian life is not about receiving but about giving.

Growing up at Christmas, it was our family tradition to obtain gifts for all members of the immediate family. I would get gifts for mom, dad, brother and sister. It was often difficult to make a decision about what gift to give. First, because I was young, my resources were very limited. So he had to pass any gift that was too expensive. This left the playing field quite low. But it became apparent that my parents already had quite a few items that they already had. There were only a small number of things that he could actually achieve. With God it is very much like this. God owns the universe and everything in it. But one thing we can give is our worship of Him. This is one thing that He really enjoys about His people.

Money is the first thing most think of when the topic of giving comes up. Giving money to the church is an honor that we can all do. But, I want you to also know that it goes beyond that. It is your whole life that God wants. You have the incredible opportunity to give all your resources to God. This included his time, his body, his mind, and all his possessions.

When you give God all the resources available to you, it is in that moment a true sacrifice of praise and worship.

Communion

Matthew 26: 26-29 And while they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and broke it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to him, saying, Drink ye all of it; Because this is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. But I tell you that I will not drink more of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it again with you in the kingdom of my Father.

Christians experience one of the greatest privileges during Communion. This is a time for a truly intimate relationship with Jesus. This is a time of unity. It is time for the worshiper to unite with his Savior. Identify the believer with Christ. Communion allows us to focus on the greatest gift ever given to the world. It is a time to remember that Jesus’ death on the cross is the last and last sacrifice for the sins of the world.

Putting it all together

As you can see, there are several aspects to the worship experience. Each is as crucial as the other. The key to rich and satisfying worship is balance. By balancing these five components in your worship service, you offer more opportunities for the worshiper.