When we hear the words “praise” and “worship,” many of us immediately think of the congregational singing that takes place in our church on Sunday morning. Oh, how limited our view!
As a spiritual discipline, worship is the practice of praising God’s greatness, goodness, and beauty. It’s adoring, honoring, revering, and loving extravagantly – anytime, anywhere, and in a multitude of ways.
“Worship is the believer’s response of all that they are – mind, emotions, will, body – to what God is and says and does.” –Warren Wiersbe
We can offer worship through music, yes, absolutely. However, our praise and worship can equally be extended through words, silence, actions, and ritual.
Worship is nourishment for our souls. It should become the constant undertone of our lives, rather than something relegated to once a week.
The question then becomes, “How do we become continual adorers?”
Consider these 7 opportunities for honoring and loving God extravagantly, even when days are busy.
Never Too Busy to Worship
Sing
Yes, sing! Don’t stop singing. Do just the opposite, sing more.
Join the choir or praise team at your church. Incorporate singing into your quiet time with God. Sing Scriptures songs or one of the Psalms with your children as you put them to bed.
Sing…
- To begin your day.
- Before you go to bed.
- As you carry out the mundane chores of daily life.
- Praise songs, hymns, and choruses.
- Out loud!
Singing is power. It’s a weapon of Worship.
Incorporate Music
“Words are the language of the mind. Music is the language of the soul.”
Rabbi Jonathan Sacks
Music speaks to the soul. When you can’t sing, listen. Play worship music while you work out, do household chores, or drive your car. Listen to Christian radio. Play your musical instrument as an act of worship.
Choose praise music to fit your mood or to focus your heart and mind. You might select some upbeat praise music while performing routine daily tasks or build a playlist of Cross-Centered songs to turn your heart toward God.
Say your ABCs
As an act of worship, work your way through the alphabet naming an attribute of God for each letter.
Keep a daily appointment with God
Even if only for 5 minutes, keep a daily appointment with God.
Schedule it. Write it on your calendar or set an alarm. Do something to ensure that the appointment happens. Then every day, spend some time with Him. Sit, go for a walk, draw, dance. However you choose to spend your time, offer God your worship.
Observe “Grace” breaks
Grace breaks are a brief time set aside for the purpose of reviewing things that God spoke to you during your morning quiet time together.
So often we enjoy a sweet time of communion with our Heavenly Father during our morning quiet time, and then we’re off – so much to do, so many places to be, people demanding our time and energy – that we never give that sweet time another thought.
Set an alarm or associate your grace breaks with something you are already doing such as preparing a meal. At the appointed time, take a few worshipful minutes to recall, remember, and reflect upon what God is speaking to you.
Live It
Show kindness to a neighbor. Open your home to others. Extend grace to your child. Defer to your spouse in a disputed matter.
Truly make worship the undertone of your life by loving on and honoring others.
Consider your unique God-wiring
The Creator, God designed each of us uniquely. Offer your praise and worship in a way that connects with your God- wiring.
If your breath is taken away at the sight of a beautiful sunset, then get outside and watch a gorgeous sunset in silence. Lover of words? Grab your pen and write Him a letter.
Give it some thought. Be creative.
“And Mary said, ‘My soul magnifies the Lord,” (Luke 1:46). Mary prized the Lord and offered her song as an act of worship. Take the time to practice prizing. Offer gifts of worship even when days are busy.
Other posts in this series:
7 Practical Ideas for Praying When Days are Busy
7 Practical Ideas for Engaging the Scripture When Days are Busy
7 Practical Ideas for Getting Alone with God When Days are Busy
Soul Nourishment: Satisfying Our Deep Longing for God
Soul Nourishment is a gentle reminder of the importance of soul care. It is also a handbook for today’s busy woman – filled with a multitude of easy, ready-to-use resources to bring refreshment on the journey.
4 comments
Practical Praise And Worship With The Grace & Truth Link Up
[…] faith. Sometimes I need something I can touch or do. Tell me how. Today’s post presents 7 practical ideas, but I learned that there is no limit to the ways we can offer our praise and […]
Patsy Burnette
This is great Deborah! Thanks for the reminders that even when we’re busy we can (and should) still make time to worship God!
Pinned & tweeted.
Thanks for linking up at InstaEncouragements!
Valerie Riese
I love that you included ritual as a way of showing praise. “ritual” is kind of a naughty word in many contexts, yet I’ll never really be able to articulate the passion and love for God I saw in my grandparents as they said the rosary every morning on their knees together before Grandpa went out to milk the cows. What might have sounded like chanting was actually an act of total love and devotion from them to God. Thanks so much for linking up with Grace & Truth this week, Deborah!
Yvonne Chase ???????? (@ItsYvonneChase)
Singing and playing worship music like I’m doing right now are a daily constant. I have a speaker in my bedroom and one in my kitchen. You can often find me chopping onions/preparing a meal to a worship song or dancing in my bedroom and throughout my apartment while getting dressed. I sing and listen to worship music so much that I often wake up with a song in my heart. Today I woke up with Order My Steps in my heart and on my tongue. I could not live without singing along to worship music. Singing is indeed power and a weapon of worship.