4 Ways to Worship Beyond Singing

Worship Through Words

If you eat a to-die-for dessert at a local restaurant, you might snap a picture to share on social media or tell your friends about it. If your husband gives you a lovely set of earrings, you’ll likely ooh and ah, giving him all the credit when you receive compliments. If you read a five-star-worthy book, you’ll probably text your book club about the page-turner, recommending that each one put it on her list. Humans can’t help but share about what we love, and our overflowing words of praise are one of the ways we worship God.

When we see God as the giver of every good and perfect gift (James 1:17), when we spend time considering, enjoying, and appreciating who he is and what he’s done, we are more inclined to give him praise. The catalyst for this response isn’t merely our “duty” to God or what we “should” say as Christians. Words of praise shouldn’t be confined to a corporate worship service. Rather, they should spill over into our everyday lives as a genuine response out of our sincere enjoyment of and gratitude for God. Ideally, praise is a natural extension of the love we already have, though we often need to speak words of praise before we feel them as a way to kindle our heart’s desire for God.¹

Let’s examine a few ways you can worship God through your words.

1. Express Adoration and Praise

The Psalms have many examples of adoration and praise, and they’re a model of what it sounds like to worship God. For instance, Psalm 145:8–9 praises God’s character:

The Lord is gracious and merciful,
     slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
The Lord is good to all,
     and his mercy is over all that he has made.

We can express our affection for and approval of God through the words in Scripture or through words that are specific to our lives and circumstances.

We can do this in a group with other believers, such as in corporate worship, as we recite liturgical readings or sing songs of adoration. Praise can be private: in the car, in our bedrooms, or on a walk in the woods. It can also be public: posted to social media, shared in a speech, or sprinkled into conversation with a friend.²

Put it into practice:

• Read Psalm 145 or another psalm out loud, praising and thanking God for each truth as you go.
• Sing a song with words of praise (such as “The Doxology”) in your car, in the shower, or on a walk.
• Write a list of things you love about God—every character quality you can think of.
• Recite a liturgy of praise to God.
• Weave words of praise into at least one conversation with a friend or family member.

2. Give Thanks

Though very similar to worshiping through praise, thanksgiving is another way we worship God through our words. It’s commanded in a specific way throughout Scripture, and it goes beyond general praise. As opposed to merely giving mental assent to what is true of God, thanksgiving specifically expresses our gratitude for who God is and what he’s done.

First Thessalonians 5:18 says it plainly: “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” According to Scripture, every circumstance is an opportunity for thanksgiving.³ This is possible because even though our circumstances may change or feel unpredictable and unstable, God does not change (Heb. 13:8; James 1:17). He is always in complete control of every facet of our lives (Matt. 10:29–31; Col. 1:16–17), and as such, he is always deserving of our praise and thanksgiving.

As with words of praise, we can give thanks privately and specifically, corporately and generally, and everything in between.

Put it into practice:

• Read Psalm 136 or another favorite Bible passage about giving thanks to God.
• Sing a song with words of thanksgiving in your car, in the shower, or on a walk.
• Do some gratitude journaling. Thoughtfully reflect on a time in your life when God was faithful and took care of you. Write a list of all the things you’re thankful for, even the most basic, obvious things. Spend time giving him thanks for all this.
• Weave your gratitude for God and his good gifts into at least one conversation today, or ask someone what she is thankful to God for.

We worship what we pay attention to, and we pay attention to what we worship.

3. Direct Your Attention Toward God

We worship what we pay attention to, and we pay attention to what we worship. Therefore, taking our cares and concerns to the Lord helps our hearts and hopes stay centered on him. He wants us to come to him with our worries because he cares for us (1 Pet. 5:7). When we’re worried about a situation or we’re not sure how things are going to turn out, it’s easy for us to talk about that issue with our spouse, our friends, or even vent about it online. But taking our cares to the Lord first and frequently shows that we trust and believe in him to provide and do good in our lives, even if it’s not in the way we want or expect (Matt. 6). By presenting our requests to God, we acknowledge him as our loving heavenly Father (Matt. 7:11).

Put it into practice:

• Get an index card or use the notes feature on your phone and make a list of the things and people you want to pray for often.
• Pray Romans 15:13 for yourself and others that as you each face challenges and concerns, you would be able to share them with God and put your hope in him.
• Journal about a time in your life when you prayed about something you needed and God provided. Reflect on that experience as encouragement to put your hope in him again.
• Encourage one friend to hope in God by praying with her, helping her bring her concerns to the Lord instead of merely venting.

4. Talk to Others About God

When we love something and believe in its ability to positively shape someone’s life, we tell others about it. If we do this with recipes, workout plans, books, and movies, how much more should we express our worship of God by telling others about the gospel of Jesus Christ? If God has given us undeserved grace, forgiveness for our sins, the hope of promised eternal life, and a fulfilling purpose here on earth, why wouldn’t we talk about him to anyone who will listen? This form of worship can be summed up in the word evangelism, which is simply telling people about the gospel. Part of praising God is making “known his deeds among the peoples” and telling “all his wondrous works” (Ps. 105:1–2). Sharing about God’s work of salvation so that others might respond in faith, thanksgiving, and praise is a form of worship.

Put it into practice:

• Write down a list of unbelievers or people in your life with whom you’d like to go deeper spiritually. Start praying today for boldness and clear opportunities to tell them about who God is and what he’s doing in your life.
• If you’re new to talking about God in everyday conversation, practice with a Christian friend. You can be honest and say, “I want to get better at sharing my faith. Can I practice with you by sharing something I learned about God recently that I’m excited about?” Ask your friend to share about her walk with the Lord as well.
• Ask someone a question about her spiritual life: “I’m really curious about what role faith plays in your life. Do you have a church background?” or “What are you reading in Scripture right now? How is it encouraging you?”
• Brainstorm creative gifts, platforms, or aspects of your life or work that might become an avenue for telling others about God.

As you worship through words, know that you can use the full range of human emotion expressed through your tone of voice, volume, quantity and timing of words, and the beauty of words to express your worship. Simple words are also great—even the words of a child expressed in faith are precious to God. The bottom line is that God knows our hearts, and he loves it when we sincerely express our love of, gratitude for, or enjoyment of him in the things we say.

This article is adapted from Worship by Emily A. Jensen.

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