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 on 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 give the worshiper a more complete experience in the worship service. These things include the following: singing, praying, preaching, giving, and fellowship. 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 of this event was singing worship songs. Sam was very intimidated singing out loud. However, now he sings with more confidence.

Sing louder. That’s because of this weekend Retreat. At this retreat, the worship leader encouraged everyone to do more than murmur the lyrics of the songs. 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 to get even!”

Encouraged by these words, Sam sang. Very! But although over 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 didn’t care how it sounded. This change in sight made him worship better.

Finally, Sam bought a songbook and began to sing 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 surprising thing is that Sam likes to sing more than ever. Realizing that raising your voice to the Lord and hearing others do the same is a wonderful experience.

Most would agree that worship incorporates the act of singing. Singing is a physical action that all worshipers 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 recount their worship in unison. It is by singing as a group that we can express praise, gratitude, and thanksgiving. At the same time we can communicate with God. The church as a whole can make an offering. Singing can also provide an emotional element for worship. Music provokes various emotions and moods through melody and tempo. Music is a language unto itself.

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 will just pray in silence.” Dad finished praying first and waited for his son to complete his prayer, but he sat with his head bowed for a remarkably long time. Once the son finished praying, the father had to ask him “What were you praying all this time?” The boy looked puzzled and replied “I’m not sure what he was praying” “It was a silent prayer.”

Much of our prayer is like this. The words we use are empty. We remember the words, but they are repetitive or insincere. Here’s a revelation 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 for others to agree. You can even sing a prayer. When it comes to sentences, I like to use the acrostic ACTS. Each letter represents an important part of the sentence. Here are the parts of speech:

• A = worship
• C = confession
• T = Thanksgiving
• S = Supplication

Worship in prayer

Take some time at the beginning of your prayer to offer worship to God. This is when you tell God how much you appreciate and love him. Affirming your love is important. How many times have you gotten into prayer 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 type of recognition of the truth. 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. What you should do obediently is thank him for all the good things he does in your life. No matter the environment, 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 request it. The Bible says ask. But this shouldn’t be the center of attention. Your prayers must be in accordance with God’s will. Remembering these areas of prayer: Adoration, Confession, and Thanksgiving before asking for something 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 allows you to know 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 it operates. The essence 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, as do all the other areas that we are discussing in the section.

Donation

2 Corinthians 9: 6-7

Okay, with all your heart, mind and soul, you’re going to give. The Christian life is not about receiving, it is about giving.

Growing up around Christmas time, our family tradition was to obtain gifts for all members of the immediate family. He received gifts for mom, dad, brother and sister. Often times, it was difficult to make a decision about what gift to give. First, since I was young, my resources were very limited. So he had to pass on any gift that was too expensive. This left the playing field quite low. But it became obvious that my parents already had quite a few items that they already owned. There were only a small number of things that he could really achieve. With God it is very much like this. God owns the universe and everything in it. But one thing we can give him is our worship of him. This is something his people really enjoy.

Money is the first thing most think of when the subject of giving comes up. Giving money to the church is an honor that we can all do. But I also want you to 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, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And taking the cup, and having given thanks, he gave it to him, saying: Drink of it, all of you; Because this is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. But I tell you that from now on I will no longer drink this fruit of the vine, until the day I drink it again with you in my Father’s kingdom.

Christians experience one of the greatest privileges during Communion. This is a time for a truly intimate relationship with Jesus. This is a moment 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 that has ever been 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, the worship experience has several aspects. 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.