"Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing." Psalm 100:2
Back to "Listen to God's Lessons"
Don't wait until you arrive at your church meeting or fellowship before you start worshipping the Lord. If you really want to be a blessing and have a blessed fellowship, start praising the Lord long before you walk into your church meeting. You can start singing to Him when you're still lying in bed. Sing to Him while you're in the shower. Sing to Him while you get dressed. Worship Him as you're traveling to your church meeting (be it walking, riding a bike, riding public transportation, or in your car). You can be all fired up before you get to your meeting place. You can already be operating in the Spirit. It's joyful to serve the Lord in worship; why wait until you get to the meeting?
"Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds." Psalm 149:5
"While I live will I praise the Lord: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being." Psalm 146:2
So, as you come before His presence, start your worship. It's a beautiful blessing to start praising Him early. By the time you join a prayer meeting, after you've been praising Him all morning, it can be glorious. You've already been serving Him and you're that much closer to Him when you begin prayer.
"Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name." Psalm 100:4
"O sing unto the Lord a new song ..." Psalm 98:1
Make up songs as you approach Him. It doesn't matter how great the song may be to peoples' ears. Let it come from your heart and sing it solely unto the Lord. He instructed us in Psalm 98:1 -- sing a new song. Just let it roll from your heart in pure adoration and devotion. In many cases, only God will hear it, and He honors what comes from your heart.
"Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise." Psalm 98:4
You aren't much at singing? That's okay. You can just make a joyful noise unto the Lord. Maybe you like to whistle or hum. Or you can just lift up your voice to Him without a melody. It doesn't have to be singing. The most important part is that it comes from your heart. You're just singing or praising to Him. No one else has to hear you. Just sing (or make a noise) unto Him with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. Even if you are not able to speak, you can worship Him from your heart and God will hear you.
Get your whole family involved. As you ride to a fellowship, start singing or worshipping together. Have a joyful time together just worshipping the Lord. You know, the Holy Spirit can fall in Your car; God's Spirit isn't confined to a building.
If you will start praising and worshipping God (in your own way) before you arrive at your church fellowship, you will not only be a blessing to others, but you will be blessed of God in a beautiful way. Plus (of course), you are blessing our Father, from whom all blessings come, with your devotion.
There are so many ways that God has given us to worship Him. You can sing (Psalm 147:1), shout (Psalm 5:11), dance (Psalm 150:4), make a noise (Psalm 98:4), play an insturment (Psalm 150:5), and clap your hands (Psalm 47:1). These are just a few examples. There are many more, and the book of Psalms is rich with worship.
Aren't you glad He made worship fun?