The Promise is to You

DIY Praise & Worship in 3 Steps

One of the most powerful parts of our parish’s Easter liturgies is the praise and worship. We have been very blessed with gifted musicians whose worship leads the rest of our congregation in a beautiful and powerful unison that unveils a glimpse of Heaven. This glimpse of heavenly worship is not only for Easter, though, nor is it meant to be. As St. John Paul the Great said, “We are an Easter people, and Alleluia is our song!”

At the heart of praise and worship are one’s love for the Lord and desire to honor him. This does not require a professional singing voice; it is something of which we are all capable. True, for some of us our songs may be more of a “joyful noise,” but to our Abba our “noise” has all the goodness of a child singing his heart out even if he is off-key. God so delights in our joyful noises that we are commanded to “Make a joyful noise” in no less than six places in the Psalms: Ps 66:1, Ps 95:1, Ps 95:2, Ps 98:4, Ps 98:6 and Ps 100:1. This can also involve musical instruments.

There are many recommended praise & worship opportunities at Christ the King Parish, particularly at Upper Room and the other parish prayer meetings (listed here), but we do not have to wait for an opportunity to arise. We can and should worship the Lord on our own.

Here are three steps to a praise & worship session. I recommend setting aside half an hour in order to enter deeply into prayer and receive what the Lord has for you. Turn off the ringer on your phone and get a pen and paper (for Steps 2 & 3).

Step 1:

Begin in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Recognize that you are in his presence! Begin to praise him. A playlist like the one below may be helpful. Let the songs lead you into speaking out your praise in English or in tongues between songs.

Hosanna (Praise is Rising):

Christ is Risen:

Stronger:

Revelation Song:

Step 2:

Worship will lead you into contemplation. Sit with the Lord. Allow him to speak to you. Write down what he says to you or what he does in your heart. Writing will help you focus to receive what he has for you.

Step 3:

Respond to what the Lord said or did in Step 2. What will you do with what he has just given you? How can you thank him? Writing down your response will help you to remember it and to act on it.

Praise is not only our gift to the Lord; it is his gift to us. We draw close to him and he draws close to us. Through praise we taste the ultimate gift of Easter: the intimate union with Christ that he won for us on the cross. Praise brings us into the joy of the resurrection!

What are some of your favorite ways to praise? What helps you to enter in more deeply? Do you have any favorite praise songs (and links to them)? Please leave your comments below.

By Christy Whiting, Upper Room Director

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