Praise Worship – H

I have “holy envy” for those faiths that have praise worship as part of their church service. I was introduced to this beautiful truth at a local baptist church. My heart was opened to something I never experienced before. People were standing with their hands out stretched, tears streaming down their faces singing praises to Jesus Christ. I was witnessing their great love for Jesus as they proclaimed it with all their heart. Then I joined in with them and my heart was never the same! I love standing and praising Him. It truly heals my soul and lifts me to make it through the rest of the week.

In my faith we sing but we do it sitting down. Ever since I’ve gained a testimony of praise worship it hurts singing to Jesus sitting down. In church today we sang a song sitting down that should have been sung standing up. I found myself afterwards on the floor of the women’s bathroom weeping with my face buried in the tile crying to God “I can’t do this anymore.”

Did you know we were created to sing standing up? Our diaphragm doesn’t work unless standing up to sing!! so why are we singing sitting down for songs that honor the creator Himself?

Would you sit for the National anthem or for the Pledge of Allegiance so why are we sitting for Jesus? These are comments I have heard from Baptist friends when they find out we sit and sing for our worship. I absolutely agree with them that we should be standing for at least ONE Song during our praise worship time.

Right now my faith is redoing their hymnbook to include more universal songs from the Christian world. Over a year ago we had “Amazing Grace” added to our temporary new hymn book and miraculously we sang this song standing up. That was a Zion moment for me. (Where truths of more than one faith came together under one roof.) I have been earnestly praying when the new hymnbook does get published that it has a praise worship section in it where it asks us to stand for those hymns from that section.

You would think I would just walk away from a faith that doesn’t have a testimony of praise worship, but I can’t! I have a testimony of the faith I belong to. I can’t walk away from the truths I know.

I do know when Zion is established we will have truths from many faiths come together in one place. Praise worship will be apart of Zion so will Meditation, Shabbat, and many other beautiful truths and faith practices that are virtuous, lovely and of good report. Because that is what we have been asked to seek after!