Sep 30, 2025
4 min read
Psalm 29:2 tells us, “Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness.”
Expression means you’re making known what’s inside—your thoughts, your gratitude, and your awe of who God is.
The psalmists provided us with numerous examples: lifting hands (Psalm 63), singing new songs (Psalm 149), dancing, shouting, and even playing instruments—all as acts of worship.
Did you know Scripture commands us to “praise the Lord” over 250 times, and the word “sing” appears more than 400 times? Clearly, God cares about worship.
A church where we sing not only on Sundays, but as we drive to work, fold laundry, or sit in waiting rooms. Where we encourage one another by lifting our voices side-by-side, declaring the goodness of God together.
That’s precisely what the Psalms of Ascent were all about. Made up of Psalm 120-134, the Psalms of Ascent were literal songs being sung as God’s people journeyed up to Jerusalem for the annual feasts. Sometimes they declared God’s greatness (Psalm 121: “My help comes from the Lord!”). Other times, they cried out with their troubles (Psalm 120: “Rescue me, O Lord.”). Either way, they sang their way into God’s presence.
Paul reminds us in Ephesians 5 to “sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks.” Even Paul—chained in a prison cell—sang until the chains fell off.
Worship invites the power of God’s presence into your circumstances and makes a way, even when there is seemingly no way.
The Psalms of Ascent remind us: worship is not just about arriving—it’s about preparing. It’s about giving our burdens to God so our hearts are ready to meet Him.
Unity was also central to their worship. Psalm 133 says, “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!” Unity is like refreshing dew that brings fruitfulness. In other words, worshiping together in harmony changes us.
Can you imagine what would happen if we began to worship this way? Singing our way to church. Singing our way through the week. Refusing to let despair define us, but instead putting on the “garment of praise” (Isaiah 61:3). Heaven itself resounds with singing (Revelation 5:13). And Jesus said the Father is seeking those who will worship Him in spirit and in truth (John 4).
So, let’s be a people who don’t wait for Sunday morning or the mountaintop. Let’s raise a hallelujah in the middle of the storm, lifting our hands in reverence, and living a worship-filled life.
