Worship is a central theme throughout the Bible. God created humanity to worship and glorify Him. The Bible is filled with verses that reveal how God desires to be worshipped and instructs His people on how to properly approach Him in worship. Here is an overview of some key Bible passages about worship:
Old Testament Verses on Worship
In the Old Testament, worship was centralized in the tabernacle and later the temple. Sacrifices and offerings were made as acts of worship towards God. Here are some notable Old Testament verses about worship:
- “Worship the Lord your God, and his blessing will be on your food and water. I will take away sickness from among you.” (Exodus 23:25)
- “Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” (Psalm 100:2)
- “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.” (1 Chronicles 16:34)
- “Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music.” (Psalm 98:4)
- “Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering and come before him. Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness.” (1 Chronicles 16:29)
These verses emphasize worshipping God with joy, thanksgiving, music and bringing offerings. Worship involved celebrating God’s mighty acts, character and attributes.
Jesus on Worship
Jesus also had much to say about the manner and heart behind true worship:
- “Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” (John 4:23-24)
- “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” (Matthew 18:20)
- “God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” (John 4:24)
Jesus taught that worship was no longer confined to a physical location. Rather than rituals and sacrifices, God desires heartfelt worship and for believers to come together in His name.
New Testament Principles on Worship
The New Testament further expands on principles for worshipping God in Spirit and truth:
- “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.” (Romans 12:1)
- “Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Ephesians 5:19-20)
- “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name.” (Hebrews 13:15)
- “But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:23-24)
New Testament verses portray worship as offering our lives in service to God. Singing, thanksgiving and declaring God’s salvation all constitute worshipping Him in Spirit and truth.
Revelation’s Picture of Worship
Finally, Revelation provides glimpses of heavenly worship surrounding God’s throne. The angels, elders and living creatures worship God continually in eternity:
- “Day and night they never stop saying: “‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,’ who was, and is, and is to come.” (Revelation 4:8)
- “The twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say: “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.” (Revelation 4:10-11)
Heavenly worship focuses on praising the attributes and works of God. The angels worship God for His holiness, eternity, glory, honor and power.
Key Themes and Principles on Worship in the Bible
Drawing these passages together, we see several overarching themes about worship in Scripture:
- Worship the LORD God alone: Worship is to be directed solely towards the one true and living God, revealed through Scripture as Yahweh and the Trinity. God repeatedly condemns idolatry and false gods (Exodus 20:3-6).
- Worship in spirit and truth: True worship comes from the heart in sincerity, not merely outward rituals. It aligns with the truth of Scripture and the Holy Spirit’s leading (John 4:24).
- Reverence and awe: Worship approaches God with deep respect, awe and fear of the Lord (Psalm 96:9, Hebrews 12:28-29).
- Thanksgiving and praise: Worship expresses joyful adoration of God for who He is and what He has done (Psalm 100:4, Philippians 4:6-7).
- Sacrifice: Worship involves humbly offering our lives and resources to God as an act of devotion (Romans 12:1, Romans 15:16).
- Glory to God: The ultimate purpose of worship is to bring glory to God for His wondrous character and mighty works (Psalm 29:1-2, 1 Peter 4:11).
- All of life: Worship is not confined to a place or time but flows out of a daily lifestyle of walking with God (Romans 12:1, 1 Corinthians 10:31).
- Corporate and individual: Worship unites believers together, but also has an individual, personal expression (Psalm 150:6, Matthew 6:6).
With these principles in mind, we can see worship portrayed in Scripture as wholehearted devotion offered to God alone for who He is, permeating every area of life. The joyful songs, thanksgiving, and bowed reverence displayed throughout the Bible all provide models for our worship today.
Worship Verses to Reflect On
Here are some additional notable Bible verses on worship to meditate on:
- “Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.” (Psalm 95:6)
- “Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” (Psalm 100:2)
- “Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.” (Psalm 106:1)
- “Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness.” (Psalm 29:2)
- “Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music.” (Psalm 98:4)
- “Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth. Sing to the LORD, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day.” (Psalm 96:1-2)
- “Worship the LORD your God, and his blessing will be on your food and water. I will take away sickness from among you.” (Exodus 23:25)
- “The LORD is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him.” (Exodus 15:2)
- “Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.” (Psalm 100:4)
- “Shout for joy to God, all the earth! Sing the glory of his name; make his praise glorious. Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power that your enemies cringe before you.” (Psalm 66:1-3)
- “Let everything that has breath praise the LORD! Praise the LORD!”(Psalm 150:6)
- “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” (Matthew 18:20)
- “Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.” (John 4:23)
- “God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” (John 4:24)
- “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.” (Romans 12:1)
- “And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.” (Romans 12:1, NLT)
- “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name.” (Hebrews 13:15)
What a blessing to be able to freely worship the Lord who created us! May we constantly seek to worship Him in spirit and truth.