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50 Great Bible Verses About Worship
Modified: January 9, 2024
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Bible verses about worship that will remind you of the true essence of praising God. Worship God in your everyday life with these verses.
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Worship is one of the most important principles of Christianity. It transcends its roots since the Old Testament. When God created the earth and everything in it including man, the same phrase is recurrent. Every time the Lord will complete a creation, He’ll look at His creation and affirm its goodness. God’s response to everything He had created was, “And God saw that it was good” (Genesis 1:31). The Lord took pleasure in His creations. It pleases Him to see His creations like a father who delights in seeing his children. God created us so He can express His love. In response to this love, we are made to adore Him; to give pleasure to His name or in the most popular term of Christianity, to worship Him. Man being created in the likeness of God was born to give Him glory.
Throughout time, the definition of worship becomes more and more complicated or if not, vague. One key to primarily understand worship is to focus on the subject of worship who is Jesus. When we start things with God first before anything else, we can discover how easy it would be to eventually comprehend other spiritual truths. There may be a lot of other terms used to describe worship but it always points out the greatness of God. As a matter of fact, Jesus Himself talked about worship when He was here on earth. Being observed as frequent as prayer, worship is a very important principle of Christian faith, . Other chapters of the scripture discuss worship in the purest sense. Here are the best Bible verses about worship so we can completely conform to our greatest purpose of worshiping God.
True Worship
Jesus explained real worship to a woman of Samaria once on his way to Galilee. His statement about worship became one of the best foundations of Christian worship. True worshipers according to Jesus worship the Father in spirit and truth (John 4:23). Not by words or by works, but by spirit and truth. Authentic worship happens when above all things we seek God’s face to adore Him for who He is. Real worship takes place when our soul, our heart, our being, and our spirit seek to glorify Him. Worship happens when all that is within us know truthfully who God is and affirms His greatness and worth in our lives.
Mary, Martha’s sister knew exactly what worship is. While Martha was busy doing things for Jesus which she thought what Jesus would want her to do, Mary did what Jesus desires. Mary sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to Jesus’ teaching (Luke 10:39). She enjoyed the presence of God sitting at His feet. More often than not we think that we have to do things to please God. But John 4:24 reminds us that God is seeking worshipers who will worship Him in spirit and truth. As we dig deeper into God’s Word, we can encounter other significant Bible verses about worship. Here are some of the best Bible verses about worship to start with.
- John 4:23 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.
- John 4:24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.
- Hebrews 12:28-29 Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping him with holy fear and awe. 29 For our God is a devouring fire.
- Exodus 20:2-3 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.
- Exodus 34:14 For you shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God
- Matthew 15:8-10 This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.
- Isaiah 29:13 And the Lord said: “Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men,”
- Luke 10:38-42 Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”
Read more: 50 Bible Verses About Sin
Expression of Worship
Worship is an amazing experience of God’s presence. It is when our spirit connects with the spirit of God in awe of Him. This is an inner sense of worship. But our worship to a living God can’t be bounded within our souls and our hearts. When we experience the greatness of God, it is impossible not for us to communicate it with our acts. It would be our up-front response to express our worship with our acts before God. Do not misinterpret this, worship will never be about the expression of it but it is essential in giving glory to God and in magnifying His name in our lives.
There are various expressions of worship. And these are all beautiful ways to adore and declare the value of God in our lives. One popular way of expressing our worship before God is through acknowledging Him with the praises of our lips. We declare His goodness with the words of our mouth that can, too, be through other means like songs and hymns. Others worship God through offerings and presents. While some honor the Lord with their physical body through movements and acts of services. We’ve got a long list of means to express to God our worship and the Scripture offers the best ways to do it. Check out the following Bible verses about worship:
- Hebrews 13:15 Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.
- Psalm 132:7 Let us go to his dwelling place; let us worship at his footstool!
- 1 Chronicles 16:29 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering and come before him! Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness;
- Psalm 27:4 One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple.
- Psalm 84:1-2 How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts! My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God.
- Matthew 2:11 And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.
- Psalm 40:9 I have told the glad news of deliverance in the great congregation; behold, I have not restrained my lips, as you know, O Lord.
- Psalm 29:2 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness.
- Psalm 63:3-4 Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands.
Bible Verses About Worship Through Music
We can have a full long list of ways to express our worship but there is this expression of worship which we usually confuse with worship. Christian music is sometimes mistaken for praise and worship. Music is a beautiful expression of worship but it isn’t what worship is all about. The Lord commanded that we worship Him and Him alone. The scripture also instructs us to sing to the Lord (Psalm 95:1) and to praise His name with dancing and musical instruments (Psalm 150:4-5) as we come into His presence.
The Lord delights in seeing His children utter their praises with singing and joyful noise. It gives glory to His name. So, therefore, there is no doubt why music has been confusingly intertwined with Christian music. It remains to be one of those constant means of worship from the time when the Lord set free the Israelites from their 400-year slavery to Egypt. Wonderful Bible verses about worship are written both in the Old and the New Testament although we cannot contest that the Book of Psalms has the finest of it. Nevertheless, take a look at these Bible verses about worship with music, hymns, singing, and dancing. Let’s rejoice continuously in the Lord as to how the Bible is constant about it.
- Psalm 95:1 Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!
- Psalm 150:5-6 Praise him with sounding cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals! Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!
- Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
- Ephesians 5:19 Addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart
- Psalm 149:3Let them praise his name with dancing, making melody to him with tambourine and lyre!
- Psalm 100:1-3 Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
- Isaiah 12:5 Sing to the Lord, for he has done wonderful things. Make known his praise around the world.
- Psalm 59:16But I will sing of your strength; I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning. For you have been to me a fortress and a refuge in the day of my distress.
- Psalm 33:3 Sing to him a new song; play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts.
Spiritual Acts of Worship
Worship is about sacrifice. This can probably be the best one-word definition of worship in the Bible. It is an act done with a genuine pursuit and selfless interest. The first mention of worship in the Bible was when God asked Abraham to give His only son, Isaac, as an offering to God (Genesis 22:5). Imagine how painful it was for Abraham to offer His only son as a sacrifice; one whom he waited decades to have. This scene of Abraham’s trust in God tells us significant truths about worship. First, worship is about honoring God in whatever situation. Second, worship is a response to God with humility and reverence. Lastly, worship means a sacrifice on our part. We sacrifice our time, priorities, and other things in our lives to put God first. Putting God on the top of any list we have also means that we worship him.
Worshiping Him means prioritizing Him. Our God is jealous (Exodus 34:14). Man’s nature is to worship Him. We are created for this purpose so when we fail to serve this purpose we find other things to worship in exchange for God. Anything we put before God is an idol which can be money, fame, or obsession. The Lord abhorred anything put before Him. This is a betrayal to His worth. Famous characters and Bible verses about worship reveal the essence of worship as a sacrifice. Find some of those Bible verses here:
- Luke 4:8 Jesus replied, “The Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him.’”
- Romans 12:1-2 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. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
- Luke 7:37-38 A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.
- 1 Peter 2:5 You yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
- Isaiah 56:7 These I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.”
- Hebrews 13:16 Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.
- Genesis 22:1-4 After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar. Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you.”
- 2 Samuel 24:24 But the king said to Araunah, “No, but I will buy it from you for a price. I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God that cost me nothing.” So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.
Bible Verses about Praise and Worship
The term worship is usually recognized alongside the word praise. Sometimes, we, Christians tend to think that praise refers to a fast type of Christian song while worship suggests a slow kind of music. When these words became jargon terms now for Christians during worship services, these terms aren’t at all just these. Although these words can be used interchangeably, there are bits of differences between the two. Praise is an act of giving thanks and proclaiming the goodness of God. This is usually done with joyful a noise, to let others see the greatness of the Lord. On the other hand, worship can be so obvious and can also be not. We can have this inner sense of worship and we can also express it. Nevertheless, it is their purpose that matters. Consider the following Bible verses about praise and worship:
- Psalm 66:4 All the earth worships you and sings praises to you; they sing praises to your name. Selah
- Psalm 86:9-10 All the nations you have made shall come and worship before you, O Lord, and shall glorify your name. For you are great and do wondrous things; you alone are God.
- Psalm 71:8 My mouth is filled with your praise, declaring your splendor all day long.
- Exodus 15:2 The Lord is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him.
- Isaiah 25:1 O Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you; I will praise your name, for you have done wonderful things, plans formed of old, faithful and sure.
- Psalm 100:4-5 Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.
- Psalm 149:1 Praise the Lord! Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise in the assembly of the godly!
- Daniel 4:37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble.
Read more: 50 Bible Verses About Prayer
Worship In Every Season
It is easier to give God praise and worship during our moments of triumph. When everything seems fine and well, we don’t have doubts to come before our King and talk about His goodness. But when our world falls apart and our scars start to throb, worship becomes a challenge. A true worshiper of God worships through highs and lows; through daylight and storms. Many times, authentic worship happens in our darkest and lowest points in life. It’s the time where our faith in God is tested. This is genuine worship, when things around you don’t fall the way you need it to and still, amidst it all, you trust God. It is when you can’t see anything good happening yet you look to God and offer Him your adoration. This is because worship is neither about our circumstance nor our feelings; it is about who God is.
Abraham proved this real worship when he obeyed God, deciding to worship Him despite the fact that it is His son’s life was on the line (Genesis 22:4-5). In return, God didn’t let his son die as an offering. In whatever season, our God remains who He is. There aren’t enough reasons in the world not to worship Him. To remind us of our privilege and purpose of worshiping God despite anything, here are some Bible verses about worship. May these verses encourage us to bless God in any circumstance.
Job 1:20-21 Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. And he said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”
- 1 Timothy 2:8 I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling;
- Psalm 138:2 I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word.
- Psalm 63:1 A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah. O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
- Psalm 46:10 “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”
- Habakkuk 3:17-18Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation.
- Psalm 34:1 Of David, when he changed his behavior before Abimelech, so that he drove him out, and he went away. I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
- Psalm 103:1 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name!
Worship is a very important aspect of Christianity. It gives us the privilege of experiencing the presence of God as we draw near to Him with a heart full of gratitude. Moreover, it is not just a wonderful experience to have this intimate connection with God through worship. It is also our expression of it through spiritual acts of sacrifices that make it even more astounding. How good it is to express our love and thanksgiving to our King. May these Bible verses about worship lead us into genuine worship of the one great God. Let’s honor God with our talents, time, and treasure that we have been given. Remember, it is the heart that God looks at as we worship. Add some of these Bible verses about worship to your memory verses to remind you of its essence.