Sing By Yourself
We spoke yesterday about the importance of singing with others, singing God's praise together as a family. But I love further on in Psalm 149, the Psalmist writes in verse 5: "Let His faithful people rejoice in this honor and sing for joy on their beds." That's a great contrast to the assembly spoken of in verse 1.
Worship In Solitude
We are to be people who sing God's praise in groups, but also who sing God's praise when we're alone — when we're in our beds, when we're in the shower, maybe when we're in our cars. Let's be a singing people, even when we are just by ourselves doing our thing.
Now, it really is a wonderful thing to be a worshipper every day of your life, and not just on a Sunday. It's a wonderful thing to connect with God in song every day. Maybe as part of your quiet time every morning or evening, you want to incorporate a time of song where you put on a worship song — new or old, as we said earlier in the week — and let the words move your heart.
Personal Worship Matters
In fact, here's the truth: If we want to be effective communal worshippers, it will help us greatly to become effective personal worshippers. I really like these words from Rory Noland, who wrote a great book called Worship on Earth as it is in Heaven: "If a church wants to take the next step in improving its worship, it's not always necessary to overhaul the program or find a new worship leader. Instead, I would encourage every member to become individual worshippers.
Can you imagine a church comprised largely of people who worshiped God on their own during the week and then came together on Sunday to worship? Their hearts would be so primed for worship, it wouldn't matter if the music was traditional, contemporary, or whatever. I think he's right. I think if we are people who are primed for worship — because we've been worshipping all day, every day — then it'll be so easy to worship in the assembly.”
Created To Praise
We are definitely called to be worshippers. Have a look at some of these verses: Isaiah 43:6 — God says, "The people I formed for Myself that they may proclaim My praise." Or what about 1 Peter 2:9: "You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of Him."
We were made to be praising God, friends. And so I want to say to you — spend time worshipping by yourself. Listen to worship music in your home or in your car. Try singing without music. Now that sounds frightening, I know, to a lot of you — so maybe do it by yourself — but in your quiet time, just sing one of your favorite songs to God from the heart.
Oh boy, He doesn't mind if you don't hit the notes in tune. He just wants you to express your love for Him in singing. I pray that we'll be a singing people — not just in the assembly, not just in church — but that we'll be people whose hearts are always full of song and worship for God, and that we express it all day. That's who God created us to be.
