Sing a new song to the Lord, for he has done wonderful deeds. His right hand has won a mighty victory; his holy arm has shown his saving power! The Lord has announced his victory and has revealed his righteousness to every nation! He has remembered his promise to love and be faithful to Israel. The ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God. Shout to the Lord, all the earth; break out in praise and sing for joy! Sing your praise to the Lord with the harp, with the harp and melodious song, with trumpets and the sound of the ram’s horn. Make a joyful symphony before the Lord, the King! Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise! Let the earth and all living things join in. Let the rivers clap their hands in glee! Let the hills sing out their songs of joy before the Lord, for he is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with justice, and the nations with fairness.
Psalms 98:1-9 NLT
The Lord has done marvelous things (v.1), made His salvation available for the whole world (v.2), and shown loving-kindness to each human—even in rebellion (v.3). The Bible calls for the whole earth to sing for joy—even if you don’t like singing! Every instrument is called to join the song as all creation lifts up the chorus to our King. Worship can be done spontaneously at any time, the more the better. We can also prepare our hearts for worship by taking time to reflect on who God is and what He has done. When we prepare for worship, our hearts can be fully focused on the greatness of our God. Worship isn’t about us, but the Lord. Worship is not once a week, but every day. Worship is more than the songs; it is a heart living in relationship with Jesus, mindful of His Spirit and offering everything (work, time, money, relationships, attitude) for His glory.
Sing a new song to the Lord. If we want to be able to sing with greater passion, we don’t need to work ourselves into an emotional frenzy. We just need to REMEMBER what He has done for us. Memory is a gift that leads to gratitude and praise. We can remember how God has always been faithful in our lives. We can look back and see His love and kindness, giving us so much more than we deserve. We need to remember the cross, His sacrifice, and the resurrection that gives us new life. We can remember how He has saved us again and again from so much sin, selfishness, and stubbornness. From the memory comes a new song we can’t help but singing.
How can you better prepare for worship? What is your plan to remember all the Lord has done for you?
