How many different types of worship
are there toward God?

Q. How many different types of worship toward God are there (e.g. music, prayer, singing, etc.)?

(Submitted by: Kirk)

A. The first consideration of worship toward God is our attitude. Jesus told the woman at the well as recorded in John 4:24 :

"God is spirit and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth." (NKJV translation throughout).

We also must realize that we are "commanded" to worship God. Many scriptures verify this: Genesis 35:1, Exodus 15:1, 1Chronicles 16:29, Haggai 1:8, Mark 1:44 among several others.

I found seven types of worship in scripture. They are:

1. Praise and Thanksgiving by grateful declaration, public or private. This includes prayer. One example of this is Hebrews 13:15 :

   "Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name."

   Another example is John Chapter 17 where Jesus prays for Himself, His disciples and for all sinners.

2. Joyful songs. Psalm 100:1-2 is an example

   "Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands! Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before before His presence with singing."

   Ephesians 5:19-20 exhorts us to:

   " . . . speak to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."

   See also Colossians 3:16.

3. Dancing. Look at David's example when he rejoiced over the Ark of the Covenant. It's in 1Samuel 6:14 :

   "Then David danced before the Lord with all his might: "

   Also see 1Chronicles 15:25-29

4. Observing the Lord's Supper.

   "For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till He comes." (1Corinthians 11:26)

5. Cheerful giving of money.

   "So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver." (2Corinthians 9:7)

6. Giving of one's time through the administering of spiritual gifts so that the Body of Christ may be edified. 1Corinthians 12:1-14:34 along with Ephesians 4:7-16 are inspired scriptures from the mind and heart of the apostle Paul on the immense importance of spiritual gifts and how they serve to strengthen to Body of Christ:

   " . . . till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; " (Ephesians 4:13)

   These scriptures are a treasure house of spiritual wealth and offer many profitable hours of Bible study.

7. Making our bodies a living sacrifice. Let's look at Romans 12 :1-2

   "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. . And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. "

May God richly bless you as you worship Him in "spirit and in truth" as you sing, pray, dance, observe the Lord's Supper, as you cheerfully give of your money and your spiritual gifts and as you "present your body a living sacrifice" to do what is right in His sight for as long as you live.