Continuing the list of worship tips from the culmination of the Christmas Worship Challenge, this post will help you remember and review action steps from the series. 

11. Rejoice spontaneously.

Take a cue from Mary as she first receives the news of the soon-coming, Holy-Spirit conceived birth of the Messiah. First response, immediate and spontaneous—to exalt and magnify God.

12. Praise specifically.

Take note of specific ways God has worked in your life. Praise Him for particular attributes and works. Praise always takes our eyes off of ourselves and places our attention on God. Exalting God in the midst of our circumstances reminds our wandering souls that He has always been and always will be…faithful with the living grace of His mercy.

13.  Reflect and pray responsively.

When Do I perceive Christ as He is revealed in Scripture, or do I see Him in light of my perceptions and experiences, which are hemmed in my own reasoning and interpretation of what I think I see, what I think I know?

14. Look deeply.

Look up key word definitions. Understanding meaning feeds depth of worship. With the access of great online resources, now looking up original language meanings is as simple as a few clicks on your computer. Here is a link for a free download of e-sword Bible software that makes it easy to look up Strong’s Definitions. A practical worship tool for sure.

 15. Appreciate the beauty of nature: The Revelation of God.

In many ways, natural beauty is a call to worship and pulls forth a God-hungry response in our soul. Appreciating God’s creation nourishes faith and worship. Take delight in God’s beauty revealed all around you. Breathe deep, letting delight spark deep appreciation for the beauty of God. Let all things beautiful open the eyes of your soul to God’s goodness…and worship.

16. Let creating beauty become worship.

We reflect God’s image, and one aspect of that image is the desire to create beauty, demonstrated through things like artistry, craftsmanship, and music. Enjoy creativity and beauty. Pursue it with holiness and excellence. Remember that both the desire and the ability come from God.

17. Give God glory with whole-hearted praise.

Are you ready for this? This one may stretch you out of your comfort zone, but go with me on this. We need to learn to release our tied-up hearts in giving God glory and praise. Ask God to fill you with His Spirit, play some praise music, get your feet moving, and let it rip!

17. Worship is not a duty; it is a gift.

Attitude makes all the difference. Approach worship as a gift. If we truly realize the power and benefit of worship, we’d never stop!

18. Keep it simple.

Sometimes we make things, including worship, too complicated. Don’t be too picky–especially when it comes to personal preferences and styles.

19. Hear and respond.

Resist the temptation to let God’s truth go in one ear and out the other with a brief stop in our heart. Process what you hear; think about it and respond.

20. Make it known…share your story.

Tell your story, how He has broken into your darkness, your problems and failures, with the light of His merciful kindness–this is what the world needs. Tell the story with heart’s astounded and eyes open to the stunning wonder of God–this is the witness the world unknowingly craves.

Tomorrow we will summarize more of the worship tips from December’s posts.