Basics of Faith: What Is Worship, Anyway?

Worship. What is it all about? Why do so many Christians gather every Sunday morning to stand in a big room and sing out loud in unison? Does worship actually do anything?

Let’s find out.

Think back to the last time you felt a sense of awe.

Maybe it was…

• A spectacular sunset that took your breath away.
• Witnessing the birth of your child.
• Hearing a piece of music that moved you deeply.

What did you feel in that moment? And how did you respond?

For many people, awe creates a sense of closeness to God—or at least to something transcendent. That awe usually sparks a response: an acknowledgment of beauty, wonder, or gratitude.

Sometimes that response is simple, like:

• “What a beautiful sunset!”
• “What an incredible piece of music!”

And sometimes it’s directed toward someone:

• “God, thank You for this sunset.”
• “God, thank You for my child.”

That, friends, is worship.

When we worship God, we’re recognizing His awesome qualities and the amazing things He’s done.

We see worship woven throughout the Bible, but nowhere more clearly than in the Psalms. This ancient collection of songs includes many expressions of thanksgiving and praise, such as:

• “LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!” (Psalm 8:1 NIV)

• “The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders … You call forth songs of joy." (Psalm 65:8 NIV)

• “Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music.” (Psalm 98:4 NIV)

On their own, these words may feel distant or hard to relate to.

But put them into the context of awe, and they ring true—recognizing who God is and what He has done.

In the Gospels, the disciples worship Jesus when they encounter His power and presence. One of those moments happens in Matthew 14 when Jesus walks on water.

When the disciples see Him calm the wind and rescue Peter from the waves, their response is immediate: “Truly you are the Son of God.”

Awe leads to worship.

Today, many Christians come together for weekly worship services. It’s a space set aside to remember God’s goodness and respond to Him alongside others.

Why does gathering matter?

1. Life gets busy.
   Finding time to praise God on your own can be hard.

2. Community stirs faith.
   Worshiping with others strengthens us in ways private worship can’t.

3. Singing helps us remember.
   Many worship songs draw directly from the Psalms—carrying on a 3,000-year-old tradition of praising God through music.

But gathered worship isn’t the only place worship happens.

Those moments you experience—a sunset, a birth, a song—can all become opportunities to worship God. Nearly any experience can become worship when we stay mindful of who God is and what He’s done for us.

Here are two simple ways to cultivate that mindfulness.

Communion is a symbolic meal of bread and wine (or grape juice) that helps us remember the sacrifice Jesus made for us on the cross.

When we pause to reflect on that love and obedience, we are worshiping—just as Jesus invited His followers to do at the Last Supper.

Read our communion guide.

A grateful heart naturally leads to worship.

You can practice gratitude by:

• Keeping a daily journal of what you’re thankful for.
• Pausing to thank God the moment you recognize a gift.
• Becoming more generous in response to God’s generosity toward you. (Even tithing is a form of worship.)

Gratitude widens our awareness of God’s presence in everyday life.

Example gratitude prayers.

One of the greatest gifts of worship is how it reorders our lives.

It’s easy to elevate work, school, relationships, or responsibilities above God without realizing it.
Worship pulls everything back into proper perspective.

• God first.
• Everything else follows.

Worship reminds us who God is, who we are, and what matters most.