Favorite Worship Songs; But Why?

What are your favorite songs for worshipping God? It is interesting that we identify singing songs with worship? In the Bible, songs were primarily for teaching truth about God, His mighty deeds, and His promises. The second song in the Bible is found in Exodus 15 right after Pharaoh’s army was destroyed by God in the Red Sea crossing. Miriam wrote a song to teach the nation of Israel of God’s miraculous deliverance. (The first song in the Bible was written by a one of Cain’s descendants, Lamech, bragging about how mean he was.)

Music helps you remember words and events. You probably learned the alphabet by singing it. Some learned the books of the Bible with a simple song. Scripture can be memorized easiest by singing the verses in a song. There are many cultures in the world that have not had their language reduced to writing that have preserved their history in songs. Songs teach. That is their primary purpose.

So why do we sing in our worship services? Good question. What are the best songs to sing in our worship services? Divisive question. We all have favorite songs, but how did they become our favorite songs? And if songs are not primarily for worship, what is?

The Bible teaches that the main characteristic of worship is sacrifice (Genesis – Deuteronomy), but not just sacrifice, but a particular kind of sacrifice. The acceptable sacrifice for God, the one that has a “pleasing aroma” (Leviticus 1:9, 13, 17), is the sacrifice with faith, with humility, with obedience, with brokenness. God sees His Son in that kind of sacrifice and it pleases Him.

We worship God by offering ourselves to God as a living sacrifice with faith, with humility, with obedience, with brokenness. As God accepts our offering, we experience joy, His joy! God does not want a song of praise, He desires your song of praise, with faith, with humility, with obedience, with brokenness! Without you in that condition, its just words to God (1 Samuel 15).

One of the reasons a particular song becomes a favorite is because in your past, when you sung it with faith, humility, obedience, brokenness, God added His joy to it and you identified it with worshipping Him because you both enjoyed it together. But understand this; it was not the song that God enjoyed, it was you and the condition of your heart (with faith, humility, obedience, brokenness) when you sung it to Him.

Try this:

·         Identify some of your favorite songs and when they became favorites and see if at that time your heart was in that condition.

·         Identify in your favorites the truth you learned about God, His mighty deeds, His promises and how those truths led you, and continue to lead you, to grow in your faith, humble you, encourage obedience, or convict you to brokenness.

·         As you hear and learn new songs addressing God or songs about Him, humble yourself before Him, learn what the song is teaching about God, and be sensitive to the Holy Spirit as He convicts you of sin and go with Him to the place of brokenness, the cross. It won’t matter if it is an old song, new song, fast song, slow song, with or without certain instruments. All that matters is that it is your sacrifice with faith, humility, obedience, and brokenness as the main beat and melody. These are God’s favorites.