“Why do we sing songs at church?”
“Why do I have to stand up to sing at church?”
“Why is singing time at church not a good time to chat with my friends?”
The whole of our lives becomes an act of worship when we offer it as “a living sacrifice” (Romans 12:1). Singing songs at church is certainly an act of worship. But what does it mean to worship God beyond that? What else can we do to worship God outside of singing on Sundays?
What is worship?
When we worship, we acknowledge God’s attributes--who he is, what he has done, and faith in what he will do. We worship God every day by our words, thoughts, and actions.
Why do we worship God?
We worship God because we love him. We could worship God just because of all the stuff he’s done for us. And that’s a good reason to worship him, but that’s not the real reason. We worship God because he is the one, true God. He’s the creator of the whole world and he deserves honor and praise.
How do we worship God?
We worship God with our whole lives. Some of the ways we worship are:
• telling God you love him
• loving the other people who God loves (that includes everybody)
• praying to God
• singing songs about God
• learning about God
• believing in God and talking about him
Some practical acts of worship you could do with your child:
• As you’re outside together, make a point to marvel at God’s designs in nature: leaves, tree bark, ants, rain, flowers,
• Read Scripture aloud together. Psalm 100 or Psalm 23 are good places to start. (We use the NIrV Bible in Kids Ministry—it’s written at a 3rd grade level.)
• Memorize Scripture. We have a memory verse every month in Kids Ministry. Practice it with your child, then you’ll both memorize them!
• Sing praise songs when you’re at home and when you’re out and about. Let praise songs be the soundtrack of your lives.
• Love Others - Reach out to your friends, family, and neighbors. Think of ways your child could demonstrate love to them with a phone call, a word of appreciation, a hug, a card, or through doing a kind deed.
Worshiping God with your child is a joy-filled experience that you can share for the whole of your lives.
