1

An interpretation of the
Ministry of Praise and Worship

As a leader of worship and a psalmist, I give presentations on the subject of

praise and worship. It is my view that in the Anglican Church we have always
done praise and worship while not calling it by that name. We have been
blessed with many hymns that inspire us to adore, revere, bless and worship the
Lord; “When Morning Gilds the Skies, my heart awakening cries, may Jesus
Christ be praised” is one of many that describe praise in worship and worship in
praise. To this end we begin by examining each word to ascertain what each
means and then apply it to practical use:

When you or I “praise” we:

Acclaim
Adore
Applaud by shouting
Adulate
Boast
Brag
Celebrate
Esteem
Hail
Honour
Revere
Worship

When you or I “worship” we:

Admire
Bless
Cherish
Honour
Love
Praise
Revere
Venerate

From the list it is easy to see that one can “praise God in worship; and worship
God in praise”. It is therefore helpful to have an understanding and share what
our forefathers of the Bible knew about praise and worship; applying the practice
to everyday life, in other words, living a lifestyle of “praise and worship”.

The Scriptures of the Old & New Testament and psalms are excellent
expressions of praise and worship and can be divided into two groups: [a]
descriptive and [b] declarative. “Declarative praise” places the emphasis on what
 3

GOD has done, they speak about His glory and majesty, and they are full of
thanksgiving. Examples of this type of praise are found in Psalm 24: 7, 9-10 and
1 Chronicles 29:11-13. “Descriptive praise” focuses on the person, attributes,
and essence of a GOD and, who HE is. Examples of this would be Psalm 50
[psalm of Asaph], Psalm 145 and Exodus 3:14.

A lifestyle of praise and/or worship should glorify GOD with vocal expressions;
such as the sharing of a testimony, the sharing of the events of the day, when
you felt God move and act on your behalf. The whole exercise is three tiered or
a tripod:

[i] Thanksgiving - the whisper of prayer to God in thanks

[ii] Praise - the telling about God’s goodness to others; and

[iii] Worship - to bow down, reverence, an attitude of the body, mind and spirit

The Hebrew has seven words each one depicting a different form of praise and
worship. [Some writers on the subject refer to these seven words as levels or
stages]. Each one is distinctive and yet complimentary of each other.

Level One or the First Word is HALEL which in transliteration becomes

“Hallelujah”, it means in simple terms ‘praise the Lord”. It can be and is often
spelt “alleluia”. It is defined as being boastful and excited [the way one does at a
rally or sports event], lifting of the hands and shouts of joy and bliss.

Level two Barak simply means, " to bless". Throughout the Old Testament this
word is continually used. Thoughts on the word 'bless' bring to mind all that God
through his son Jesus Christ has done for us; past and present. However, have
we stopped to wonder how we may bless God? David in psalm 103: 1-2 tells us
how, when he says: 'bless the Lord, o my soul; and all that is within me, bless his
holy name....”. [some bible translations use the word praise.] David continues
on, by recalling and distinguishing all that God has done. Barak praise can be
used as a pattern or mode of prayer, as the word suggests kneeling and blessing
God in worship or devotion. The song "Father, we love you, we praise you, we
adore you” is an _expression of Barak praise. Other psalms that express Barak
praise are ps.113 and Ps. 104. The Anglican Church leans towards this kind of
praise and worship. Think about our Eucharist service and evening prayer.

So far, the levels or words for praise are those used mainly in an oratory fashion.
The third level or word however, deals with 'music'. In the Hebrew language
there are several musical verbs, but the one that is predominant throughout the
book of psalms is called Zamar. It demonstrates music in praise to God and
advocates that praise and music can be interchangeable. In the Old Testament
music has been the main _expression of praise used by the Hebrews. The
popular praise & worship chorus: "let everything that has breath praise the Lord"
 4

is psalm 150 set to music. Other psalms are 92:1-3 and 81:1-2. A combination
of Barak and Zamar praise can be found in psalms 98, 95 134 and 145.

The fourth level or word is Shabach and is illustrated in Psalm 117:1; O praise
the Lord, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people.' The word used here, means to
speak highly of, to address in a loud tone, to command triumph, and glory.. This
category of praise is also pictured in Psalm 63:4.

Number five is Yadah and it means to publicly acknowledge God. Psalm 138:1
best describes this word. Again as with Halel, the hands are raised in worship,
our Mass lends itself to this expression. 2 Chronicles 20:19-21 also
demonstrates this.

Number six related to Yadah is Towdah and translated also means

“thanksgiving” and involves the raising of hands in adoration. However, it
suggests an attitude of sacrificial praise. In other words, we give thanks and
praise before we receive from the Lord, or are delivered out of a situation. We
rejoice and thank God for his promises. Read Psalm 50, 2 Chronicles 7:1-6 and
Psalm 107:22 are examples.

Finally, Tehillah is the seventh and final level and relates to singing; actually it
means singing our halals. Tehillah is portrayed in Psalm 22:3, which tells us that
God, dwells in the praises of his people. It is also depicted in 2 chronicles 20:22,
but refers to a special kind of singing that is unrehearsed, unprepared and which
today is referred to as "being led by the spirit". This exhibition of praise brings
unity into the congregation and allows God to move in miraculous ways.
Tehillah praise can be found in psalms 34:1, 40:3, and 66:2

Thanksgiving, praise and worship are comparable to the three corners of the
tabernacle of Moses:-

[i] outer portion represents thanksgiving; Psalm 100:4 “ Enter His gates with
Thanksgiving....”

[ii] the Holy place represents praise and the Holy of Holies represents worship.
In the outer court we unlock the door to the throne room of heaven; at this
juncture we are recounting what God has done for us; it involves, clapping of
hands and a joyful _expression of our thanks and adoration.

[iii] Next we move to the ‘holy place’ and get even closer to the throne room
continually praising; ending with worship in the ‘holy of holies’. All of this is an
act of the will, it cannot be taught!!!!!. You must have a personal love relationship
with Christ.
 5

The benefits of praise and worship are as follows:

a. Increases faith;

b. Brings about healing of the body, mind and spirit;

c. Brings understanding and clarity to things of the Holy Spirit;

d. Brings God to us [Psalm 22:3 “But thou art Holy, O thou that inhabitest the
praise of Israel [KJV]; Yet thou art Holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel; [New
Oxford Annotated]; Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the praise of
Israel [NIV].

e. Enhances the Eucharist or Evening service.

As Christians our lifestyle should be one of praise and worship at all levels. This
is the best form of witness and testimony when encouraging others to come to
Christ. Following are a few resources, which you can study.

Resources Books:
By Terry Law
Praise releases Faith
The Power of Praise & Worship
How to Enter the Presence of God

Let Us Praise by Judson Cornwall

Praise Devotional by Ruth Myers

List of Scriptures on Praise in the Old & New Testaments for individuals:

Gen. 14:20 - the praise of Melchizedek

Exodus 15:1-19 - the song of Moses

Leviticus 19:24 - “the fruit...... shall be holy to praise the Lord .....

Deuteronomy 10:21

Joshua 6:20 - Jericho’s walls

Judges 5:2-3 - the praise of Deborah and Barak

Ruth 4:14
 6

1 Sam. 2:1-2 - Hannah

11 Sam. 22:4 - David when delivered out of Saul’s hand

I Kings 8:15 - Solomon’s praise at the dedication of the temple

11 Kings 3:15-16 - the minstrel

Matthew 26:30 - at the time of Jesus passion

Mark 11:8-10 - Palm Sunday

Luke 1: 46-55 - Magnificat

Act 16:25 - Paul & Silas

Romans 15:11

1 Corinthians 14:15

Ephesians 1:12

Philippians 4:20

1 Thessalonians 5:16

11 Thessalonians 1:3

Philemon 4

James 5:13

Jude 24:25

Revelation 19:5

List of Scriptures on Praise in the Old & New Testaments for the congregation:

Psalm 22:22; 25

Psalm 111:1

Psalm 149:1
 7
1 Chronicles 29:20

11 Chronicles 29:28

1 Peter 2:9

WORSHIP

MINISTRY

GUIDELINES
 8

Many years ago I was asked to do a presentation on the ministry of praise in

preparation for a renewal weekend in my parish. To this end, I put together a guideline
for worship leaders to use particularly in the liturgical churches.

First you must recognise that praise and worship is a ministry and it should be as
natural as breathing. It begins the moment we thank God for all of his goodness. Psalm
34:1-3 gives us an example of praise, note what the psalmist says: - "I will bless the
Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth". My soul shall make her
boast in the Lord; the humble shall hear thereof and be glad". The psalmist then invites
"magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together."

It is a deliberate act to give God thanks and praise whatever the circumstances. This
takes place when in times of despair, you can still say like the psalmist in Psalm 56:3-4:-
"What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. In God I will praise his word, in God I have put
my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me." As a worship leader you should
develop a 'praise attitude’, which saturates the environment of which you are a part.

It should be noted here that the priest, minister, etc. should take an active part in praise
and worship. II Chron. 5:11-14 tells us the role of the priests, musicians and singers
joined inunisonhe congregation.

Following is a guide that I use when I’m going to do presentations on worship and in
particular worship leaders. I share it with you in the hope that it will help you in your
ministry.

Preparation

1. The prayer life of the individual must be continual. One must determine to pray
regularly. Consistent bible study is vital and should be a part of the individual’s spiritual
growth as it relates to worship.

2. Thanksgiving should be offered up from the moment you awake in the morning.

3. One should be fasted! This means that your life is fasted and filled with prayer. Do
not confuse fasted with fasting! Our life is fasted when we eat more spiritual food rather
than food that satisfies only the flesh. On occasion you may fast without knowing it, in
other words, God himself will impose a fast on you. It has nothing to do with you or any
of your expressed desires; God in his wisdom may wish to use you in a situation and
you will need to be empty so that the Holy Spirit can fill you with a word of knowledge,
wisdom, and understanding. This is what Christ meant in St. Matthew's gospel, chap.
17:15-21 "this kind comes not out, but by prayer and fasting" (paraphrased). He did not
mean that the disciples should fast before they minister to anyone. Common sense
indicates that it would be next to impossible to do. What is meant is that you are
disciplined and discerning.
 9

Leading the Congregation in Worship

We were created to praise and worship God. The Hebrew style of praise and worship
has been exhibited in the charismatic and Pentecostal churches since the early 1900's.
In the Anglican and Roman Catholic churches it started in the late 1960's. It should be
noted carefully, what it is we are doing, why we are doing it and to whom the glory
belongs.

"Praise, the password to blessing" by Don Gossett states that we should always have
an attitude of gratitude. Paramount to our praise is thanksgiving; for out of our thanks to
God for his blessings comes the praise. Note Psalm 103:2 and Colossians 3:15, each
reminds us to be thankful.

The congregation should be lead in praise and worship in a manner as described below:

1. Begin with songs of thanksgiving and praise such as:

We bring the Sacrifice of Praise

This is the day
God is so good
Praise the Lord
Through All the Changing Scenes of Life, etc.

It is my position that there is no reason that traditional hymns or hymns from the various
hymnals cannot be used. They should be used together with the more modern and
contemporary songs.

2. Continue with high praise with such songs as:

Praise to the Lord the Almighty

Blessed be the Name of the Lord
All Hail the Power of Jesus Name
I Love To Praise His Name, etc.

3. We are now ready to worship the Lord with songs of adoration and reverence such
as:

Holy, Holy, Holy,

O Worship the King
 10

O the Glory
Majesty
We Exalt Thee
I Love you, Lord
Commune with me, etc.

Now that the congregation has entered the "holy of holies", the demeanour changes; we
are now in the presence of the Almighty, He knows we are there. There should be an
atmosphere of "stillness and holy quietness" while we adore Him. [Remember to rely
upon the orchestration of the Holy Spirit.]

Once we have entered the holy place, we do not go backwards [in other words, you do
not go back to songs of thanksgiving and praise] but you commune with the Father.
Note carefully, the three stages: [i] enter the gates with thanksgiving, [ii] enter the courts
with praise; and finally worship, which means to do one of these things: honour, revere,
venerate, adore, glorify and pay homage to.

What Praise & Worship is Not

A. Entertainment - It is not to be used to fill a gap, kill time or simply enjoy.

B. Sing-a-long - not simply singing for fun. The definition of sing means several things,
and none of them refer to praise or worship; to sing is to: a. intone; b. vocalize; c. carol;
d. chant; c. croon, etc.

C. It is not a tool to be used to draw attention to one's self.

D. It is not a performance - showmanship has no place in the ministry of music in the

church and especially not praise and worship.

E. It is not just for the worship leader or the praise team. Remember, the Praise &
Worship team is responsible for leading the congregation only; it is not intended to
entertain as in a concert. It is not the time to sing new and unfamiliar songs, which the
congregation cannot relate to or participate in. Worship Leaders [and the praise team]
should be sensitive to the congregation and allow them to participate fully by using the
songs and hymns that are known, unless of course, the Holy Spirit says otherwise.

Proper melodies of contemporary songs and traditional hymns will ensure that their is
no over use of hymns or songs. Finally, the music or psalmist ministry is vital to the well
being of the church as an effective instrument to minister to God and His people. Those
who are worship leaders and those who aspire to be, should on a consistent basis study
God’s word and where possible attend seminars and/or workshops. Foremost to study
 11

is the actual calling to this ministry. One should be sure that they are called to music
ministry in the church and, more particular that of worship leader.

If your church does not yet have the ministry of praise and worship and would like to
start, I encourage you to begin as follows: form committee that consists of the following:
Clergy [Priest and Assistant]; Musicians [Organist, pianists, etc.]; Singers [Choir Leader,
Worship Leader]; Congregation [Represented by People’s warden or Vestry Member].
The committee should ensure that all areas of the service are fully expressed.

We are in a new millennium and the time has come to acknowledge that changes and
attitudes towards worship in the church must be addressed. Those who are waiting for
this moment be encouraged.

R. Cecilia Askew
Copyright@2005
Revised: May 2006

****************************************************************************************************
For a little more than three decades the author Mrs. R Cecilia Askew, worked in the
financial and investment services industry. She received training in Office
Administration and remains a member of the Institute of Commercial Management of
the United Kingdom.

After receiving a call from the Lord, she pursued Pastoral Counselling and religious
training and currently holds a Certificate of Higher Education in Christian Studies from
Oxford Brookes University, Oxford. Her studies in Pastoral Counselling and Lay
Chaplaincy continue with the Wayne Oates Institute accredited by the Association of
Professional Chaplains. Currently she is pursuing a course of study in Teaching and
Child Care.

She is a trained Pastoral Counsellor, Caregiver and, Lay Chaplain. She is a member of
the International Order of St. Luke [Healing Ministry], Associate Member of the College
of Health Care Chaplains [UK], a Certificated Pastoral Care member of the Association
of Christian Counsellors [UK] and International Association of Christian Chaplains in
USA.

She serves the Anglican Diocese of The Bahamas as the Pastoral Care Ministries
Coordinator, one of the Directors of the Alpha Programme and member of the Diocesan
Health Care Ministry Council. However, first and foremost she is a “child of the KING
and servant of the Lord through whom and in whom she has her being.
12