Heart Of WorshipSample

Worship Freely

Perhaps this idea of raising your hands in worship is foreign to you. It’s not in your 

background. You’re not used to it, and it doesn’t feel natural. You don’t want to feel 

pressured to raise your hands. It’s not you. All of that is understandable, but there is 

more to be said. Deep down, there are times when you want to lift your hands to

God. There are times when you want to raise your hands to God above because this 

is the natural expression of joy and worship in your heart. You feel something, 

something deep in your heart. You feel something inside, and you want to give 

expression to these feelings of joy and praise. You want to give expression with your

voice and with your hands. Your hands want to fly up to heaven, or you want to clap, 

stand, kneel, or dance. You want to express with all you are—heart, voice and body—

what you feel inside, the depths of your praise and joy.

Think of a football game. It’s the championship. It’s a close game, a nail biter. The 

score is tied. The final seconds are ticking off. Your team throws a desperate pass to 

the end zone and scores. They win and the whole place erupts. Hands and arms fly 

up. People shout and holler, clap and roar. This is no polite golf applause. No one is 

sitting on their hands. Of course not! We want to give expression to the feelings of 

our hearts. It’s completely normal and appropriate. It’s the way God made us. When I 

gather in worship with God’s people, there are times when I feel so deeply that I 

must lift my hands to God just as I lift my voice to God. It feels right. It feels good. It 

feels the way God intended it to feel. Don’t feel pressured. Do feel free. Give full voice 

to the praise and joy that you feel in your heart.