We Choose Praise: A 3 Day Devotional From Life.Church WorshipSample

Why Do We Gather Together in Community to Offer Praise to God?

Worship is at the heart of God’s desire for us—to come together and celebrate all He has done. The Bible is filled with commands to gather and give thanks for His blessings. Given everything He’s done for us, worship is our way of acknowledging His goodness and expressing our gratitude.

Look at this example in Psalm 95:

Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. … Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care. … Psalm 95:1-2, 6-7 NIV

Our worship is a response to His love and the countless ways He has blessed us. As Psalm 40:9-10 reminds us:

I proclaim your saving acts in the great assembly; I do not seal my lips, Lord, as you know. I do not hide your righteousness in my heart; I speak of your faithfulness and your saving help. I do not conceal your love and your faithfulness from the great assembly.

David’s words underscore that worship is not just a personal experience but a communal one. It is a time for God’s people to come together and openly declare His righteousness, faithfulness, and love. We gather to share these truths because they are too big to keep to ourselves.

When we come together in worship, we’re reminded that our collective identity is rooted in what God has done, not in our own achievements. Worship allows us to be vulnerable and united, showing that we are not alone in this journey. As a worship pastor, I love seeing people come together, hands raised, acknowledging our dependence on Jesus.

Worship also provides an opportunity to pray for and encourage one another. I recall a time when a band member—who had tragically lost her husband—was singing “We Choose Praise.” Despite her grief, she stood with others singing, “In the darkest of nights, in the brightest of days, we choose praise.” She embodied the very words she sang.

Gathering for worship is a glimpse of what’s happening in heaven, where all believers—of every age, race, and background—unite in honoring Jesus. I look forward to the day when we will worship Him face to face, as one body, giving glory to the One who is truly worthy.

If you don’t have a church home, I really encourage you to find one. We aren’t meant to do this life alone. You’re warmly welcome at any Life.Church location or at Life.Church Online.

-Josh Donis, Worship Pastor