Worship is kind of a questionable topic, it comes in forms and expressions that are specific to some and common to others.

Whether you consider yourself a “worshipper” or not, worship is a large part of Christianity. Praising God is said to be how we enter into His presence. Psalm 100:4

By worshipping God, we encounter Him. We search His heart as He searches ours. Intimacy is happening, truth is being revealed and love is spilled out from Him to us, us to Him.

Worship is so expansive, as it’s meant to be.

I was reading in Psalm 134, which consists of just 3 verses, but carries so much weight considering worship:

Behold, bless the Lord, all servants of the Lord,
Who serve by night in the house of the Lord!
Lift up your hands in the sanctuary
And bless the Lord.
May the Lord bless you from Zion,
He who made heaven and earth.

What caught my eye in this passage was the second verse, Lift up your hands in the sanctuary
And bless the Lord.

The psalmist almost seems to command this, yet I feel like this action of worship is less explained but more hopefully understood in today’s church culture.

So I went to the original meaning.

Lift up = nasa’

Nasa’ means to accept, advance, arise, bear, bring forth, cast, contain, desire, ease, exalt, extol, forgive, magnify, obtain, regard and many other things.

When we lift up our hands to the Lord, we are not just lifting body parts, but we are in fact saying,

Lord, I extol you, for you are worthy to be praised.

God, I cast these worries to you, for you are the One who knows me well.

Father, I obtain the gifts of peace and confidence that you have poured out to me through Your Spirit.

I bear this life to advance Yours, let Your daughter/son bring forth the forgiveness that you have for those around me.

And these are all said by the simple action of lifting up our hands. How beautiful God has created worship to be!

Lifting our hands to God has never been just something to do, but it is a full extension of our heart to God. It is heaven on earth. Our being, in complete agreement with Him.

How beautiful worship is meant to be.