OUR STYLE OF WORSHIP
Why do we lift our hands?
"Thus will I bless thee while I live; I will lift up my hands in Thy Name." (Ps. 63:4); "Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the Lord." (Ps. 134:2); "I will therefore that men pray everywhere lifting up holy hands without wrath and doubting." (I Tim. 2:8)
Why do we stand to sing?
"And the Levites…stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel with a loud voice on high." (2 Chr. 20:19); "After this I beheld, and lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; and cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb." (Rev. 7:9-10)
Why do we clap our hands?
"O clap your hands all ye people; shout unto God with a voice of triumph." (Ps. 47:1) Why do we sing in tongues and in English? "For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful. What is it then? I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with the understanding also; I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also." (I Cor. 14:14-15)
Why do we dance before the Lord?
"Praise ye the Lord, sing unto the Lord a new song, and His praise in the congregation of the saints. Let Israel rejoice in Him; let the children of Zion be joyful in the King. Let them praise His Name in the dance. Let them sing praise unto Him with the timbrel and harp." (Ps. 149:1-3)
Why do we Pray with the Laying on of hands and anointing with oil?
"They shall lay their hands on the sick, and they shall recover." (Mark 16:18); "Is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up…" (James 5:14-15)
Why are musical instruments a part of the worship service?
"Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet: praise Him with the psaltery and harp. Praise Him with the timbrel and dance. Praise Him upon the high sounding cymbals." (Ps. 150:3-5); "And I heard a voice from heaven as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of great thunder; and I heard the voice of the harpers harping with their harps." (Rev. 14:2)
Why does the whole church pray altogether for specific needs?
" And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, Thou art God which hast made heaven and earth…" (Acts 4:24)
Why do we prophesy?
"Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy...But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort." (I Cor.14:1, 3)
Why do we receive tithes and offerings?
"Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven, and pour out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it." (Mal. 3:10); "Give, and it shall be given unto you: good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again." (Luke 6:38)