Frequently Asked Questions

» Why do we stand to sing?
» Why do we clap our hands?
» Why do we lift our hands?
» Why do we have audible praise to God?
» Why do we sing in tongues and in English?
» Why do we sing contemporary music as well as hymns?
» What is prophecy?
» Why do we prophesy?
» Why do we have speaking in tongues and interpretation of those tongues in a church service?
» Why are musical instruments a part of the worship service?
» Why do we dance before the Lord?

Why do we stand to sing?

• “Then the Levites…stood to praise the LORD, the God of Israel, with a very loud shout.”  2 Chronicles 20:19
  
• ”After this I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white and held palm branches in their hands. And they were shouting with a mighty shout, ‘Salvation comes from our God on the throne and from the Lamb!’” Revelation 7:9-10

Why do we clap our hands?

• “Come, everyone, and clap your hands for joy! Shout to God with joyful praise!” Psalm 47:1

Why do we lift our hands?

• “I will honor you as long as I live, lifting up my hands to you in prayer.” Psalm 63:4
  
• “Lift your hands in holiness, and bless the LORD.” Psalm 134:2
  
• “So wherever you assemble, I want men to pray with holy hands lifted up to God, free from anger and controversy.” 1 Timothy 2:8-9

Why do we have audible praise to God?

• “After this, I heard the sound of a vast crowd in heaven shouting, ‘Hallelujah! Salvation is from our God. Glory and power belong to him alone’…Then I heard again what sounded like the shout of a huge crowd, or the roar of mighty ocean waves, or the crash of loud thunder: ‘Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns.’” Revelation 19:1,6
  
• “Well then, what shall I do? I will do both. I will pray in the spirit, and I will pray in words I understand. I will sing in the spirit, and I will sing in words I understand.” 1 Corinthians 14:15-16

Why do we sing in tongues and in English?

• “For if I pray in tongues, my spirit is praying, but I don't understand what I am saying. Well then, what shall I do? I will do both. I will pray in the spirit, and I will pray in words I understand. I will sing in the spirit, and I will sing in words I understand.” 1 Corinthians 14:14, 15

Why do we have this type of worship?

• “But the time is coming and is already here when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for anyone who will worship him that way. For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.” John 4:23-24
  
• “For we who worship God in the Spirit are the only ones who are truly circumcised. We put no confidence in human effort. Instead, we boast about what Christ Jesus has done for us.” Philippians 3:3

Why do we sing contemporary music as well as hymns?

• “Don't be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, let the Holy Spirit fill and control you. Then you will sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, making music to the Lord in your hearts.” Ephesians 5:18-19
  
• “Let the words of Christ, in all their richness, live in your hearts and make you wise. Use his words to teach and counsel each other. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts.” Colossians 3:16

What is prophecy?

• “…The Sovereign LORD has spoken--I dare not refuse to proclaim his message [prophesy]!” Amos 3:8
  
• “But one who prophesies is helping others grow in the Lord, encouraging and comforting them.”
  1 Corinthians 14:3

Why do we prophesy?

• “Let love be your highest goal, but also desire the special abilities the Spirit gives, especially the gift of prophecy.” 1 Corinthians 14:1
  
• “A spiritual gift is given to each of us as a means of helping the entire church. He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and to another the ability to prophesy…” 1 Corinthians 12:7,10

Why do we have speaking in tongues and interpretation of those tongues in a church service?

• “So, dear brothers and sisters, be eager to prophesy, and don't forbid speaking in tongues.”  1 Corinthians 14:39
  
• “A spiritual gift is given to each of us as a means of helping the entire church…Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages [tongues], and another is given the ability to interpret what is being said.” 1 Corinthians 12:7,10
  
• “I wish you all had the gift of speaking in tongues, but even more I wish you were all able to prophesy. For prophecy is a greater and more useful gift than speaking in tongues, unless someone interprets what you are saying so that the whole church can get some good out of it.” 1 Corinthians 14:5
  
• “No more than two or three should speak in an unknown language [tongues]. They must speak one at a time, and someone must be ready to interpret what they are saying.” 1 Corinthians 14:27

Why are musical instruments a part of the worship service?

• “Praise him with a blast of the trumpet; praise him with the lyre and harp! Praise him with the tambourine and dancing; praise him with stringed instruments and flutes! Praise him with a clash of cymbals; praise him with loud clanging cymbals.” Psalm 150:3-5
  
• “And I heard a sound from heaven like the roaring of a great waterfall or the rolling of mighty thunder. It was like the sound of many harpists playing together.” Revelation 14:2

Why do we dance before the Lord?

• “And David danced before the LORD with all his might, wearing a priestly tunic.” 2 Samuel 6:14
  
• “Praise his name with dancing, accompanied by tambourine and harp.” Psalm 149:3
  
• “A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance.” Ecclesiastes 3:4

All Scripture quotations are from the New Living Translation.