Have you ever experienced the kind of praise that actually shifts the atmosphere?
I’m not talking about a go-through-the-motions praise—a passive kum-ba-yah while sipping a lukewarm coffee. I’m talking about when life is tough, the adversary is doing everything he can to shut you down, and yet—you give God a praise anyway. And when you do, something shifts. You get revitalized, refreshed, and strengthened because God shows up.
And here’s the truth—God wants to release breakthrough in your life. But the key to accessing that breakthrough is praise.
Shouts of praise, exuberant dancing, lifting hands, joyful singing, flag waving… all common characteristics of praise and worship at a charismatic kind of church. For some, it can seem a little too emotional. But is emotional expression in worship really a problem—or could it be part of how God designed us to respond to Him?
To understand the role of emotion in worship, we need biblical clarity.
Here are 3 keys that will help us discern the difference between being led by emotions and using them to glorify God.
We’ve all inherited things from our family line—both good and bad. An AncestryDNA test might tell you where you come from geographically, but it won’t reveal the deeper inheritance: patterns, tendencies, and ways of living passed down through generations.
But here’s the good news: the dysfunctions may not have started with you… but they can end with you. You may not get to choose your family’s past, but through Christ, you can shape your family’s future.
A few years ago, I was leading worship at a church overseas at a service they called “Hunger Night.” It was my first time at this church and I didn’t really know what to expect. Once I started leading worship, however, the hunger for Jesus in the room skyrocketed and we went places in the Spirit that I hadn’t been to that often in corporate worship times. Their hunger put a demand on the anointing in a way that I wasn’t used to. It pulled greatness out of me and called me higher as a worship leader.
I remember one night, scrolling through Instagram, a guy’s post of his song came up. As I watched, I could feel what he was saying. He sang with such conviction and authenticity that it moved me. To be clear, he wasn’t actually worshipping, but he was expressing his heart. And expressing it in true authenticity. I thought—this is exactly what “in truth” is.
In John 4, Jesus said some profound things about worship. Out of all the things that God is looking for (which the Bible doesn’t list a ton of things), He is looking for worshippers. True worshippers. The kind that worship in spirit and in truth. But what does that mean? I don’t know about you, but I want to be the kind of person God is looking for. So let’s look closer at what it means to worship in spirit and in truth.
Every place has a culture. The dictionary defines a culture as “the sum of attitudes, customs, and beliefs that distinguishes one group of people from another.” In other words, a culture is the “norm” for any given group of people. What is acceptable in some places may not be acceptable in others. How do you determine that? Culture. So, what’s the culture of the kingdom of God? Are we carrying the characteristics of kingdom citizens?
Do you remember when you saw the trailer for your favorite movie and couldn’t wait for it to come out? Then on the day of the premiere, people would dress up as their favorite characters and eagerly await the door of the theater to open. I imagine this is how it was when Jesus preached and demonstrated the kingdom. The prepared ones were excited to enter this kingdom Jesus spoke of. Then the day came when the door was opened—through the cross—and people officially entered the kingdom of God! This is the gospel of the kingdom.
There’s a key that makes way to the Kingdom of Heaven—one that many overlook or even resist. Yet, without it, you remain at the threshold, unable to step into the fullness of God’s reign. To reject it is to reject His will, but to embrace it is to pass from oppression to liberty, from darkness to light. This is the turning point. Everything changes here.
All across America, the 4th of July is a celebration of freedom. But long before our nation declared independence, God declared liberty through the Year of Jubilee—a sacred time when servants were released, land was returned and what was lost in hard times was restored by God’s design.
Yet, there’s no biblical record of Israel ever celebrating it.
Why?
Because freedom costs. And ultimately, only One could fully pay the price: Jesus Christ, our true Jubilee.