Living in Increase (Part 8) - Increase in WorshipSample

Shout to the Lord

If you grew up around contemporary Christian music, as soon as you read the words, “Shout to the Lord,” your mind immediately went to Darlene Zschech singing:

“Shout to the Lord all the Earth, let us sing

Power and majesty, praise to the King

Mountains bow down, and the seas will roar

At the sound of Your name.”

There’s something powerful about shouting. Believe it or not, when it comes to sports, I’m a yeller. I can’t keep myself from shouting. Before I know it, I’m on my feet, and the words are barreling out of my mouth! During the good plays, I shout. After the bad plays, I shout. It’s second nature for me.

I’m used to clapping and shouting for sports teams, but if I’m willing to give that kind of praise to a team and not give that kind of praise to God, something’s wrong.

The word “shout” in Psalm 98:4 translates to “shout, raise a sound, cry out, or give a blast.” It also translates to a “war cry or alarm of battle.” Yes, worship is a way we connect with God, but worship is also warfare, and sometimes, we’ve got to shout. We’ve got to lift our war cry and get ready to battle through our worship.

As we shout to the Lord, we prepare our hearts to worship the Lord and battle the enemy, ultimately silencing the lies of Satan and proclaiming the good news of God!

Emily N. Green

Action Step: In your personal time with God, shout to the Lord! If you don’t know what to say, try saying, “Hallelujah!” or “Thank you, Jesus!”