WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT WORSHIP 

Worship is singing:

"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord." (Col 3:16)  "Praise the Lord! Sing to the Lord a new song, and His praise in the assembly of saints." (Psalm 149:1)  "All the earth shall worship You and sing praises to You; They shall sing praises to Your name." (Psalm 66:4) 

>  Further Study: Eph 5:18-19; Rom 15:9; Psalm 96:1-2

Worship is playing musical instruments:

"Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet; Praise Him with the lute and harp! Praise Him with the timbrel and dance; Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes! Praise Him with loud cymbals; Praise Him with clashing cymbals!" (Psalm 150:3-5)

>  Further Study: Psalm 33:2

Worship is kneeling and bowing:

Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker! (Psalm 95:6) And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, and all the people answered, “Amen, Amen,” lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground. (Nehemiah 8:6) 

>  Further Study: Eph 3:14-15

Worship is clapping and shouting:

"Oh, clap your hands, all you peoples!  Shout to God with the voice of triumph." (Psalm 47:1)

Worship is standing:

"Behold, bless the Lord, All you servants of the Lord, Who by night stand in the house of the Lord!  Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, And bless the Lord." (Psalm 134-1-2)

Worship is lifting your hands:

"Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, My lips shall praise You. Thus I will bless You while I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name." (Psalm 63:3-4)

>  Further Study: Psalm 88:9; 141:2; 143:6

Worship is expressing words of praise and thanksgiving to the Lord:

"But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light" (1 Peter 2:9) "Make a joyful shout to God, all the earth!  Sing out the honor of His name; Make His praise glorious." (Psalm 66:1-2)

>  Further Study: Psalm 22:22; 98:4; 111:1

Worship is singing spontaneous, improvised songs:

"..be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord." (Ephesians 5:18-19)  

Spiritual songs are those spontaneous expressions under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. This is a tradition from Biblical times that continued with the early church fathers including Francis of Assisi and Thomas Aquinas. Saint Jerome, translator of the Latin Bible, described spiritual songs as neither "words nor syllables nor letters nor speech."

>  Further Study: Col: 3:16