Last week, I blogged and examined the role of gratitude in the workplace through the lens of Daniel 6. Today, I turn to the role of gratitude in worship and we wrestle with how gratitude should be driving our acts of praise and worship. Psalm 100 will guide us as we explore three key practices for cultivating gratitude in worship and as worship.
The intentional practice of thanksgiving in worship also becomes the foundation for our worship, helping us stay connected to God, in community with each other, and to be rooted into contentment with the life we are given – even if it is not the life we think we want. Psalm 100 highlights gratitude as a foundational attitude in worship, urging us to approach our worship of God with thanksgiving and praise for the steadfast love and enduring faithfulness God gives us. This psalm, Psalm 100, reminds me that a life lived well is not a cerebral act alone nor a practice of routine that is devoid of joy but gratitude driven worship is instead rooted in the active recognition of God’s goodness at play in the world around us and in our lives.
It is the intentional practice of gratitude that has the power to shift my focus from the noise and chaos of the world to the eternal stability of God’s character and presence and helps me to lead a quiet life (1 Thessalonians 4:11).
Overview of Psalm 100
Psalm 100 is a short Psalm—something like 79 words in the New International Version, just under 80 words. Small, yet, it’s powerful, filled with challenge and invitation, reflection and meaning. It is a Psalm that is meant to be engaged with both individually and communally. The language orients this Psalm toward communal practice. Listen to the words: “He…made us,” “we are his,” “we are his people.” There’s an invitation here for a diverse gathering, calling “all the earth” into worship. It invites us to reflect on the timeless nature of God’s goodness and celebrate God’s faithfulness across all generations—past, present, and future. It is a liturgical call to worship and gratitude. It was a liturgy used to urge all people to praise God as their Creator and Shepherd with acts of thanksgiving. This exodus collection Psalm emphasizes entering God’s presence and our places of worship with thanksgiving, recognizing God’s steadfast love and faithfulness that endure forever. The liturgy is full of life, invites worshippers into a life of joyful humility, rooted in gratitude, and responding in an external act of bold and outgoing thanksgiving, for God’s unchanging goodness. Psalm 100 begs us to shift our focus toward thanksgiving rather than getting, it is about anchoring ourselves in an awareness of God, appreciation for one another, and contentment in the lives we are living.
How Psalm 100 Was Used in Worship
Psalm 100 was traditionally used as an “entrance liturgy” in ancient Israelite worship, marking the worshippers’ movement into the temple. You prepared yourself at home, readying yourself with gratitude to sing this psalm, and then as you entered the temple, you engaged Psalm 100 with the contagious aspects of thanksgiving, singing in the community with the other gathered worshippers. It was a psalm that likely accompanied the physical act of stepping through the gates into the sanctuary, setting a tone of gratitude and joy. Recited or sung, this psalm prepared individuals and communities to approach God with thanksgiving, aligning their hearts with the communal purpose of worship. Its liturgical nature extended beyond temple practices, becoming a part of family and individual worship routines. Later, during periods of exile and the destruction of the Temple, Psalm 100 evolved into a symbol of hope and continuity for personal liturgy, an invitation standing the test of time to call faithful to overflow with thanksgiving for God’s steadfast love and faithfulness across generations. Even today, its timeless call to thanksgiving serves as both personal preparation for worship and a communal expression of joy and praise in Jewish and Christian contexts.
This psalm is part of what is often called the “Exodus Collection” because it reflects on the time of Moses, when God’s people wandered like sheep and were ultimately gathered through God’s faithfulness. It honors the way looking back at God’s provision helps us to see God’s presence in the here-and-now and empowers them to then put their trust in God for the future. Every time the people worshiped, they were reminded of God’s faithfulness. They could wake up and see the blessings of shelter and provision—blessings that a generation before, wandering in the wilderness, could not imagine. Once lost, they had been found. They had moved from captivity to pilgrims in the wilderness and finally to a home with a place of worship. Gratitude for the past was woven into their present, reminding them that God’s love and faithfulness extend to all generations. In our familiarity of blessing, we so often miss all that we have to be thankful for. There is beauty and blessing all around.
The Actionable Components of Psalm 100
The worship of Psalm 100 is a dynamic, gate-bursting entrance of overflowing thanksgiving, characterized by bold and public praise. Nothing about this worship is passive, boring, reserved, or overly dignified. Psalm 100 is packed with active verbs that guide worshippers toward vibrant, heartfelt engagement with God. It begins with the call to “shout for joy,” an exuberant expression of gratitude, followed by commands to “serve the Lord with gladness” and “come before him with joyful songs,” underscoring worship’s intentionality and celebration. Worshippers are then invited to “enter his gates with thanksgiving” and “his courts with praise,” culminating in acts of “giving thanks” and “praising his name,” all of which highlight worship as an active, participatory response to God’s enduring goodness and love.
When I read this Psalm, I think of Larry Norman, sometimes called the father of Christian rock-and-roll. In his song Why Should the Devil Have All the Good Music, he sings, “I ain’t knocking the hymns / Just give me a song that has a beat / I don’t like none of those funeral marches / I ain’t dead yet!” The worship in Psalm 100 is far from a funeral march. While it may not be rock-and-roll, it sits between the nostalgic hymns we grew up with and the over-compressed radio worship songs of today. This psalm portrays grateful worship as deeply active—both inwardly and outwardly—and as a personal and communal experience.
At the heart of Psalm 100 is the theme of gratitude. Joy and gladness flow from thanksgiving as worshippers come prepared, carrying personal gratitude into the gathered community. Our communal worship becomes richer as it reflects the individual thankfulness each of us brings. The psalm reminds us that individual awareness of God’s love and faithfulness fuels the gratitude we express together. It’s a picture of worship that begins at home and overflows in community, driven by the constant recognition of God’s enduring goodness.
Worship as an Inclusive Expression of Gratitude
Worship is more than songs and rituals; it is a profound expression of gratitude that connects us to God and each other. It needs to be true in our obedience, and our songs of praise. Psalm 100, a timeless liturgy of thanksgiving, reminds us that worship begins with a heart anchored in gratitude. This gratitude doesn’t depend on our circumstances but on the steadfast love and faithfulness of God. It is something that we express with all of the members of our body.
Gratitude in worship helps us see reality differently. It allows us to reflect on past seasons of life with peace, recognizing God’s presence and guidance. It aligns us with God’s greater purpose and gives us strength for the present. Worship rooted in gratitude provides joy and contentment, even when life doesn’t meet our expectations.
Author Pastor John Ortberg has said, “I need to worship because without it I lose a sense of wonder and gratitude and plod through life with blinders on.” I agree with him – that is the kind of worship Psalm 100 calls for, the re-introduction of wonder and gratitude to our lives. Worship has been a big part of my journey with Jesus since coming back to the church in my twenties. I would add something to the words of John Ortberg, that is this – we don’t only worship to find gratitude, we find gratitude and overflow with it in worship. In doing so, I think we experience more of God’s presence, favor, and we are increasingly grateful.
Throughout the early uses of this psalm, its evolving interpretations, and its eventual adoption by followers of Jesus, we may overlook, as Gentiles—those from non-Jewish backgrounds—just how radical its inclusion of all people once was. This psalm boldly calls for those outside of Jewish beliefs to worship and unite, extending an invitation to all peoples of the earth to taste and see that the Lord is good. Psalm 100 reminds us that our worship spaces must be full of diversity and welcome to those from all walks of life.
Movement in Psalm 100
Psalm 100 is filled with seven action-oriented calls to worship, organized into two sets of three actions, separated by an one internal act of embodying worship.
The psalm first calls us to three bold and public actions – shout, worship, and come—all external actions expressed through gratitude, joy, gladness, and song. “Shout” involves raising a cry or sounding a blast, perhaps even with a horn. “Worship” conveys active service and devotion, engaging the whole self. “Come” implies entering, returning, or moving toward God in a posture of celebration. These actions stem from an a grateful understanding of having reflecting on all you have to be thankful for, knowing that the Lord is good.
This recognition leads to the internal act of knowing—the action that splits these two sets of actionable triads. The word know implies perceiving, acknowledging, and embodying God’s presence in worship. It is about perceiving with all of your senses that God’s presence is around you in the beauty of the world, in the blessings you have experienced, and in the hardships.
The second triad of actions calls us to enter, give, and praise—again, all external expressions rooted in bold and public thanksgiving. We enter God’s gates with gratitude and the courts with praise, directing our celebration by uplifting God’s name through gratitude. To “enter” repeats the idea of approaching God, while “give” signifies offering a sacred shout or formula of adoration – which is gratitude. “Praise” involves confession, acknowledgment, and thanksgiving, often accompanied by physical gestures of worship. We are coming, lifting up in gratitude, and reminding ourselves of all we have to be thankful for in worship.
In this movement of Psalm 100, we are invited to experience the triad of God’s goodness, love, and faithfulness—realities that meet our needs physically, emotionally, and spiritually, generation after generation. Psalm 100 reminds us that God is unchanging and ever-sustaining, and our response—both individually and communally—is active thanksgiving. It seems the more bold and public we become, the more we also will know.
A church community overflowing with this kind of bold and public worship—grounded in thankfulness—will find itself anchored in God’s peace, joy, and strength, living a life marked by contentment and constant reflection on God’s faithfulness.
Three Practices of Gratitude Driven Worship
One of the influential leaders in my life, John Wimber, has written, “Becoming true worshippers is the chief assignment God has given us in this lifetime.” I love that line. Think about it. We are learning to be witnesses to the ways, words, and works of Jesus which is worship. However, ultimately, the ways, words, and works of Jesus point us to the Father, worship of the Father, and relationship with the Father. So in all, through all, we are learning to be true worshippers of God. It is our job as well.
- Gratitude in worship is done by preparing ourselves for praise.
Before worship, take a moment at home to reflect on God’s faithfulness in your life, both past and present. This aligns with Psalm 100’s call to “enter His gates with thanksgiving,” fostering an attitude of gratitude. True worship begins in our hearts, grows in community, and leads to a deeper experience of God’s presence, fueling even greater thankfulness.
- Gratitude in worship is a bold and active engagement in praise. During praise, we should engage our whole selves, which also deepens our worship, forming habits that transform us. Public praise, whether through singing, praying aloud, or silent gratitude, lets our thankfulness be seen, felt, and heard as we actively honor God.
- Gratitude in worship is about reflect and responding together. Psalm 100 emphasizes communal worship – showing that worship driven by gratitude strengthens our connections with others. This practice fosters a grateful community, deepening relationships and extending gratitude beyond the worship setting. We give thanks not only to God but also for His people, those He has placed on this journey with us, worshiping and singing together as one.
These practices help us become true worshippers.
Closing Thoughts
Many other scriptures, like Psalm 100, highlight how gratitude is a powerful element of worship, shaping our relationship with God and drawing us closer to experiencing God’s presence. Another Psalm with entry-like worship calls out, “Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song” (Psalm 95:2). In 1 Chronicles 16, we find a celebration marking the arrival of the Ark of the Covenant in Jerusalem. This event follows King David’s successful efforts to bring the Ark to the city, and they are encouraged to “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.” In Psalm 103, David writes a song in which we praise God by not forgetting all of his benefits (103:1-2). He writes about this again in Psalm 136, “”Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever.”
This connection of gratitude to worship is not only found in Psalms and Old Testament. The author of Hebrews reminds us that in this Jesus-following, God-loving, Spirit-filled life, “we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe” (Hebrews 12:28). Gratitude is woven throughout Scripture as both the fuel for and expression of true worship, but also the experience. As we live in response to God’s unshakable kingdom and steadfast love, our hearts are drawn to worship with thankfulness, anchoring our lives in God’s love and enduring faithfulness.
Eugene H. Peterson, a pastor known for his work creating The Message version of the scriptures, translates part of the intent of Psalm 100 like this, “Enter with the password: “Thank you!” I love that call to enter worship with the password of thank you. Peterson’s rendering invites us to feel the immediacy and joy of worship. This practice of gratitude, rooted in worship, draws us out of our self-focus and into an awareness of God’s work in our lives and our community. In times of joy and seasons of struggle, gratitude in worship allows us to see beyond our current challenges, cultivating a heart that is content and at peace. This week, put all of yourself into worship – boldly and publicly – reflecting on how worship rooted in gratitude can reshape our perspective and help us to perceive God’s presence.
Listen to a sermon message I recently gave on this.
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