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I love the Lord, but when it comes to worshiping by singing in public and raising my hands, I get so nervous. I do want to praise God, but I just feel like everyone is staring. How can I get over that?

First of all, you can definitely love and praise the Lord without singing in public or raising your hands. God understands we each will worship him differently—he made us that way! The key is to find ways to express your love to God and draw yourself closer to him.

One of the most helpful Scriptures to me is John 14:21: "Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father and I too will love him and show myself to him" (NIV). The important part of loving God is being as obedient to him as we possibly can be. That is true worship: showing our love for God and getting to know him better.

If singing in public or raising your hands is uncomfortable for you, don't do it. And don't worry that you're not worshiping "right." God wants you to worship him in your way. Besides, it sounds like doing these things adds stress and distracts you from the reason we worship God in the first place. If you're curious about this style of worship, try it in your private times of prayer or worship. Eventually, it may feel natural to raise your hands and sing in public—but if not, God knows you're still worshiping him—not by your hands but by your heart.

Jim is a well–respected youth pastor, speaker and radio host. Due to the volume of mail, Jim cannot answer every letter.

Copyright © 2005 by the author or Christianity Today International/Campus Life magazine.
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