From my count, there are 27 psalms that open with an explicit directive to praise the Lord. These are excellent references for worship leaders to use when calling our congregations to worship in our gathered assemblies. These calls to worship not only direct us to praise the Lord, but they also teach us various expressions of worship and a myriad of reasons for worshiping our Saving God.
Below is a list of these psalms and their opening “call to worship” lines. I’ve italicized the explicit reasons for why we worship God. Take some time to reflect on these psalms in your private worship times and seek the help of the Holy Spirit to encourage your team members and congregations to respond to these Biblical calls to worship both in their private times of worship and in the gathered assembly of your church.
29:1-2– Honor the Lord, you sons of God; honor the Lord for His glory and strength. Honor the Lord for the glory of His name. Worship the Lord in the splendor of His holiness.
33:1-4—Let the godly sing for joy to the Lord; it is fitting for the pure to praise Him. Praise the Lord with melodies on the lyre; make music for Him. . .sing a new song of praise to Him; play skillfully on the harp and sing with joy. For the Word of the Lord holds true, and we can trust everything He does.
47:1-2—Come, everyone! Clap your hands! Shout to God with joyful praise! For the Lord Most High is awesome. He is the great King of all the earth.
66:1-3—Shout joyful praises to God, all the earth! Sing about the glory of His name! Tell the world how glorious He is. Say to God, “How awesome are Your deeds! Your enemies cringe before Your mighty power.”
81:1-2—Sing praises to God, our strength . . .Sing! Beat the tambourine. Play the sweet lyre and harp.
96:1-2; 4—Sing a new song to the Lord! Let the whole earth sing to the Lord! Sing to the Lord; praise His name. Each day proclaim the good news that He saves. . . Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise! He is to be feared above all gods.
98:1-2—Sing a new song to the Lord, for He has done wonderful deeds. His right hand has won a mighty victory; His holy arm has shown His saving power!
100:1-2; 4—Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth! Worship the Lord with gladness. Come before Him, singing with joy. . . For the Lord is good. His unfailing love endures forever, and His faithfulness continues to each generation.
103:1-5—Let all that I am praise the Lord; with my whole heart, I will praise His holy name . . . may I never forget the good things He does for me: He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies. He fills my life with good things so that my youth is renewed like the eagle’s!
104:1—Let all that I am praise the Lord. O Lord my God, how great you are! You are robed with honor and majesty.
105:1-2—Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim His greatness. Let the whole world know what He has done. Sing to Him; yes, sing His praises. Tell everyone about His wonderful deeds.
106:1; 107:1; 118:1—Praise the Lord! Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! His faithful love endures forever.
111:1-3—Praise the Lord! . . . How amazing are the deeds of the Lord! . . . Everything He does reveals His glory and majesty. His righteousness never fails.
112:1—Praise the Lord!
113:1-4—Praise the Lord! Yes, give praise, O servants of the Lord. Praise the name of the Lord! Blessed be the name of the Lord now and forever. Everywhere—from east to west—praise the name of the Lord. For the Lord is high above the nations; His glory is higher than the heavens.
117:1-2—Praise the Lord, all you nations. Praise Him, all you people of the earth. For He loves us with unfailing love; the Lord’s faithfulness endures forever. Praise the Lord!
134:1—Oh, praise the Lord, all you servants of the Lord. . .
135:1-3—Praise the Lord! Praise the name of the Lord! Praise him, you who serve the Lord . . . Praise the Lord for the Lord is good; celebrate His lovely name with music.
136:1—Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! His faithful love endures forever.
144:1-2—Praise the Lord, who is my Rock. He trains my hands for war and gives my fingers skill for battle. He is my loving ally and my fortress, my tower of safety, my rescuer.
146:1-2; 6-9—Praise the Lord! Let all that I am praise the Lord. I will praise the Lord as long as I live. I will sing praises to my God with my dying breath. . . He keeps every promise forever. He gives justice to the oppressed and food to the hungry. The Lord frees the prisoners. The Lord opens the eyes of the blind. The Lord lifts up those who are weighed down. The Lord loves the godly. The Lord protects the foreigners among us. He cares for the orphans and widows, but He frustrates the plans of the wicked.
147:1-3; 5—Praise the Lord! How good to sing praises to our God! How delightful and how fitting! The Lord is rebuilding Jerusalem and bringing the exiles back to Israel. He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds. . . How great is our Lord! His power is absolute! His understanding is beyond comprehension!
148:1; 5; 13—Praise the Lord! . . . Let every created thing give praise to the Lord, for He issued His command, and they came into being. . . Let them all praise the name of the Lord. For His name is very great.
149:1-6; 9—Praise the Lord! Sing to the Lord a new song. Sing His praises in the assembly of the faithful . . . rejoice in your Maker . . .exult in your King. Praise His name with dancing, accompanied by tambourine and harp. For the Lord delights in His people; He crowns the humble with victory. Let the faithful rejoice that He honors them. Let the praises of God be in their mouths, and a sharp sword in their hands . . . this is the glorious privilege of His faithful ones.
150:1-2; 6—Praise the Lord! . . .Praise Him for His mighty works; praise His unequaled greatness!. . . Let everything that breathes sing praise to the Lord! Praise the Lord!
The 27 Call to Worship Psalms: 29, 33, 47, 66, 81, 96, 98, 100, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 111, 112, 113, 117, 118, 134, 135, 136, 144, 146, 147, 148, 149, 150
photo above courtesy Sojourn Church communications intern Chelsey Scott
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Don’t forget Psalm 95!
Another great one. Thanks for pointing that out!
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