Praise and Worship
The singing portion of a contemporary church service. Some distinguish praise (upbeat songs about what God has done) from worship (slower songs addressed to God directly).
What they actually mean
“"The singing part. Fast songs, then slow songs."”
Heard in the wild
“We'll open with a time of praise and worship.”
“The praise and worship at that church is amazing.”
The Lighter Side
Praise is the fast songs. Worship is the slow songs. The transition between them is one song that nobody can decide about, during which people sit down at different times.
The longer version
What it means
"Praise and worship" is the block of congregational singing in a contemporary service, usually twenty to thirty minutes, led by a worship team. It typically starts loud and fast — songs of celebration, clapping, everyone standing — and moves to quiet and slow, with hands raised and eyes closed. Many Christians name the two halves: praise is joyful, declarative, about what God has done; worship is intimate, direct, addressed to God as "You." The movement from one to the other is meant to lead people from the outer courts to the inner presence.
That's the theory; in practice most people just mean "the music" and don't parse it.
Why people say it
The phrase and the structure come from the charismatic renewal, which took the Psalms' language of entering God's presence seriously and built worship sets to walk people through it. Christians who love praise and worship describe it as the time in the week when they most feel God's nearness. The two-word name also insists that the singing is aimed at God, not the audience.
How to respond
If a service opens with praise and worship, stand when others stand, sing if you'd like, and expect a shift from loud to soft; when the slow songs come, some people will sit, some will kneel, some will raise hands, and any of those is fine for you. If someone says the praise and worship at a church is great, they mean the music moved them. If the terminology confuses you, "the singing" is a perfectly good translation.
If you hear it in different churches
Pentecostal, charismatic, evangelical, and non-denominational churches use the phrase and the structure. Baptists say "praise and worship" or "the music" and may have a shorter set. Liturgical churches don't use the phrase — their music is hymns, psalms, and service music woven through the liturgy — though many have a contemporary service that follows the praise-and-worship pattern. Black church traditions have "praise and worship" with their own gospel idiom, often longer and more intense.
Where does “Praise and Worship” come from?
Psalm 100:4 — "enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise" — and the tabernacle's layout (outer court, holy place, holy of holies) gave charismatic teachers a map for worship as a journey into God's presence; Judson Cornwall's Let Us Praise (1973) and later teaching popularized it. Integrity Music's "Hosanna!" tapes (from 1987), labeled "praise and worship," put the phrase on cassettes in millions of homes and fixed the fast-then-slow structure. It's now the default form of contemporary Protestant worship worldwide.
Good to know
The praise/worship distinction — upbeat songs *about* God, then intimate songs *to* God — comes from a specific reading of Psalm 100 ("enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise") as a progression toward God's presence. It's a helpful description of how most worship sets are built, and not everyone treats it as doctrine. The whole phrase is also just a name for the music.
You might also hear
Worship
Worship & MusicHonoring God — most often meaning the singing part of a church service, but also the whole service, and sometimes a person's entire way of living.
“"The songs — or the service — or my whole life, depending on who's talking."”
Chorus
Worship & MusicA modern church song, usually written in the last few decades and led by a band — simpler and more repetitive than a hymn, with a chorus and often a "bridge" that repeats and builds.
“"The modern church songs. Four chords, one chorus, a bridge that goes on a while."”
Raise Your Hands
Worship & MusicLifting one or both hands during singing or prayer as a physical expression of praise, surrender, or reaching toward God.
“"Putting your hands up while you sing. It's praise, not a question."”
Common questions
What's the difference between praise and worship?+
In the common teaching: praise is upbeat and about God (celebrating what He's done); worship is quiet and to God (adoration, intimacy). In practice both words just mean the music.
Why does the music go from fast to slow?+
The set is built as a progression from celebration into intimacy, based on the Psalms' picture of entering God's courts and then His presence.
Do I have to sing?+
No. Standing with the congregation is polite; singing, raising hands, and the rest are optional and nobody is watching.
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Written by Rev. Christopher D.F. Warrington, Ordained Minister, M.Div. · Updated September 2026
This entry was compiled with AI assistance and has not yet been reviewed by an ordained pastor.