7 Suggestions for When You’re Struggling to Worship Joyfully

What to Do When We Struggle to Worship Joyfully

We’ve all been there: surrounded by other Christians singing with hands aloft and hearts lifted even higher while we just exist. We wonder if the hospitality team switched the coffee for decaf again, but suspect that our joylessness is due to something deeper than general fatigue. Most likely, it’s due to a combination of factors. The reality is that we will not always brim over with delight on Sunday mornings. In our busy, stressful, distracted, fallen world, we will often struggle to worship joyfully.

So, what are we to do when we find ourselves worshiping without joy? More to the point, how are we to keep worshiping when we struggle to do so joyfully? Consider the following suggestions:

1. Worship prayerfully.

This seems like a simple step, but it’s one we too often skip. We pray before sermons and sacraments, but do we stop—either privately or corporately—to pray before singing? We should. Remember the promise Jesus makes to his disciples: “Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full” (John 16:24). Perhaps we lack joy in our worship simply because we have not asked for it. As the familiar hymn proclaims, “O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear, all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer!”¹ As we drive up to church, enter the sanctuary, and settle into our seats, we should pray that the Holy Spirit would empower and fill us as we sing together (Eph. 5:18–21).

Spirit-Filled Singing

Ryanne J. Molinari

Drawing from Galatians 5, Spirit-Filled Singing provides a biblical framework for intentional worship, exploring how singing and the fruit of the Spirit both work to glorify God and edify his church.

2. Worship actively.

My family had a motto growing up: “Feeling follows action.” Instituted to silence complaints about chores, this motto also has wisdom for how we approach musical worship. Musical worship is participatory, meaning that it is not primarily about experiencing joy but engaging in rejoicing. We are unlikely to be joyful when we stand with closed mouths and crossed arms. First Thessalonians 5:16 consists of a very brief, very practical command: not “Feel joyful when you can” but “Rejoice always.” However we feel, we are to throw ourselves into active rejoicing and trust that such obedience will eventually stimulate and strengthen our joy.

3. Worship regularly.

I once had two piano students studying from the same method book. One practiced every day; the other—not so much. Guess which one found the most delight in playing the piano? The one who practiced daily. The same is true of musical worship. If we roll up to church sporadically and expect to be struck with joy, we will be disappointed. Instead, we need to make worship a regular rhythm in our daily and weekly lives. We must marvel at our Lord “morning by morning,” as that great hymn of faithfulness sings.² We must also prioritize the weekly gathering of the saints. When God warns us not to neglect to meet together, it is not to add another to-do to our already full lists but to protect our faith, our love, and our joy as believers (Heb. 10:25).

4. Worship purposefully.

Musical worship is often treated as an “extra.” It is common to see church members enter the sanctuary after the opening song or stand outside chatting until the sermon starts. Then, they make their getaway as the pastor concludes his sermon by inviting band members back to the platform. But Scripture is clear that singing together is not optional. In Colossians 3:16–17, right between commands to be steeped in Scripture and to live faithfully, there is a call to sing “psalms and hymns and spiritual songs.” Like Judaism before it, Christianity is a singing faith; corporate singing is integral to our identity as the redeemed people of God (Ps. 105:43). We need to regain an appreciation for musical worship as an essential discipline. We need to worship with purpose, prioritizing it alongside study, prayer, and fellowship.

5. Worship selflessly.

We tend to be most unhappy when we think too much about our happiness. This is ironic but true in worship as in life. When we do not feel joyful in our worship, it is worth asking whether we are thinking too much about our joy. Are we frustrated that the worship leader doesn’t sing enough hymns? Are we irritated by the off-beat clapping of our neighbor? Are we worrying about whether we sound good or not? As self-focus grows, joy diminishes. Rather, we must look outward and upward as we worship. We must focus on our worthy God and the church family he has given to us. Rather than grimacing at songs we don’t like or stewing in self-consciousness over our voices, we ought to sing boldly to encourage those around us and pray for others when we struggle to praise. After all, we are not told to sing for our own enjoyment but to make melody to the Lord and to address one another in song (Eph. 5:19).

Perhaps we lack joy in our worship simply because we have not asked for it.

6. Worship repentantly.

In Psalm 51:12, David sings, “Restore unto me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.” David composed Psalm 51 after Nathan confronted him about his adultery with Bathsheba. He begins with an appeal to God’s mercy, asking him to “blot out” his transgressions (Ps. 51:1–2). David then reckons with the weight of his sin against the Lord, both in this particular situation and throughout his life. So far, this is no hand-clapping chorus but a crushingly honest confession. After laying bare the depths of his sin, David entreats the Lord to purge, heal, forgive, and remake him—to give him an entirely new heart. Then, and only then, does he return to praise, which is rendered more truly joyful because it is rooted not in David’s fluctuating feelings but in the unwavering grace of his God. When we find ourselves worshiping without joy, let us remember the ultimate source of our joy: our unmerited salvation in Christ. To do so, we must examine our hearts and bring them openly before the throne of grace. Before we throw up our hands in rejoicing, we may need to fall to our knees in repentance.

7. Worship lovingly.

There will be seasons where our worship feels stagnant, but we can continue to worship lovingly even when we struggle to worship joyfully. Remember that love “bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things” (1 Cor. 13:7). Bear with those seasons where worship feels more draining than fulfilling. Believe that the Lord will restore your joy in his good timing. Hope with assurance that your joylessness is temporary. Endure in corporate worship no matter what. When we worship with such determination and perseverance, we are worshiping with love, and when we worship with love, joy will surely follow. In Galatians 5:22–23, love is not only the first fruit of the Spirit; it is the root. From such spiritual love grows genuine joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. In music, when things begin to feel uncertain, a safe bet is to return to the root of the chord or scale. Likewise, when we struggle to worship with joy, we must return to joy’s root: love as described in 1 Corinthians 13.

Regardless of how you feel during musical worship, keep showing up. Keep praying and persevering. Keep caring for others and examining your heart. Keep walking in the way of steadfast love. As you worship prayerfully, actively, regularly, purposefully, selflessly, repentantly, and lovingly, you will likely find that you are, slowly but surely, beginning to worship more joyfully. But above all, after every worship service, know that the fullness of your joy is secure in Christ (Ps. 16:11; John 15:11). Better yet, Christ himself is our joy, and he will reign forever, surrounded by glorious praise (Rev. 11:15).

Notes:

Joseph Medlicott Scriven, “What a Friend We Have in Jesus,” Hymnary.org, accessed March 12, 2024, https://hymnary.org/text/what_a_friend_we_have_in_jesus_all_our_s.
Thomas O. Chrisholm, “Great Is Thy Faithfulness,” Hymnary.org, 1923, https://hymnary.org/text/great_is_thy_faithfulness_o_god_my_father.

Ryanne J. Molinari is the author of Spirit-Filled Singing: Bearing Fruit as We Worship Together.

Ryanne J. Molinari (MLitt, University of St Andrews) is a collaborative pianist/organist and worship director based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. She is a member of Prairie Bible Church, where her husband is lead pastor. To read more of her writing or inquire about speaking engagements, visit RyanneMolinari.com.

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