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Humor and Worship in Prayer and Praise

While humor is not explicitly commanded in biblical texts concerning worship, the concepts of joy, gladness, and exuberant praise are frequently associated with prayer and worship. The Bible encourages believers to approach God with a joyful heart, which can encompass a range of positive emotions [3, 4, 7].

Prayer is commanded in Scripture, with exhortations to seek God and present requests [2]. It is described in various ways, such as bowing the knees, looking up, lifting up the soul and heart, pouring out the heart, and calling upon the Lord's name [2]. Prayer is to be offered to God, to Christ, and to the Holy Spirit, and is made acceptable through Christ [2]. When facing affliction, individuals are encouraged to pray for God's consideration of their trouble, for His presence and support, for divine comfort, and for deliverance [9]. Humility is also presented as necessary for serving God, and humble individuals are regarded, heard, and delivered by Him [10].

Praise is also a central aspect of worship, with God being glorified and found worthy of praise due to His majesty, glory, excellency, greatness, holiness, wisdom, power, goodness, and mercy [1]. Christ is also deemed worthy of praise [1]. The book of James connects cheerfulness with singing praises, stating, "Is any cheerful? Let him sing praises" [3]. Similarly, Psalm 100:2 encourages serving the Lord with gladness and coming before His presence with singing [4]. Other psalms call for making a "joyful noise" to the Lord, bursting out in song, and singing praises [7]. This joyful expression can include physical elements such as dancing and playing instruments like the timbrel, stringed instruments, and pipe [5]. Matthew Henry, a Nonconformist commentator, emphasizes that "holy joy is the heart and soul of praise" and that praising God should be done with "lively affections" [12, 13]. one tradition notes that spiritual joy is essential for thankful praise [13].

The Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes acknowledges "a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to wail, and a time to dance for joy" [6]. This suggests that laughter and joy have their appropriate place in human experience. While Ecclesiastes 10:19 mentions preparing "bread for laughter," this verse is generally understood in the context of feasting and enjoyment rather than directly addressing humor in worship [8].

The concept of joy in worship is further highlighted by the idea of God's own joy over His people, which is described as great and is based on their repentance, faith, fear of Him, prayer, hope in His mercy, meekness, and uprightness [11]. This divine joy leads God to prosper, do good to, deliver, comfort, and give inheritance to His people [11].

While the Bible does not explicitly discuss "humor" in the modern sense within the context of prayer and praise, it strongly advocates for joy, gladness, and exuberant expression in worship. These emotions, when directed towards God, are considered appropriate and even commanded [3, 4, 7, 12, 13]. The emphasis is on a heart filled with delight and thankfulness towards God [12, 13].

Sources

  1. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Praise — God is worthy of -- 2Sa 22:4. Christ is worthy of -- Re 5:12. God is glorified by -- Ps 22:23; 50:23. Offered to Christ -- Joh 12:13. Acceptable through Christ -- Heb 13:15. Is due to God on account of His majesty. -- Ps 96:1,6; Isa 24:14. His glory. -- Ps 138:5; Eze 3:12. His excellency. -- Ex 15:7; Ps 148:13. His greatness. -- 1Ch 16:25; Ps 145:3. His holiness. -- Ex 15:11; Isa 6:3. His wisdom. -- Da 2:20; Jude 1:25. His power. -- Ps 21:13. His goodness. -- Ps 107:8; 118:1; 136:1; Jer 33:11. His mercy. -- 2Ch 20:21; Ps 89:1; 118:1-4; 136:1-26. His loving-k”
  2. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Prayer — Commanded -- Isa 55:6; Mt 7:7; Php 4:6. To be offered To God. -- Ps 5:2; Mt 4:10. To Christ. -- Lu 23:42; Ac 7:59. To the Holy Spirit. -- 2Th 3:5. Through Christ. -- Eph 2:18; Heb 10:19. God hears -- Ps 10:17; 65:2. God answers -- Ps 99:6; Isa 58:9. Is described as Bowing the knees. -- Eph 3:14. Looking up. -- Ps 5:3. Lifting up the soul. -- Ps 25:1. Lifting up the heart. -- La 3:41. Pouring out the heart. -- Ps 62:8. Pouring out the soul. -- 1Sa 1:15. Calling upon the name of the Lord. -- Ge 12:8; Ps 116:4; Ac 22:16. Crying to God. -- Ps 27:7; 34:6. Drawing”
  3. James “Is any among you suffering? Let him pray. Is any cheerful? Let him sing praises. -- James 5:13”
  4. Psalms “Serve Yahweh with gladness. Come before his presence with singing. -- Psalms 100:2”
  5. Psalms “Psalms 150:4 (NASB) — Praise Him with timbrel and dancing; Praise Him with stringed instruments and pipe.”
  6. Ecclesiastes “Ecclesiastes 3:4 (Rotherham) — A time to weep, and a time to laugh,—A time to wail, and a time to dance for joy;”
  7. Psalms “Make a joyful noise to Yahweh, all the earth! Burst out and sing for joy, yes, sing praises! -- Psalms 98:4”
  8. Ecclesiastes “Ecclesiastes 10:19 (Geneva1599) — They prepare bread for laughter, and wine comforteth the liuing, but siluer answereth to all.”
  9. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Affliction, Prayer Under — Exhortation to -- Jas 5:13. That God would consider our trouble -- 2Ki 19:16; Ne 9:32; Ps 9:13; La 5:1. For the presence and support of God -- Ps 10:1; 102:2. That the Holy Spirit may not be withdrawn -- Ps 51:11. For divine comfort -- Ps 4:6; 119:76. For mitigation of troubles -- Ps 39:12,13. For deliverance -- Ps 25:17,22; 39:10; Isa 64:9-12; Jer 17:14. For pardon and deliverance from sin -- Ps 39:8; 51:1; 79:8. That we may be turned to God -- Ps 80:7; 85:4-6; Jer 31:18. For divine teaching and direction -- Job 34:32; Ps 27:11; 143:10. Fo”
  10. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Humility — Necessary to the service of God -- Mic 6:8. Christ an example of -- Mt 11:29; Joh 13:14,15; Php 2:5-8. A characteristic of saints -- Ps 34:2. The who have Regarded by God. -- Ps 138:6; Isa 66:2. Heard by God. -- Ps 9:12; Isa 10:17. Enjoy the presence of God. -- Isa 57:15. Delivered by God. -- Job 22:29. Lifted up by God. -- Jas 4:10. Exalted by God. -- Lu 14:11; 18:14. Are greatest in Christ's kingdom. -- Mt 18:4; 20:26-28. Receive more grace. -- Pr 3:34; Jas 4:6. Upheld by honour. -- Pr 18:12; 29:23. Is before honour -- Pr 15:33. Leads to riches, honour, ”
  11. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Joy of God Over His People, The — Greatness of, described -- Zep 3:17. On account of their Repentance. -- Lu 15:7,10. Faith. -- Heb 11:5,6. Fear of him. -- Ps 147:11. Praying to him. -- Pr 15:8. Hope in his mercy. -- Ps 147:11. Meekness. -- Ps 149:4. Uprightness. -- 1Ch 29:17; Pr 11:20. Leads to him Prosper them. -- De 30:9. Do them good. -- De 28:63; Jer 32:41. Deliver them. -- 2Sa 22:20. Comfort them. -- Isa 65:19. Give them the inheritance. -- Nu 14:8. Illustrated -- Isa 62:5; Lu 15:23,24. Exemplified Solomon. -- 1Ki 10:9.”
  12. Psalms (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Psalms 33:1: Four things the psalmist expresses in these verses: I. The great desire he had that God might be praised. He did not think he did it so well himself, but that he wished others also might be employed in this work; the more the better, in this concert: it is the more like heaven. 1. Holy joy is the heart and soul of praise, and that is here pressed upon all good people (Psa 33:1): Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous; so the foregoing psalm concluded and so this begins; for all our religious exercises should both begin and end with a holy complacency and triumph in Go”
  13. Psalms (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Psalms 95:1: The psalmist here, as often elsewhere, stirs up himself and others to praise God; for it is a duty which ought to be performed with the most lively affections, and which we have great need to be excited to, being very often backward to it and cold in it. Observe, I. How God is to be praised. 1. With holy joy and delight in him. The praising song must be a joyful noise, Psa 95:1 and again Psa 95:2. Spiritual joy is the heart and soul of thankful praise. It is the will of God (such is the condescension of his grace) that when we give glory to him as a being infinite”
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