When words run out, worship reminds our hearts who’s still worthy.

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When the song gets difficult…

There are seasons when worship feels effortless. Gratitude overflows. Hands are lifted with ease. Triumphant shouts exude. Prayers are answered! And joy comes easily. 

Then, there are times when lifting your hands feels heavy, when the words won’t come, and when praise seems painfully out of place. Tears flow easier than praise in those seasons. 

I’ve stood on both sides of that stage. I’ve stood in triumph and praise, with joyful sounds exuding from the depths of my being. And I’ve led songs through tears, sung harmonies with trembling faith, and discovered that worship in the waiting—the raw, uncertain, heart-wide-open kind—is where some of the deepest healing begins.

Let me be totally real: true worship isn’t just a song or melody. It’s surrender. It’s submission. It’s laying everything down—the good and the bad—at His feet, even in the midst of tremendous questioning. It’s choosing to say, “You are still good,” even when life doesn’t make sense and prayers remain unanswered.

And Scripture gives us three unforgettable portraits of this kind of worship—three people who worshiped God through pain, loss, and even shame. 

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Job: Worship That Weeps but Still Believes

When we think of pain, few names carry more weight than Job’s. In a matter of moments, he lost everything—his family, his wealth, his reputation. And yet, Job’s response is staggering:

“Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. And he said, ‘Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.’” — Job 1:20–21 (ESV)

Notice the order: Job grieved and then he worshiped. He acknowledged the loss and pain. His worship wasn’t denial of the heartbreak devastating his heart. His worship was an act of defiance. It was a declaration that even when the blessings were gone, the Blesser was still worthy of worship. 

Job was deemed a righteous man (see Job 1)! And yet, he still experienced immense loss and heartbreak. For many people today, you may be doing all the right things and still experiencing tremendous pain. It’s important to remember that “good things” does not equate to “being blessed.” Job is living proof of that! But, like Job, when the hard times come, we need to remember this vital truth (and I’ll repeat myself from above): even when the blessings are gone, the Blesser is still worthy of worship. 

Sometimes worship in the waiting looks like falling to the ground before you can even think of standing up again. It’s tears on the floor, snot-filled tissues, puffy eyes, and a whisper of “Blessed be Your name” despite the pain. 

James 1:2 echoes this heart posture: “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds…” Job’s story reminds us that worship doesn’t always rise from celebration. Sometimes it rises from ashes.

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David: Worship That Dances From Deliverance

Then there’s David—the man after God’s own heart—who danced before the Lord with abandon. Here’s the thing about David: when we see him in 2 Samuel 6 dancing in victory, this was after years of enduring persecution, pain, trial, betrayal, and wilderness hiding. Those years in the wilderness birthed a renewed expression of worship within David. It was from his deliverance from the pain that led him to dance without any care or fear of judgment. He danced before an audience of one: God, his Deliverer.   

This scene of undone worship took place after years of waiting, fighting, and wandering. David finally brought the Ark of the Covenant back to Jerusalem. The symbol of God’s presence was returning home:  “And David danced before the Lord with all his might… So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting and with the sound of the horn”
(2 Samuel 6:14–15, ESV).

David’s worship was exuberant and unrestrained! And people mocked and judged him for it. Yet David’s response cuts right to the heart of true worship: “I will celebrate before the Lord. I will become even more undignified than this” (2 Samuel 6:21–22, NIV). David’s praise wasn’t polished and refined; it was intimate and personal. It came from years of waiting, weeping, and wondering if God’s promises would ever come to pass.

His dancing was a declaration: “God kept His promise.”

Sometimes, after long seasons of silence, worship can break through like sunlight after a storm, like a breath of fresh air. It’s joy restored. It’s freedom reclaimed. And that joy and freedom can be found in us when we choose to praise! We praise Him, not because everything’s perfect, but because He is good in every circumstance. 

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The Woman with the Alabaster Jar: Worship That Pours It All Out

In Luke 7, we find one of the most tender acts of worship in all of Scripture. It was so tender that Jesus Himself proclaimed that it would be known for all of time. A woman, known only for her sin, entered a room full of religious men to pour out a jar of expensive perfume on Jesus’ feet.

“Standing behind Him at His feet weeping, she began to wet His feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed His feet and anointed them with the ointment.”
— Luke 7:38 (ESV)

Her worship cost her everything. The oil she poured out was expensive, but her humility cost her even more. She risked further rejection, judgment, and ridicule. However, when this woman saw her opportunity to worship Jesus, none of that mattered! In that moment, she wasn’t focused on her reputation, only His worth. So she laid everything on the line for Him.

Even in the midst of her sin and her struggle, Jesus saw her heart and said, “‘Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.’ And he said to her, ‘Your sins are forgiven…Your faith has saved you; go in peace’” (Luke 7:47-50, ESV). This woman shows us that even those with the most broken pasts can offer the most beautiful praise. Worship becomes our way of saying, “I may not be worthy—but You are.” 

And God invites us to such worship, even in the midst of our sins. We don’t have to “have it all figured out,” He wants us to come as we are and leave changed and surrendered. This woman’s story reminds us that worship is the language of love expressed through surrender — even when we don’t feel worthy or deserving or may still be in the thick of our pain and hardship. 

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Worship Reframes the Pain

When we worship through our waiting, something shifts. The pain doesn’t always disappear, but our perspective changes. 

Job shows us worship that endures grief.
David shows us worship that celebrates deliverance.
The woman shows us worship that overflows with gratitude and grace.

Each of them came from different circumstances—righteous, redeemed, and restored—but they shared one truth: their worship was never about their circumstances; it was about their Redeemer.

When we fix our eyes on Who He is instead of what we feel, worship becomes the doorway to peace. Worship takes our eyes off of our situation, circumstances, and pain and places our focus on the Giver of life. 

“I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.”
— Psalm 34:1

Even in the waiting, we can choose praise! Why? Because the One we’re waiting on is faithful in every circumstance!

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Worship Challenge

If you’re walking through a hard season and feel that worship is impossible, try this:

1. Choose one or two worship songs to make your anthem this week.
Sing it when you don’t feel like it. Whisper it when you’re weary.

A few that have ministered to me deeply:

• “Hard Fought Hallelujah” — Brandon Lake
• “Firm Foundation (He Won’t)” — Cody Carnes
• “Graves Into Gardens” — Elevation Worship
• “Even If” — MercyMe
• “See a Victory” — Elevation Worship
• “Even When It Hurts” — Hillsong United
• “Protector” — Kim Walker-Smith
• “Breakthrough” — Red Rocks Worship
• “Praise You In The Storm” — Casting Crowns

2. Write your own Psalm.
Pour out your heart like David did—no filters, no pretense, no inhibitions. Tell God what hurts, and then remind your soul Who He is. Look up some of the Psalms where the psalmists poured out their hearts for inspiration.

3. Dance, weep, or kneel—whatever form worship takes today, let it rise from the authentic position of your heart.

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Reflection

Think:

Which example of worship do you relate to most right now—Job’s surrender, David’s joy, or the woman’s gratitude?

Pray:

“Lord, teach me to worship You not just in victory, but in the valley, too. When my heart breaks, help me to bow before you in surrender. When You deliver me, help me dance with joyous triumph before You alone as my audience. And when shame whispers for me to hide from You, help me come before in humility and pour it all out before You. You are worthy—always. Today, I choose to worship. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”