WHY PRAISE DANCE?

What is Messianic Praise Dance and why do we use it for praise and worship? Is it scriptural? What should be our heart's attitude regarding dance?            

First of all it's important to know that Messianic Praise Dance uses Israeli folk dance steps choreographed to songs with Jewish melodies. These dances are a product of the Messianic movement. Jewish believers in Yeshua and non-Jewish believers began worshiping together within a Jewish cultural setting. The dances are done as a part of congregational praise and worship.

 Why use dance for praise and worship? Because effective praise and worship must involve the whole person: spirit, soul, and body. It must engage the thoughts and emotions as well as the body. Mark 12:30 quotes Yeshua, "We are to love with all your mind and strength." Dance is one way that God's people can worship Him with everything that is in them because, "In Him we Live and MOVE, and have our being." Acts 17:28.

 The key scriptures are Psalm 149:2-3; "Let Israel rejoice in Him that made them; let the children of Zion be joyful in their King. Let them praise His name in the dance." Psalm 150:4; "Praise Him with the trimbel and the dance." Dance in also referred to in word rejoice found in Zephaniah 3:17 and Luke 10:21. Dancers must developed the heart of "not being seen". Until the desire to achieve, to be important, to be in the "limelight" is lost, we cannot be trusted with God's power. We must have a heart attitude of love so that God can be expressed through the movement--His love, purity, mercy, gentleness and grace--instead our consciousness of self. Even as we "act out" stories for children, "acting out" revelations of God can have tremendous impact on all God's children.