Words of Worship: Exaltation

exaltation (noun) - the act of raising someone or something in importance

Synonyms: aggrandizement, ennoblement, glorification, magnification

Antonyms: deposition, expulsion, impeachment, ouster

Exaltation is a grand sounding word, and one I don't think gets used very often anymore in regular conversation. It goes hand in hand with praise and worship - we exalt God as we praise Him through any worship that we do throughout our day, whether that be musical worship, daily prayer and meditation, or going out and proclaiming His Kingdom to the world. We're showing Him off in a grand way, so that there's no doubt that He is the most important thing in our lives. We, as human beings, are not always good at hitting that exact mark 100% of the time, but God's grace reminds us that we get to try again when we make a mistake. It's no surprise, then, that exaltation is a prominent theme in worship music, where we are constantly encouraged to lift up a shout of praise. Let's jump on in and see what we have this week! All Scripture references are from the New Living Translation of the Holy Bible.

Raise a Hallelujah by Bethel Music, Jonathan David & Melissa Helser (written by J. Helser, M. Helser, M. Skaggs, J. Stevens)

Featured on Bethel's 2019 live album Victory with vocals from worship leaders Jonathan & Melissa Helser, I still love this song now as much as I did when it first came out. I don't think it's any accident that this song came into my life at a time when I really, really needed it, so even though it's been accused (and rightly so) of being overplayed, it's one I'll never get tired of. We are called to exalt the Lord not only when things are going great, but also in the middle of times where we aren't quite sure what the outcome is going to be.

I raise a hallelujah in the presence of my enemies/I raise a hallelujah louder than the unbelief/I raise a hallelujah, my weapon is a melody/I raise a hallelujah, Heaven comes to fight for me/I’m gonna sing in the middle of the storm/Louder and louder, you’re gonna hear my praises roar/Up from the ashes, hope will arise/Death is defeated, the King is alive

Isaiah 60:18 Violence will disappear from your land; the desolation and destruction of war will end. Salvation will surround you like city walls, and praise will be on the lips of all who enter there.

Every Crown by Bethel Music & kalley (written by K. Heiligenthal, E. Cash, J. Ingram, C. Davenport)

Also featured on Bethel's 2019 live album Victory with vocals from worship leader Kalley Heiligenthal, this song just feels incredibly triumphant from start to finish. As Heiligenthal sings of each impossible thing that God has overcome with, for, and around her, it's very difficult to not feel joyous over all He has done. Anything is possible when He walks with us.

I have watched how You drove back the sea/That swallowed up my every fear/I have walked from the shore to the deep/And through it all, You were there/Mighty Redeemer, strong to deliver/You are the Great I Am/We crown You with every crown for the way You saved us/Crown You with every crown for the way You love us/High King of Heaven/We crown You the Lord of all

Isaiah 28:5 Then at last the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will himself be Israel’s glorious crown. He will be the pride and joy of the remnant of his people.

O Worship the King by Passion ft. Chris Tomlin (written by J. Haydn, R. Grant)

Featured on Passion's 2004 live album Passion: Hymns Ancient and Modern, worship music legend Chris Tomlin takes the lead on this Robert Grant hymn from 1833. This song is a great example of exaltation, focusing on the amazing, wonderful attributes of the Lord and praising Him for it all. Hymns still have a place in the modern church, and this is just one of many examples as to why.

O worship the King, all glorious above/O gratefully sing His wonderful love/Our Shield and Defender, the Ancient of Days/Pavilioned in splendor and girded with praise/O tell of His might, O sing of His grace/Whose robe is the light and canopy space/His chariots of wrath the deep thunderclouds form/And dark is His path on the wings of the storm/You alone are the matchless King/To You alone be all majesty/Your glories and wonders, what tongue can recite/You breathe in the air, You shine in the light

Psalm 99:5 Exalt the Lord our God! Bow low before his feet, for he is holy!

Alive by Hillsong Young & Free (written by A. Pappas, A. King)

Featured on Y&F's 2013 live album We Are Young & Free with vocals provided by worship leader Alexander Pappas, this fun, uptempo song is great at stirring up your heart and getting you excited about the love of God. Full of words of praise for Jesus being our Savior and saving us from a life of darkness, excitedly singing about the freedom He provides us makes perfect sense. Y&F is excellent at worship songs like this, and this one is definitely worth a spot on your worship playlist.

I was lost with a broken heart/You picked me up, now I’m set apart/From the ash, I am born again/Forever safe in the Savior’s hands/You are more than my words could say/I’ll follow You, Lord, for all my days/I’ll fix my eyes, follow in Your ways/Forever free in unending grace/‘Cause You are, You are, You are my freedom/We lift You higher, lift You higher/Your love, Your love, Your love never ending/Oh, oh, oh/You are alive in us/Nothing can take Your place/You are all we need/Your love has set us free, oh

I Samuel 2:8 He lifts the poor from the dust and the needy from the garbage dump. He sets them among princes, placing them in seats of honor. For all the earth is the Lord’s, and he has set the world in order.

O'Lord by Lauren Daigle (written by J. Williams, P. Mabury)

Featured on Daigle's 2015 album How Can It Be, this is one of my favorites in her repertoire. The simple acknowledgment that life is going to be difficult at times and we are going to feel down is refreshing, and it's made even more so when we're reminded that He hears our every prayer and that He will be by our side no matter what season of life we find ourselves in. Nothing can surprise Him, and He has the power to overcome it all.

Though times it seems like I’m coming undone/This walk can often feel lonely/No matter what, until this race is won/I will stand my ground where hope can be found/I will stand my ground where hope can be found, oh/O’Lord, O’Lord, I know You hear my cry/Your love is lifting me above all the lies/No matter what I face, this I know in time/You’ll take all that is wrong and make it right/You’ll take all that is wrong and make it right

Psalm 8:9 O Lord, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth!

Above All by Michael W. Smith (written by L. LeBlanc, P. Baloche)

Featured on Smith's 2001 album Worship, this song has been a favorite of mine since I was a child. Not only does this song highlight all of the amazing things God is capable of, it reminds us of the ultimate sacrifice He made with His crucifixion and giving up His life for us to have a place in Heaven with Him. That hits me a little harder every year as I get older and only deepens my love for Him.

Above all powers, above all kings/Above all nature and all created things/Above all wisdom and all the ways of man/You were here before the world began/Above all kingdoms, above all thrones/Above all wonders the world has ever known/Above all wealth and treasures of the earth/There’s no way to measure what you’re worth/Crucified, laid behind the stone/You lived to die rejected and alone/Like a rose trampled on the ground/You took the fall and thought of me above all

Psalm 97:9 For you, O Lord, are supreme over all the earth; you are exalted far above all gods.

Battle Belongs by Phil Wickham (written by P. Wickham, B. Johnson)

Featured on Wickham's 2021 album Hymn of Heaven, this song is an absolute banger. When we trust God completely hand over our battles for Him to fight for us, we become so much stronger in our faith. We praise Him because He has saved us in ways we can't even imagine from enemies we didn't even know existed.

When all I see is the battle, You see my victory/When all I see is the mountain, You see a mountain moved/And as I walk through the shadow, Your love surrounds me/There’s nothing to fear now, for I am safe with You/So when I fight, I’ll fight on my knees with my hands lifted high/Oh God, the battle belongs to You/And every fear, I lay at Your feet, I’ll sing through the night/Oh God, the battle belongs to You

Psalm 150:6 Let everything that breathes sing praises to the Lord! Praise the Lord!

I hope these songs of exaltation are as refreshing to you as they have been to me over the last few days. Happy listening, and see ya'll next week!