How Can I Enjoy Worship?
Before we consider how to enjoy worship of God, we must consider “What is worship?”
Worship is giving God all honor and authority because of who He is and what He does.
Melanie Lewis
If you were to consider the hundreds of names and titles used within the Bible to describe God, how would you respond to Him? For a whole year, I, along with a group of super studious ladies, embarked on the challenge of studying the names and titles of God throughout the Bible. With each name of God, we completed the phrases
- God is . . .
- I am . . .
- Therefore . . .
After pondering approximately 380 names and titles, we realized that we must understand how to honor and worship all His names described. So, when I get a clearer picture of who God is and who I am in relationship to Him, I can worship in a new and deeper way.
Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
Psalm 29:2 NIV
worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness.
Worship is the awed response to the saving acts and praiseworthy character of God.
Esau McCaulley, “Worship,” in Lexham Theological Wordbook
Sin Is the Result of a Failure to Worship
Have you ever considered that the failure to worship brought sin into the world? Eve, then Adam failed to give God the authority He deserved as their creator. Instead, they looked for other creative solutions to meet their perceived need.
My worship testifies to God’s authority in my life. How do I respond to The One who is greater in my life? Since I am in a real relationship with The One who is greater, how should I conduct my life?
Worship is the
- Acknowledgment of authority
- Submission to authority
- Deference to authority
- Humility before authority
- … and on and on the list can go as we recognize that He is greater!
“He must become greater; I must become less.”
John 3:30–31 NIV
The one who comes from heaven is above all.
And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.
2 Corinthians 5:15 NIV
God Is Worthy of All My Worship
Worship acknowledges God for who He is and my relationship with Him. However, worship is not merely a command to be obeyed or an exercise to be completed. But worship is a joyful celebration that reminds us we have a faithful, loving God who directs every aspect of our lives. When I worship, I give to Him in response to everything He has given me.
How can I repay the Lord
Psalm 116:12 CSB
for all the good he has done for me?
Worship rises or falls in any church altogether depending upon the attitude we take toward God, whether we see God big or whether we see Him little. Most of us see God too small; our God is too little. David said, “O magnify the Lord with me” (Psalm 34:3), and “magnify” doesn’t mean to make God big. You can’t make God big. But you can see Him big.
A. W. Tozer, Tozer for the Christian Leader
Worship = Actions + Attitudes
We must acknowledge the attributes and authority of God with a combination of our actions AND attitudes of worship. When we have an attitude of worship, we exhibit our worship with actions. Without an attitude of worship, we merely perform rituals.
He replied, “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written:
Mark 7:6–7 NIV
“‘These people honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
They worship me in vain;
their teachings are merely human rules.’”
How Do I Enjoy Worship?
Ultimately, every aspect of my being, every action of my life, and every attitude of my heart should be an act of worship to The One who gives me everything.
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.
Romans 12:1 NIV
Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness.
Romans 6:13 NIV
I can enjoy worship when I give my everything to The One who deserves everything.
So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
1 Corinthians 10:31 NIV
Enjoy Worship on Each Step to Spiritual Maturity
As you traverse the Steps to Spiritual Maturity, you will discover that each step relates to the other steps. Repeatedly we climb each step and encounter our God, who is maturing us into Christlikeness. The following verses demonstrate how each step relates to Enjoy Worship.
1. CONNECT TO GOD’S WORD
How happy are those whose way is blameless,
Psalm 119:1–3 CSB
who walk according to the Lord’s instruction!
Happy are those who keep his decrees
and seek him with all their heart.
They do nothing wrong;
they walk in his ways.
These verses are filled with many aspects of worship! Connecting to God’s Word and following His ways demonstrates worship. These actions acknowledge that He is greater and His ways are better. Therefore, He is worthy to lead my life.
2. FEAR THE LORD
Serve the Lord with reverential awe
Psalm 2:11 CSB
and rejoice with trembling.
Many equate worship with serving the Lord. But service without reverential awe is merely action. Remember, worship incorporates both action and attitude.
3. EXPERIENCE FORGIVENESS OF SINS
But with you there is forgiveness,
Psalm 130:4 CSB
so that you may be revered.
Because God offers forgiveness of sins, we should worship Him with respect and reverence.
4. CHOOSE RIGHTEOUSNESS
Doing what is righteous and just
Proverbs 21:3 CSB
is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.
The Lord desires worship attitudes and actions instead of mere rituals.
5. DEPEND ON GOD
The Lord is my strength and my song;
Exodus 15:2 CSB
he has become my salvation.
This is my God, and I will praise him,
my father’s God, and I will exalt him.
The Lord is reliable in giving me everything that I need. Therefore, I will extol, exalt, praise, honor, and glorify Him.
6. ACCEPT DISCIPLINE
Serve with a good attitude, as to the Lord and not to people, knowing that whatever good each one does, slave or free, he will receive this back from the Lord.
Ephesians 6:7–8 CSB
The Lord is continuously teaching, training, and blessing me as I serve Him with my worship.
7. BE HUMBLE
Not to us, Lord, not to us,
Psalm 115:1 CSB
but to your name give glory
because of your faithful love, because of your truth.
Because of His faithful love and truth, the Lord is the only one worthy of glory. I am humbled before Him.
8. BE A PEACEMAKER
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort. He comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any kind of affliction, through the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ overflow to us, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.
2 Corinthians 1:3–5 CSB
Our Lord Jesus Christ is the ultimate peacemaker. He has reconciled us to the Father, so we can be at peace. Therefore, He is worthy of all praise and blessing.
9. ENJOY WORSHIP
All the angels stood around the throne, and along with the elders and the four living creatures they fell facedown before the throne and worshiped God, saying,
Revelation 7:11–12 CSB
Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom
and thanksgiving and honor
and power and strength
be to our God forever and ever. Amen.
It will be a joy to join the angels around the throne in worship!
10. BE FAITHFUL
Therefore, through him let us continually offer up to God a sacrifice of praise, that is, the fruit of lips that confess his name.
Hebrews 13:15 CSB
I continually and willingly offer God everything that I am and everything that I have because of all He is.
Go. Enjoy Worship!
Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders.In a loud voice they were saying:
“Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength
and honor and glory and praise!”Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying:
“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be praise and honor and glory and power,
for ever and ever!”The four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped.
Revelation 5:11–14 NIV
How to Enjoy Worship of God
We will enjoy worship when we willingly surrender every aspect of our lives to our God, who has given us everything. As we acknowledge His authority over all and praise His greatness, we give Him the honor due to His name.
Hallelujah!
Praise God in his sanctuary.
Praise him in his mighty expanse.
Praise him for his powerful acts;
praise him for his abundant greatness.Praise him with the blast of a ram’s horn;
praise him with harp and lyre.
Praise him with tambourine and dance;
praise him with strings and flute.
Praise him with resounding cymbals;
praise him with clashing cymbals.Let everything that breathes praise the Lord.
Psalm 150:1–6 CSB
Hallelujah!
Proclaim the Lord’s greatness with me;
Psalm 34:3 CSB
let us exalt his name together.
Click this link to read more about the 10 Steps to Spiritual Maturity.
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