What is Worship?

Worship Defined

What is worship? Is it just what you do in a church service? Or can you worship anywhere?

Here are some thoughts on worship:

“Those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles. They shall run and not be weary. They shall walk and not faint” (Isa. 40:31). What a promise! When we wait on God he strengthens us. Our spirit soars like an eagle. “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak” (v. 39). Worship is waiting on God. We bow before him, we praise him, we glorify him and he strengthens us.

         

Worship lies at the heart of the Christian faith. Moses and the Israelites worshipped God, and his presence, his glory, filled the tabernacle and covered their travel—as a cloud by day and as fire by night. (Exodus 13:21) Moses spent days in the presence of God and his face glowed. (Exodus 34:29) Jesus worshipped regularly in the synagogue, taught his disciples to pray and told the woman at the well to worship “in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24). The New Testament church worshipped together with songs and teachings from scripture. Paul told the Colossians, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God” (Col. 3:16). Paul stressed orderly worship that would teach and enlighten us.

         

Worship connects us with the presence of God. True worship, opening our hearts to God and praising him, is fearful and astonishing. It changes us. Worship is as vital to our faith as breathing is to our bodies. We bow in adoration, devotion, respect and awe. God is holy and eternal. We are finite. We humble ourselves in this holy encounter. We meet God weekly in corporate worship, as a church body. The fragrant aroma of his presence in us and in the church increases in proportion to our prayer and worship. ( Changing Churches pg. 101-102.)

Here’s another excellent definition of worship: 

“In worship the conscience is quickened by the holiness of God, the mind is fed by the truth of God, the heart is opened to the love of God, and the will is devoted to the purpose of God.”  William Temple, clergyman                                                                                                                    

How do you spell Worship? How about this?

Wait on the Lord. “They who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength.” (Isaiah 40:31)

Open your heart to God. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. (Proverbs 3:5)

Repent of your sin. Humble yourself before him. Rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. (1 Peter 2:1)

Silence all but his word and presence. We must silence the world and our inner dialog. "Be still and know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10).

Humble yourselves before him. He is holy, we are not. “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of His glory.” (Isaiah 6:3)

Involve your body, mind, will and emotions in adoration.  “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” (Colossians 3:16)

              

Praise his name.  “Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises.” (Psalm 47:6)

Here’s a dictionary definition I just found. “Worship is to honor God with extravagant love and extreme submission.” We worship an amazing God. We must be extravagant in our love and extreme in our submission to our Holy God.

Blessings,

Dottie