“It’s who you are and the way you live that count before God. Your worship must engage your spirit in the pursuit of truth. That’s the kind of people the Father is out looking for: those who are simply and honestly themselves before him in their worship. God is sheer being itself — Spirit. Those who worship him must do it out of their very being, their spirits, their true selves, in adoration.”
— John 4:23-24 (The Message)
Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.
— Hebrews 12:28-29 (NIV)
Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.
— Psalm 100:1-5 (ESV)
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
“therefore I will hope in him.”
— Lamentations 3:22-24 (ESV)
Worship is the outpouring of our heart’s affection and adoration in action. Worship can look like many things. It can be an expression of praise in verbal conversation or lifted hearts and voices in song. Worship can also be the most silent and still time of attention and reverence. Worship is our hearts overflowing with gratitude and praise, lived out in life steps, walking in spirit and truth with God.
God alone is worthy of our praise, because He is God. He is our Creator, Sustainer, Redeemer, and Father. He meets us where we are and transforms us to be made new in him, giving us life in him. He restores us to right standing with him. He loves us without condition. This is only the beginning, and all because of who he is! We don’t have to struggle to find reasons to praise God.
A life of worship should be second nature. God is the giver of life. He is the maker of all things. He is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and end. So why is it then, that our every thought, step or spoken word fails to be worshipful 100 percent of the time? We get in the way. We allow our paths, our hearts, our sight to be distracted away from God.
Seek him. Call on him. Cling to him. Draw near to him. Live a life that is pleasing to him. Allow the meditations of our hearts to bring him praise. Worship him.
Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable.
— Psalm 145:3 (ESV)
For you are great and do wondrous things; you alone are God.
— Psalm 86:10 (ESV)
God can do anything, you know — far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.
— Ephesians 3:20 (The Message)