- 1 Peter 2: 9- 10

Hoy much time do you engage in worship? Perhaps more tellingly, what does worship mean to you? Do you have a strong reverence for God that is obvious in your lifestyle and witness?

The role of worship in your life can be dramatically elevated when you think correct thoughts about God. Martin Luther once said, “Your thoughts of God are too human.”

You may unintentionally reduce the divine splendor of God. You may lose sight of His Majesty, reducing Him to your very finite definitions. The less highly you think of God, the less you will worship him. The more exalted your thoughts of God, the more you will bow humbly before Him, acknowledging His supernatural attributes.

Thinking great thoughts about God is the medium for cultivating a life of meaningful worship. But the spiritual momentum that worship engenders will sputter if you do not understand your worth in God’s eyes. Thus, worship is not only thinking correctly about God, but also thinking correctly about yourself.

Too many people fail to enjoy the delight of worship because they feel guilty about their past or present sins. To inform you, that is the tool that the enemy uses. Guilt entangles you to be free of worshipping Christ. The enemy deceives you with your sins.  Yet, once that you are saved, you are living in the constant light of God’s unconditional love. Through His love, any guilt will be completely atoned; it is because of Christ’s sacrificial death.

The Cross entitled you divine forgiveness. His blood washes away all hindrances in your heart so you can be free to worship God in Spirit and in truth. The Cross reconciled you with the Lord. The time that you accepted Christ and realize how great He loves you through the Cross, you are made right with the Lord. You are no longer under the law; you are no longer under condemnation even you sin.

The Lord Jesus Christ declares you are of inestimable worth to Him. His blood was shed for you; His heaven waits for you; His spirit indwells in you. You are precious, beloved, and honored in His sight, for you are made in His image and are His child through faith in Him.

You are made right with God because of your faith. Your faith in Christ and in His love sets you free. It is because your faith that you enjoy God’s love and provisions. Your faith is the powerful tool to keep your eyes open to the works of the Lord.

Turn away from unnecessary anxieties. God is for you and you can worship Him with unfettered simplicity and confidence.

– Psalm 95: 1-2

Many of us do not engage in worship when difficulty arises because we work hard at being self- reliant. We want to work it out with our wisdom, our strength, and our own way. Involving ourselves in worship is tantamount to admitting defeat.

But we will face some things that cannot be humanly resolved. There will be times when we come to the end of ourselves. Praising God in times of trouble sharpens our humility. We realize our helplessness, admitting His matchless superiority and supremacy.

We really have to humble and submit ourselves to Christ. That is the very reason why we call Him Lord over our lives because He is to reign and enthroned in our lives, in our hearts. The more we worship Him, the more we learn to humble ourselves before Him and the more he is glorified.

The Lord is delighted to those who seek Him with a humble heart, to the one who is empty before Him. When you pray before Him and praise Him in your emptiness and brokenness, you can be sure that you will be filled. In His name, you will be replenished. In His name, you will be renewed and restored. In His name, your cup will overflow with joy and satisfaction. In His name, you cannot do anything else but to praise Him in His fullness.

As you humble yourself before God, He will exalt you in the right time. There are many promises in the Bible for you to claim, and humility is the one condition for you to receive them all. Admitting your inadequacy strips away human pride, preparing your heart for the display of God’s awesome power.

The Word of God gives you the basis for knowledge and worshiping God, clearing away the obstacles of ignorance, apathy, error. But when you take what you have learned about God in the Scriptures and pour your heart out through prayer, worship is fully realized.

When you pray with your lips, and your heart, you magnify God. Worship is not a subject for a textbook, but the outpouring of your dependence on and love for Jesus Christ. Do not let prayer become a list. Do not let prayer drift into repetition. Do not let prayer be just a discipline.

Pride stunts worship; worship repels pride. In your time of trouble, readily confess your inadequacy. You can do some things, but you cannot do what God can. Praising Him releases His power to work over your troubles, over your life, over your heart. His plans unfold when you come before Him with your praises and thanksgiving. Come to Him with a humble yet cheerful heart. Rely only to Him and not to yourself, for He is more than anyone in this world- He is Jesus Christ, the Lord and Savior of your life. He is for you, never against you.

“I will praise the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul will boast in the Lord; let the afflicted hear and rejoice. Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt His name together.” – Psalms 34:1-3

What is the secret of being a champion?

David said that we should praise God at all times! Why? What is it with praising God? Praising God creates an atmosphere of faith which the Lord can’t resist. When we start praising His name, He is well pleased. For it is then that our faith is exercised.

Hudson Taylor, who founded the China inland Mission, is considered the founder of modern faith missions. The key to his faith and perseverance as he labored for so many years in a foreign, hostile environment was a commitment to daily worship. As I read his autobiography, he shared that early each morning, whether at home or on a journey, he would strike a match, light a candle or lantern, and proceed to enter God’s presence with thanksgiving and praise.

Adoration and worship is the central service asked by God from human souls. If we will draw near to Him, He will draw near to us. The Lord is delighted in hearts that is filled with praises and thanksgiving. It’s an extravagant way of expressing our faith to Him. Through our faith, God heals us. Whether you are in sickness or going through emotional pains, God can heal you through your faith. Praising Him at all times will drive you out of that sickness and pain.

When those praises comes up, His glory falls down. His glory can fill you up. It consumes you from the inside out. God created you to praise Him, to recognize Him as eternal, sovereign Lord and King of all creation. When His glory falls, every negative thing that eats you gets dull. His glory is more than anything you could ever want. In the fullness of His glory there is victory and our faith is empowered.

Another thing that you must do is to equip yourself. Equip yourself with the promises of God. In times that you feel unsure because of what is going on with your life, equipping yourself with His words can energize you and your worship. It will fuel your faith.

When the going gets tough, the thing that you should do is magnify His name. Magnify the Lord!

You should learn to magnify the Lord not the problem. The moment you magnify Him, His power and His faithfulness, you become strong.

You become adequate of overcoming the giants in your life. The spirit of a conqueror in you is stirred up. When you think of the problem, you become exhausted but when you think of God, you become powerful.

God wants you to be strong. God wants you to conquer. It is His design for you! Just start praising Him and thank Him for His goodness and faithfulness. Even when dark clouds surround you, thank Him. When joy fills you, praise Him. Praise God at all times. If you want to become a champion, then go to the One who’s forever champion. Let Him teach you to be the same. When you walk with God, you are a walking champ.

-Romans 6:13 (NLT)

The measure of true worship depends on how much are we willing to surrender.

To surrender is to yield or give up one’s self into the power of another. It is hardly accepted by people. It is tantamount to losing such as in battle, in a game or surrendering to an opponent. It is also associated to a captured criminal yielding to the authorities.

No one wants to be a loser. Nobody would like to yield to his opponent.

We were taught not to quit, never give up, and never give in – so the word “surrender” is unpopular. Every one wants to win while surrendering is absurd. Even today, not everyone even among “Christian nations” discover the truth that only in surrendering, we can experience worship. The true measure of surrender is obedience. Surrendered people are those who obey God even if it does not make sense.

Abraham was commanded to offer Isaac as a sacrifice. Peter, after having a failed night of fishing, was commanded to let down the nets. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego chose to worship God even with the mind set that even if God would not save them from the fiery furnace, they still chose God as their God.

Mary broke the alabaster jar and poured the perfume at Jesus’ feet. It was a very expensive perfume which could have been sold for a high price as suggested by one of Jesus’ disciples. But she chose to offer it to God.

Paul and Silas, after being severely beaten, offered a sacrifice of praise to God (acts 16:25). Jonah, after being in the belly of the big fish for three days, offered a sacrifice of thanksgiving to God (Jonah 2:9). They didn’t feel like praising God, but were willing to sacrifice. They offered the sacrifice of praise in difficult situations.

True worship is giving not receiving. Oftentimes, we want to receive. But it is hurting for many to give. True worship pleases God. “But without faith it is impossible to please Him for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6).

Many Christians only want Jesus to be their Savior, not their Lord. They professed Jesus as their Lord and Savior, but their lives do not manifest that He is their Lord. When we completely surrender ourselves to Jesus, we discover that he is not an oppressor but a saviour. He is not a dictator, but a friend.

“Lord, help me to understand the value of surrender. My life is not my own. I consecrate my life to you. I give my life as a pleasing sacrifice. “

And this ‘fraud’ has already crawled into the spiritual or religious life of many who look as if they do not to care if the one whom they are worshipping is the true God or a false one. They have become victims of the most dangerous and destructive fraud of all time by letting themselves just go with the flow without checking for their genuineness, not like when they purchase a laptop or other modern gadgets. They have been blind of what false Gods have been offering them.

For one’s religious worship to be genuine, he should simply worship the true God, which requires knowing first the true identity of the true and living God. Man cannot possibly worship God, and cannot be brought to salvation, if he does not know Him.  False Gods or idols made by men are certainly not the true God taught by the Bible and should never be recognized, much less, worshipped. People who seem to worship idols as their Gods seem to be silly because these highly-valued objects are in fact worthless.

But of course, it isn’t just enough to know who the true God is. It isn’t adequate that you know from your brothers the true God. You must accompany it by true worship. Man himself must be true and his worship must also be genuine because not all kinds of worship are acceptable to Him. There are various accounts in the Bible where people are worshipping him but do not amount to anything, although those people have exerted a lot of effort and invested a lot of money and time. They have even sacrificed for the sake of God, but to God’s wisdom, they mean nothing.

Indeed, it is always best to stand for truth and to turn back to what is false. We must always seek and obey what is true and factual because this will lead us to God and salvation. In this unkind world, there are incredibly many forms of fraud and it takes a lot of effort and serious true faith to know which ones are authentic and which ones are not. Truly, we must cling on to the truth so that when temptation comes, we wouldn’t be carried away. There is one true God and he deserves true worship from us.

– Revelation 4:8-11

Do you have the desire to worship your Creator today while you still have the strength to do so? When was the last time you spent time worshiping God?

Worship to God is a natural response to the revelation of who He is and what He has done for us. God is our creator and desires our fellowship with Him. He desires each one of us to know Him personally and to enjoy His presence and blessings forever. The Bible teaches us that the One we worship dwells in a realm of power and majesty.

The Bible describes that the One who sat on the throne in heaven was like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald… and around the throne were four living creatures…and they do not rest day or night, saying, “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, who was, who is, and is to come!” He is the all-powerful, all-knowing, all wise, ever present God that loves us with an everlasting love and commitment.

The desire to worship Him grows in proportion to our revelation of His majesty, glory, mercy and love. When we worship God in the beauty of His holiness, we join the angels and heavenly beings that never stop singing and proclaiming praises to Him in heaven.

To worship God is a privilege we should always seek to experience. The ability and calling to worship Him is far greater than the ability to become the best employee or best businessman in this planet.

I remember this song as one of my favorites, whenever I spend time alone with God.

Down at your feet, Oh Lord,

is the most high place.

In your presence Lord,

I seek your face,

I seek your face.

There is no higher calling,

no greater honor,

than to bow and kneel before Your throne.

I’m amazed at your glory,

embraced by Your mercy.

Oh Lord, I live to worship You.

Now that you know, blessed are those who will choose to kneel before God’s throne, why don’t you choose to do the same? If you desire to worship God starting today, then here’s what you need to know.

Jesus said, “…the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is spirit and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:23-24).

God desires to fill us with His Holy Spirit, and to guide us into all truth (John 16:13). But what is this truth?

Jesus said, “Your word is truth” (John17:17). The Holy Bible was written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and has been given to us to instruct us how to worship God.

So, who are those true worshippers who will worship God in spirit and truth?

True worshipers are people who believe in the Word of God, that is, the Bible. They set their hearts and minds to study the Bible, and so each day they receive a fresh revelation from God. As they spend time reading God’s Word, and grow in knowledge and revelation from the Lord, they learn how to worship God in spirit and truth.

And this naturally becomes their lifestyle, a lifestyle of giving praise and worship to God. This can be done by singing, kneeling, standing, lifting up hands, clapping, dancing, shouting, and through musical instruments. By doing these, they are giving glory to God.

Would you like to become one of God’s true worshipers beginning today? Then surrender your life to Jesus. He is waiting for you all these years. How He long to hear your voice singing in His presence, and giving glory to His name. In His presence, there is fullness of joy and pleasures evermore. In His presence, that’s where you belong.

Who should praise and worship God? Why do we worship God? How should we worship Him and how should we begin coming into His presence?

The Bible mentioned one particular experience of the apostle John in the Book of Revelation and described that awesome experience in the following scripture.

“Behold, a throne set in heaven and One sat on the throne. And He who sat there was like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald…and around the throne were four living creatures…and they do not rest day or night, saying, “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!”…The twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever…saying “You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created” (Revelation 2,3,6,8,10,11).

Did you ever imagine that as we worship God, we join the angels and heavenly beings that continuously sing and proclaim praise to Him in heaven? Oh, God is really awesome! The Bible teaches us that the One we worship dwells in a realm of power and majesty that we cannot conceive of in our imagination. He is the all-powerful, all-knowing, all-wise and ever present God who loves us with an everlasting love and commitment.

We should worship God in spirit and truth. Jesus said: “…the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is spirit and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:23-24). The scripture tells us that God desires to fill us with His Holy Spirit, and to guide us into all truth. But what is this truth? Jesus said, “Your word is truth” (John 17:17). Personally, I do believe that the Holy Bible, written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, has been given to us to instruct us how to worship God. Listed here are some ways on how we should worship God.

• We worship God through singing. “Sing praise to the Lord, you saints of His” (Psalms 30:4).
• We worship God through kneeling. “Oh come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker” (Psalm 95:6).
• We should worship God through standing. “Behold, bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord, who by night stand in the house of the Lord” (Psalm 134:1).
• We should worship God by lifting up hands. “Lift up your heads in the sanctuary and praise the Lord” (Psalm 134:2).
• We should worship God thru clapping of our hands. “Oh, clap your hands, all you peoples!” (Psalm 47:1).
• We should worship God thru dancing. “Let them praise His name with the dance…” (Psalm 149:3).

Worship to God is a natural response to the revelation of who He is and what He has done for us. God is our creator and desires each one of us to know Him personally and to enjoy His presence and blessings forever. Do you know Him personally, like how you personally know your earthy father, your best friend, or your brother? Are you already enjoying His presence and His bounty? If not, then I encourage you to desire and have a personal relationship with the perfect Father, your closest Friend, the One who sticks closer than a brother. Come to Him as you are, no need for masks. Stop trusting in yourself and what you can do and start trusting in Jesus and what He has already done. Tell Jesus that you are sorry for your sins and invite Him to come and inside of you (1 John 1:9; Revelation 3:20). Ask Jesus to become your Savior and your Lord (1 Timothy 1:15; Romans 10:9-10). Repent and turn away from everything God and the Bible call sin (Acts 3:19). Totally commit yourself to obeying Christ every day for the rest of your life (Matthew 16:25).