I would be a fool if I tried to define worship with words. But through my own experience mixed with what the Bible says on this topic I am sure that you will be enriched in your concept of worship by meditating on this post.
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Gratitude
20 years ago I began to discover worship. As a teenager, a small ball appeared on my lower lip. The doctor who evaluated me said I needed to have a microsurgery to remove and evaluate that material. That same afternoon, I underwent the procedure and left the hospital with some stitches in that area of my lip.
Not only was the fright of going to the operating room that afternoon, but also at night the stitches began to bleed more and more. Since my parents had no car at that time, they had to call an ambulance that took me back to the hospital. It took three or four more stitches on my lower lip, replacing the old ones.
A few days later I went to an event in my church, even without being able to say much. The moment of praise to God in that meeting was common, but it became unforgettable for me.
Upon returning home, I licked my lower lip and didn’t feel the stitches that the doctor would remove next week. As soon as I got home, I looked in the mirror and could confirm that not only were the stitches completely gone but my lip had no scars. As I worshiped God, He touched my lips and healed me inexplicably. Thank God!
Worship Precedes Prayer
No one prayed for me. I did not feel anything. But when worship precedes prayer, miracles happen even without asking for them. Jesus taught us to worship the Father before we pray. Thus we will grow in our relationship with God. He is the Creator, the beginning and the end of all things, the One who was, who is, and is to come. The Lord alone is holy, holy, holy and worthy of all worship!
God our Father who is in heaven.
Jesus, Gospel of Matthew 6:6
You are great. We want people to praise your name.
Today I understand that part of the miracle He performed by touching my lips that night included ripening the affected tissue and disappearing with the stitch line. What an experience! I simply worshiped God and He healed me and reveal more of His person to me.
Sincerity
Worship always encourages a process of spiritual maturation, supernatural development, and greater revelation of who God is. At the same time, a person must reach a certain level of maturity in Christ to truly worship God. This has nothing to do with your intellect but with your spirit.
God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.
Jesus, Gospel of John 4:24
Adam, the first man, never worshiped God. The Bible says God gave instructions to him, blessed him in so many different ways, but does not make a single reference to Adam worshiping God. Worship is a priority subject in all history, and Scripture would certainly have recorded an act of worship from Adam to God. But that just didn’t happen.
Certainly Adam was very healthy in his physical, knowledgeable in his intellect, and lived in a perfect environment permeated with innocence. But Adam did not advance to know God. He easily became involved with Eve, but dared not seek God even a little.
Since Adam, however, there has been a process of continual revelation of the person of God. Each generation has discovered more about His character, the way of relating to Him, His plan of love, the benefits of a life in union with the Creator, and the consequent fruits of that choice.
Considering that we are well advanced in this process of discovering who God is and how He relates to us in Christ, we can understand that we are much more likely to worship God than Adam. And this condition of greater revelation should not be a matter of comfort or pride, but of greater responsibility.
Honor
Like Adam in the beginning, I remember never praising my father or intentionally honoring him as a child. But as I grew older, I began to realize his love and how much he invested in my life. So my understanding of who my father really is has progressed. And after Micael was born, I found out what it’s like to be a father. Then I came to value even more who my father is. Every healthy relationship grows to an ever greater level of revelation from generation to generation.
The fact is, Adam was not spiritually mature. Unfortunately this is the reality of many people today who reverse the order of things, prioritizing work, well being and everything else. Worship is a priority. God created man for the praise of his glory. And Adam did not seek to develop his relationship with God, but preferred the comfort and pleasure of his garden.
The Firstfruit of Worship
His son, Abel, was the first human being to worship God. And it cost him his life! His elder brother Cain brought an offering from the fruit of the earth to the Lord, knowing that it was not right. This was disapproved because God is not interested in offerings or worship but in worshipers. Cain gave a gift but did not worship God. Note that Cain did not sacrifice anything.
Abel, in turn, brought by faith the best part of the first offspring from his flock of sheep to offer to God. It was a sacrifice, with shedding of blood and fat. These elements point to the perfection that is in Christ and the anointing of the Holy Spirit necessary for the worshiper. And God gladly accepted this veneration, approving his offer.
By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks
Hebrews 11:4
Worship implies sacrifice, what is desirable and often expensive. This is the kind of worship that God likes. You can give something to God without worshiping Him, but you cannot worship Him without offering something precious. If He sees in you a heart surrendered to Jesus and filled with the Holy Spirit, you will be worshiping well!
LaMar Boschman, my teacher and pioneer of the worship we have today, says that “if worship is not in your heart, it is not in your art.” Worship is spiritual. And only you can decide how much to invest in your relationship with God. Abel was the first to boldly launch himself into this mystery, and we learned something from him.
Worship: A Dangerous and Powerful Ground
Worship always includes death. As we know, Cain attacked and killed his brother Abel. Every time you worship God, something in you will die. And God will exchange your old man for the new as you expose yourself to his presence with your worship.
This is a valuable privilege that men share with angels, who exalt the Lord in heaven unceasingly. Note that demons cannot worship God. When they tried to express themselves before Jesus, He did not allow them. Sad situation. The only condition worse than not being able to worship God is choosing not to.
And demons also came out of many, crying, “You are the Son of God!” But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Christ.
Gospel of Luke 4:41
Worship or Idolatry
Worship brings definition to an environment. This can be extremely healthy, propitious to miracles and intimacy with the Creator. Or it could be an altar for idolatry, depending on your heart.
A. W. Tozer said that “the essence of idolatry is the entertainment of thoughts about God that are unworthy of him.” More than images that are abominable, the theses about who God is from a cold heart and far from the truth are an offering the Lord will never accept. He is God. It is up to us to seek to discover Him in some spiritual and sincere way, for in His grace He is always ready to reveal Himself to us.
Conclusion
We need to learn to worship through a relationship of gratitude, sincerity, and honor to the Lord. The Creator God is worthy of all worship. And our only reason for life is to give Him the deserved honor.
So my goal with this post was just to arouse a holy curiosity in you about this topic. You will discover the power of worship when you dare to seek Him in spirit and in truth. And your greatest efforts will never come close to the price He paid for you to enjoy the privilege of worshiping Him.
Prayer: God, thank you so much for the opportunity I have to worship you. I want to be a worshiper who brings joy to your heart. Please teach me how to walk this mysterious path of worship, in spirit and in truth, to your glory in Christ Jesus. Amen.
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Bonus: Thoughts on Worship
“The most important thing about worship is how your heart stands. External factors doesn´t matter, your heart matters.” Saulo Domingos
“Worship is love expressed.” Robert Morris
“Worship is a universal urge, hardwired by God into the very fiber of our being – and an unbuilt need to connect with God.” Rick Warren
“Because He never changes, our praise of Him should never cease.” D. McMinn
“We become what we worship.” K. Beale
“Jesus is the perfect worshipper, knowing His Father uninterruptedly, submissively and completely.” H. Best
“The Sabbath is not a wasted time. It is a worship time.” LaMar Boschman
“In heaven there is a multiplicity of music because God delights in diversity.” LaMar Boschman
“Worship is about an encounter – coming into God´s presence.” Jack Hayford
“Worship is the key component for God’s blessings; but God doesn’t look for worship, He looks for worshipers.” Mike Massa
“You can give something to God without worshiping Him, but you cannot worship Him without offering something.” Thiago Duzzi
“We need to learn to worship through a relationship of gratitude, sincerity and honor to God.” Thiago Duzzi
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