Worship - Part Two

Last time, I began sharing with you my definition of worship. Through a quick word study, we learned that worship is important to God. We learned that worship is usually tied to something or someone (ideally God), and that it can be an immediate or continual response. We also learned that there are other words that tie into the subject of worship, words like prayer, sacrifice, serve, remember, and bow down.

The disciples, after Jesus’ ascension, “were continually in the temple praising God.” (Luke 24:53) We are also told “Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18) Since we know worship is important, how can we incorporate worship into our daily lives? Here are a few ideas to get you started:

Music: What kind of music do you listen to when you are driving? Singing praise music in the car can be a great alternative to road rage! How about when you exercise? I find listening to upbeat Christian music while I am out running not only keeps me moving, but reminds me to praise God for the beautiful weather, and the ability to run in the first place.

Prayer: Nothing fills my heart with more joy than to wake up with God being the first thing on my mind. Taking a minute to thank Him for the day before my feet even hit the floor sets my day on the right track.

Sacrifice: Sacrifice is different for everyone. Some days, just taking the time to sit down and crack open my Bible seems like a sacrifice! However, when I read my Bible regularly, it allows me to see how God has worked, and continues to work in peoples’ lives. I am reminded of what an amazing God we serve, which causes my heart to worship and rejoice in Him!

Serve: When we think of serving, we usually think of the big things – becoming a missionary, serving the Lord full time, etc. But we can worship God by serving Him in the little ways too. Smile to the cashier who is checking your bags at the grocery store. Call a friend. Pray for someone when their name crosses your mind.

Remember: God reminds us often in His Word to remember, primarily because it’s so easy for us to forget! I don’t tend to forget Him in the midst of a trial, but forget Him when life is on “cruise control”. I encourage you to take time throughout the day to remember Him. When you are running errands, stop for a second and look at the mountains. Our mighty God created them! Look at the people around you, realizing that God cares for each and every one of them! Taking even brief moments to ponder God’s magnificence during the day is a great way to worship Him.

Bow Down: While it can be good to bow down while praying, bowing down to me is more a matter of the heart. It’s too easy to rush into the throne room of God, giving Him our requests like a child gives a wish list to Santa. Our focus instead should be on remembering who He is. He knows our needs even before we do!

There are certainly other ways to worship the Lord, and each of us finds particular meaning in certain aspects of worship over others. Worship is a vital part to your on-going relationship with the Lord. Enjoy worshiping Him!