There is not one right way to worship the Lord. How does that statement hit you?
I ask because sometimes we might not even know that we have expectations for something until they are challenged. I hope that by the end of this article you will at the very least be challenged to think through how you worship the Lord now, and how He might be calling you to surrender that. You can worship through song, prayer, silence, fasting, and the list goes on, but the Bible does give us some insight into what worship should consist of.
I have been a part of leading worship in some form for the past 25 years, and I hope that through my experiences I can help shed some light on worship for you. About six years ago the Lord humbled me greatly about my unrealistic expectations in worship. I can remember being in the middle of a time of congregational worship, and I’ll be honest—I thought it was horrible and I couldn’t focus on anything but how unhappy I was with all of it. I didn’t care for the worship leader, I didn’t like the song choices, and I can remember thinking, “I can’t worship to this!” At that moment, I believe the Holy Spirit gave me the following words: “Can you worship Me in word alone?”
I was absolutely crushed. I had made worship all about me. The Lord began to dismantle all of my ideas about what worship should look like. It was not easy to surrender it all, but I am so grateful He saw fit to transform my heart. I was forever changed by that season. He showed me that I can speak what is true about Him and worship Him from a place of gratitude, and there is no formula for that. There is not a melody, worship leader, instrument, building, or anything else that should dictate my worship to the Creator of the universe except His Word alone. My worship should offer my whole thanks to God for all that He is and all that He has done. What is the posture of my heart in worship? Does the Lord have my focus? What is the posture of your heart in worship? Does the Lord have your focus?
I want to look at a few verses in relationship to worship.
John 4:24 — “God is Spirit, and his worshipers must worship him in spirit and in truth.”
Psalm 29:2 — “Give the Lord the glory that is due to his name; worship the Lord in the beauty of his holiness.”
Psalm 95:1-7 — “Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout to the Rock of our salvation! Let us enter his presence with thanksgiving, let us make a joyful noise to him in song. For the Lord is a great God, and great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. O come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, the sheep under his care.”
According to these verses, what is worship? (Old English weorthscipe ‘worthiness, acknowledgment of worth’)
1. Worship is God-focused
2. Our worship should give God glory
3. Worship should speak what is true about God
4. Our worship should be filled with thanksgiving
5. We should humbly come before the Lord in worship
When I come to the Lord to worship Him, my goal should always be to acknowledge who He is and glorify Him because of that knowledge. It’s so easy to get caught up in my preferences and forget that it’s not about me but all about Him.
This list is not exhaustive, and there are many other places in Scripture that talk about worship, but this is a great place to start if you are looking to challenge your ideas on worship.
Chrissy's worship duo with Amanda Chapman, My Strength and My Song, released the original song “You're the Remedy” in September 2023, available from major streaming services. Learn more at their website or listen to their music through their YouTube channel.