Christianity should be seen as a lifestyle rather than a religion. We need to express our love and adoration to Jesus in the form of worship. We must not confuse praise with worship. Praise is an outward celebration through song, dance or clapping of our hands and is often accompanied by thanksgiving and gratitude, whereas worship goes much deeper and is far more sacred. Worship is a deep inward expression where our human spirit connects with the Spirit of God.
It’s a time when all emotional stimulants like music and song are silenced, and you find yourself bowing before Him in total surrender, pouring every bit of you into Him. Your spirit yearns. You may even weep. It is in this moment that you would have fulfilled your purpose as a true worshipper.
But many Christians may struggle with worship for many reasons. Many may feel self-conscience, or they may feel unworthy to worship God. Let’s understand why and learn how we can prepare ourselves for a life of worship.
“Come, let us bow down in worship,
let us kneel before the Lord our Maker;
7 for he is our God
and we are the people of his pasture,
the flock under his care.” (Psalms 95:6-7)
Here are 5 Practical Ways to Prepare Yourself to Worship God
1. Be clear as crystal
God already knows you since He is omniscient. He is all-knowing. Your movements, thoughts and motives are no secret to God; therefore, be mindful of this and seek His forgiveness so that your thoughts and conscience are clear when you worship Him. The devil will try to get in the way of your worship, as that’s what he does; he will put thoughts in your mind reminding you of your shortfalls, but if you confess your sins, God is faithful to forgive you, and the devil then has no hold on you as your sins are under the blood of Jesus (1 John 1:9).
2. No lip service
Don’t be guilty of worshipping and praising God because you want to sweet talk Him into prospering you. Praise and worship are not for your entertainment. Your worship is to the audience of ONE.
Matthew 15:8-9 says, “These people honour me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.”
1 Corinthians 14:25: “ As the secrets of their hearts are laid bare. So they will fall down and worship God…”
3. Be the one He seeks
In John 4:21-24, Jesus said, “Woman, believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22 You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is Spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”
This, by far, is one of my favourite scriptures in the Bible. It breaks my heart to think that God has to seek true worshippers. He longs for humanity to be sincere in their worship. To seek means ‘to desire’. Can you imagine God, the Creator, roaming the earth in search of worship? Is worship from His creation so rare that God has to long for it?
4. Don’t cheat on Him
This relationship with Jesus is like a marriage. It’s a covenant. He wants total commitments. He is a jealous God ( Exodus 20:5); therefore, you cannot worship other gods. He will not tolerate lukewarm relationships; He will vomit you out. Revelations 3:15-16 says, “I know your works that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. 16 So then, because you are lukewarm and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.
In Matthew 4:10, Jesus said to the devil, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: Worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.”
5. Be the worship
Worship should be like breathing. It should be an effortless union between you and God. The only way to achieve this is to heed to steps 1 to 4 above. Don’t just worship; be the worship offered into His throne room. Become the worship.
The children of Israel took their offerings to worship God; they built altars and offered sacrifices in worship. We, on the other hand, have been redeemed from this sacrificial worship. We should offer our bodies as a living sacrifice. Our lifestyle should be worship; all we do and think should be aligned with God’s teachings.
Romans 12:1-2 says, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
So get into a time of worship with the Lord, block out the noise of life and tune into His presence. He has a lot to say to you.