The importance of a life of worship

 

What does worship mean to a Christian in his relationship with God?

 Worship is first and foremost a frame of mind and depends on the state of our heart. The Christian, when he worships, accepts in all humility to submit to God as His creature, and to glorify God as Creator. The Christian understands that he was created to worship God. This is true of all creation; for according to Colossians 1:16, all things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, thrones, powers, rulers and authorities, were created through Him and for Him. The Christian therefore adopts an attitude of gratitude for the gift of life (Psalms 115:17) and for the knowledge of God, not only during moments of prayer, but at all times in seeking to please God, doing His will (through his interactions with others, his decisions, etc.).

Why is it important to worship God?

1. Because it's a commandment from God.

 Luke 4:8 " Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.”

Deuteronomy 10:20 " Fear the Lord your God and serve him. Hold fast to him and take your oaths in his name."

John 14:21 " Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them."

 From these three biblical verses, we understand that worship is first and foremost an act of obedience. Indeed, the Christian is one who loves God and translates this love into total obedience to God's commandments.

Deuteronomy 6:5 "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your strength" My understanding of this verse is that we need to be in a state of total submission to God so that our hearts, our souls, our whole being are like frangrant offerings that we give to Him; and so we can transform our lives into a life of worship that pleases God. Therefore, worship is also an act of love towards God. When we love, we prove it, and one of the ways we demonstrate our love for God is by worshipping Him.

 

2. To remain in God's presence.

Psalm 27:4 " One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple."

The Christian who loves God's presence and constantly seeks to create the right environment to dwell in. And this environment is characterized by worhsip, praise, glory and honor; for the Bible,

in Psalms 22:3, teaches us that God inhabits the praise of His people. God enters and dwells where His Name is exalted, glorified, honoured, where the atmosphere of praise and adoration reigns.

Psalms 95:2 " Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.!"

Exodus 3:5 " Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground. " (Similar texts are found in Acts 7:33 and Joshua 7:15).

 

3. Our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit

1 Corinthians 6:19 " Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own "

A temple is a building used for the worship of a god or gods in some religions (Meaning of temple according to Cambridge dictionary). Since our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, this means that it is “purpose-built” for worshipping God. It must therefore be in a state that honors God's presence. As I said in the previous lines, worship is not only verbal, but also expressed in deeds and thoughts. And this is done by seeking God's will in our decisions, actions and thoughts; preserving our bodies and minds from defilement and giving, as a fragrant offering, a life of worship to God. In this way, worshipping God is also an act of faith, in which you’re confessing to God: "I know that my body is your temple, and I want only your Name to be exalted in it, to bow down to you alone, and to bear witness to you everywhere and at all times".

2 Chronicles 5:14 " and the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the temple of God. "

 Habakkuk 2:20 " The Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him. "

 

4. God is seeking true worshippers

 John 4:23 " 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."

God is not looking for those who pray the longest or prophesy the most accurately or heal the sicks or preach the best. He seeks those who worship Him in spirit and in truth. Those who have a true and sincere love for Him in their hearts; for the attitude of adoration comes first from the heart. Those who approach the throne of God with trembling, humility of heart and mind. For he who has a heart full of pride cannot worship God, for he cannot bow down and recognize that he must make himself very small before his Creator God. Isaiah 29:13 " The Lord says: “These people come near to me with their mouth

and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught”. "

God is looking for those who truly dedicate their lives, hearts, and minds to Him. He is looking for those who are truly born again, who carry the Holy Spirit within them, who walk by the Holy Spirit and who therefore produce the fruits of the Spirit. Galatians 5:22-23 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law". Therefore, loving our neighbor is like saying to God, in an attitude of adoration, I know this person is your creature, he's  or she's wonderful and I love him or her....

  

5. Worship brings God's grace into our lives

When we worship God, we draw His presence into our lives in all its glory. Exodus 40:34 " Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle". And God's presence is a source of every kind of blessing. It is a source of peace and joy. Genesis 32:30 " So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, “It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.”. Once, a man of God, during a preaching, made a very interesting comparison between the liberation of Peter and Paul from prison. He said that when Peter was in prison, the church interceded on his behalf with God. And while he was sleeping in his cell, God sent an angel to release him from his chains (Acts 12:5-7). But Paul and Silas, were praying and singing the praises of God in their cell (Acts 16:25-31), thus drawing God's presence into their midst. The glory of His presence shook the foundations of the prison and delivered not only Paul and Silas, but the lives of many. For in God's presence every knee bends, all things are subject to Him, every thong acknowledge that Jesus Christ is (Lord Philippians 2: 11)- This is what happened to the jailer in Act 16: 29-34 and to Paul on the road to Damascus in Acts 9: 3-6 - and the graces that come from His presence touch the lives of all who are there.

 

6. To express our gratitude to God 

Worshipping God in our moments of doubt, fear, joy, humiliation and victory is to recognize that everything in our lives is the fruit of His will, and to express to Him a steady, strong and sincere love that nothing can shake. Indeed, this love urges us to give Him glory in all circumstances for the things He has already given us that, in our eyes, are above all other graces: eternal life, the knowledge of His Person and His presence that will never leave us. Therefore, worship is an act of gratitude. Indeed, when we worship God, we acknowledge that He is our Creator, that He is the source of life, and that all things were created through Him. Therefore, we are acknowledging that our lives, as well as those of our friends, our families, our community and everything around us, are the fruits of His grace. 

Romans 11:36 " For from him and through him and for him are all things.To him be the glory forever! Amen!".

Colossians 4:2 " Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. "

Psalms 95: 6-7 " Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care.".