The Bible has a lot to say about worship. From verses revealing the Psalmist David's devoted heart for worship, to John encouraging us to worship in 'spirit and in truth'. Take a closer look with us and let these passages from scripture transform your worship.
Worship styles vary and it good to go back to basics and root our understanding of worship in scripture. Here are just a few examples: Psalm 95:6 says, "Come, let's worship together; let's kneel before the Lord, who made us.""Give the Lord the glory that is due to his name; worship the Lord in the beauty of his holiness," says Psalm 29:2. John 4:23-24 says, "But the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, because that's the kind of worshipersthe Father wants. God is spirit, and those who worship him must do so in the Spirit and in truth." Matthew 4:10 says, "Jesus told him, "Get away from me, Satan! For it says, "Worship the Lord your God and only serve him." Across these four, short, Bible verses you can find a lot of teaching about how to worship.
Psalm 95 encourages us to adopt a humble posture as we worship God: 'Let's kneel before the Lord'. As we kneel before God we're reminded that it is God who made us. This humbling act of kneeling down before our creator is life-giving and healing for us. It refreshes our perspective and strengthens our resolve in the face of challenge. This is just one of the many reasons the Bible encourages us to lead lives filled with worship, it's actually good for us. This verse also reminds us to worship together. There's a reason corporate worship can feel so uplifting and leave us feeling built up and energised, it's because we were made to worship together!
Psalm 29 reminds us that part of the reason we worship is to give God the glory He's due. It's been humanity's problem, right from the beginning, to try and carry some of the glory that belongs to God. 'Give the Lord the glory that is due to his name' is an important instruction to worship, reminding us that as we do we glorify our incredible God. We don't make a point of glorifying God with our worship because he's needy or craves flattery. Simply put, desiring God's glory for ourselves distorts and contorts us. It bends us out of shape and leads us away from living in healthy relationship with our maker.
Worship shouldn't feel like an empty religious practice or box-ticking exercise. As we worship, assuming a posture of awe and reverence, we empty ourselves of our burdens, stresses and pain. The more we worship the more we lean into intimacy with God making it easier to say Yes to more of His peace and truth in our lives. This beautiful exchange, of our pain for God's peace is transformative. It's this exchange that means we can face whatever it is life throws at us. We were never promised an easy life as Christians, but the more we glorify God through our worship the more we experience the life-giving joy and strength that intimacy with God can bring.
John's teaching, to worship God in spirit and in truth, is perhaps one of the most well known Bible verses about worship. "That's the kind of worshippers the Father wants" John writes. We must worship God with our whole selves: body, soul and spirit must yield to Him and glorify Him. It's easy to go through life with a limited awareness of how we function as holistic, created beings. Practicing disciplines like meditating on scripture and a regular quiet time can help grow your awareness and ability to engage with God with your whole self. Other Bible verses, like Psalm 95:6 and Hebrews 12:28, also talk about how important it is to worship God in spirit and in truth. These verses show how important it is to worship God in a way that is real and true. We shouldn't worship just because we feel it's expected of us.
The opening verses of Psalm 24 are a brilliant place to start when studying honesty and worship. Verses three and four say: "Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god." While it sounds almost too incredible to be true, this Psalm confirms our call to ascend to be with God. This call doesn't just apply to our resurrected lives but to our lives here on earth, today. We must seek God, worship Him and, leaving everything behind, ascend to stand with Him. Worship is a key part of this call because it's the act of worship that purifies us, helping us to leave our hurt behind and move forward with clean hands. God loves us and loves to hear from us, no matter what. We all mess up and make mistakes and the amazing good news of the gospel is that we are loved anyway. Worshipping God honestly means bringing your whole self, mistakes and all, to God and letting Him transform you.
Have you ever found that you can read the same Bible verse a few months apart and have it feel completely different? Scripture is God's living word and all the incredible Bible verses about worship in it contain eternal truths. Depending on what season of life you're in you may connect with one passage more than another. As you study worship in the Bible, let the Holy Spirit draw your attention to one verse over another. Then, use that verse in your quiet times and prayer life over the coming weeks. Romans 12:1 says, "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, by God's grace, to offer your bodies as a holy, living sacrifice that is acceptable to God. This is your spiritual service of worship." This important verses in Romans underlines the truth that we are empowered, by God's grace, to come before Him. We can offer ourselves, every part of our lives, as a living sacrifice to God. This act of sacrifice and worship isn't just limited to the songs we sing either. We can worship in a million small ways throughout our day. It could be something as simple as a walk outside, noticing the beauty of creation as you go. As you seek to worship God know that He loves you, just as you are. Try downloading the Glorify App for more helpful content.
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