I gave my life to Christ in 2006, while I was a Sophomore up at Frostburg State University. I JUST DISCOVERED THE TRUE POWER OF AUTHENTIC WORSHIP A FEW YEARS AGO. I cringe just reflecting back to all the unnecessary moments of worry, frustration, and confusion that could have been tender moments of great JOY and PEACE had I just took advantage of the gift and privilege of worship. One thing I’ve learned over the years is WORSHIP IS A WEAPON- it’s a key, a gateway directly to the heart of God – a place where we can always find FREEDOM and PEACE.
The Merriam-Webster definition of worship is to honor or show reverence for a divine being or supernatural power. To put it in my own terms based upon what I’ve learned and experienced with my own personal relationship with God over the years, I (personally) define worship as total and complete adoration of the king, to wholly and Solely place our focus on God and bless His name as the Highest power. Worship is giving God all we’ve got in holy moments we specifically designated for Him. Worship doesn’t have to take place in any particular place. Of course, the most common places for worship are probably church or ministry settings, but I urge you not to repeat the same mistake I made for years – do not let your worship be confined exclusively to church or ministry related environments. This does such a disservice to one’s self and most importantly, to God.
I spent so many years as a Sunday only worshiper, which is totally lame. More times than I care to acknowledge, I stood in the pews along with the congregation, with my eyes closed, hands lifted on autopilot, uttering the lyrics to worship songs with my mind far from worship. It was just routine for me, something we did in church to kill time before the preacher got up to preach. Half of the time during praise and worship, I was thinking about what I was going to eat after service. The other half of the time I was wishing the preacher would hurry up and mount the pulpit so I could sit down and daydream for the remainder of the service. Isaiah 29:13 was me all the way. In my ignorance, I passed up many moments of deliverance, breakthrough, joy, and freedom by rejecting God’s invitation for me to worship in His presence. What we must always remember is this, worship is a privilege, not a task. But until you build a strong relationship with the Lord, worship may just seem like a task.
We are commanded to worship God – not out of forced religious routine, but out of relationship rooted and anchored in love. We must remember that God is a father. Yes, He is sovereign and above all, but He yearns for us to dwell in Him, and He in us. That’s why He puts His spirit in us once we except Him into our lives. That’s why He sent His son, Jesus, to die and arise to redeem us, restoring us back to our original, intended, rightful, position in relationship with God our father. He doesn’t command us to worship Him just because, He commands us to worship Him in spirit and truth because it connects us to Him. God is seeking worshipers, John 4:23–24. Simply put, worship is intimacy with God.
I recall a conversation I had with a very wise woman of God a couple years back. She explained that we (human beings) were created to worship. To prove this, there are numerous scriptures that instruct us to worship God (Deuteronomy 10:21, Psalm 99:5, Psalm 29:2, Hebrews 12:28, just to name a few). Our nature to worship is irrevocable, we never lose it. It’s embedded in our human DNA, each and every one of us. Each human being on this earth worships in one way or another. We were originally created to worship God, but if we allow our sinful nature to rule us (rather than being saved through Jesus whose blood cleanses and frees us from the lifestyle of sin if we choose Him), our nature to worship is prone to be perverted by sin, leading us to worship idols instead of God. This is the exact meaning of adultery (Psalm 16:4, Galatians 4:8, Psalm 135:15-17).
Idols are simply false gods – anything you prioritize over the true and living God. What does that look like? Pretty simple. Money, sex, drugs, alcohol, success, and worry are just a few of the many things that people often worship (i.e idolize), in lieu of worshiping and focusing on the true and living God. Living a lifestyle of sin is merely the worship of sin (in its many forms). Unfortunately, this type of worship (sin) ultimately leads to death (Romans 6:23, James 1:15). When we choose to worship the false gods of sin (death) instead of the true and living God (who gives life), we are trading in life for death, peace for chaos, freedom from bondage. I’ve been there and done that, and I can tell you from experience it’s crazy. Worship the Lord. There’s no better choice!
There is freedom, peace, pleasure, and joy when we worship in spirit and truth (Psalm 16:11, 2 Corinthians 3:17). There have been moments where extreme negative emotions have dropped off of me during worship. Worship is powerful. It’s a weapon. There were many times when peace replaced the chaos of my mind all because of worship. There have been moments when I have felt the Lord’s embrace (like arms wrapped around me) during intimacy in worship. God loves to spend time with his children like any other good father. Worship is our devoted time with the Father – a time where we release every natural concern and matter to give Him our full attention and loving expression through songs, sweet words of adoration, dance, music, and many other ways in which we can creatively express our love for Him. Worship pulls you deeper and deeper into Him, strengthening your relationship. Once you really experience true, authentic, raw worship (not the idle, routine stuff), you won’t be able to imagine your life without such privilege. Worship today.
Through The Valley to the Mountaintop 