In some ways worship is like prayer—a bit elusive, hard to define concisely or assign a structure to, and yet something you can’t help but recognize and participate in when it flows from genuine passion. One thing is certain: true worship always focuses on who God is.
What are other signs of true worship? How is it cultivated? What stifles or destroys it? What kind of music fuels it? How can pastors and music leaders provide the best possible environment for people to worship unashamedly and without distraction? And how do modern technology and changing music styles affect worship in the church?
We hope these resources will help clarify the essential elements of true worship. When you engage in this vital communication with God, you’ll be surprised how quickly your worries and negative thoughts evaporate!
The word holy means “set apart” for a specific purpose—like the linen and silverware you use only on holidays. As a place where the truth about God and His Word is modelled, your home can be a holy place—set apart for His children to grow.
What exactly is worship? And is it all that rare? In 1961, while he was speaking to the pastors of the Associated Gospel Churches of Canada, the late A. W. Tozer said that worship “is the missing jewel in modern evangelicalism.”
Worship is more than meditative contemplation, the passive enjoyment of great music, or listening to a well-delivered sermon. Worship requires participation...a response...praise and service, celebration and action.
The Spirit-filled saint is a song-filled saint. And your melody is broadcast right into heaven—live—where God’s antenna is always receptive, where the soothing strains of your song are always appreciated.
There’s something that doesn’t mix—the praise of almighty God and the promotion of self. You cannot blend them, nor should you try. If we devote ourselves to worship, we must remove ourselves from the scene.
Sing loud enough to drown out those defeating thoughts that normally clamour for attention. Release yourself from that cage of introspective reluctance—SING OUT! You are not auditioning for the choir, you’re making melody with your heart.
We dare not allow Easter to pass without sufficiently rejoicing in and declaring our hope. It is Jesus Christ—the miraculously resurrected Son of God—who remains the object of our worship and the subject of our praise.
On a recent tour of Israel, my wife and I went to this hill to hear anew the familiar expressions of “Blessed are” preached by Chuck Swindoll. But there, on the Mount of Beatitudes, it was what I saw, more than what I heard, that really demonstrated the power of Jesus’ words.
Think of each song or hymn as a promise to God, a binding statement of your commitment. Picture the results of this commitment as you sing it with gusto. Then, after the song has ended, apply it with the same gusto. God not only loves a cheerful giver, He honours a sincere singer.
Want more joy in your day? Cultivate it! Joy springs from viewing the day’s events from eternity’s perspective. With this intentional focus, you’re sure to see today differently—with more joy and conviction that God is at work in your life.
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Insight for Living is committed to excellence in communicating the truths of Scripture and the Person of Jesus Christ in an accurate, clear, and practical manner so that people will come to an understanding of God’s plan for their lives, as well as their significant role as authentic Christians in a needy, hostile, and desperate world.
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