Worship is the act of showing reverence and adoration for God. It involves acts of devotion, praise, and gratitude. Worship is more than just singing praise songs in church on Sundays. Worship is any action that glorifies God and gives Him the praise.
The word worship is derived from the Old English word weorþscipe meaning to venerate. It is translated as worthiness or worth-ship and the meaning at its simplest form becomes “worth to something.” In our case, it is worth to God. Both the Hebrew and Greek words for worship mean “to bow down.”
There are two ways we show our worship for God – through our praise and through our actions. Everything can be categorized in one of those two categories. Hebrews 13:15-16 tell us, “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise – the fruit of lips that openly profess His name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.”
In the Old Testament they provided sacrifices to worship God. Many of the Old Testament stories of gratitude or praise involved erecting an altar and providing a sacrifice. The same is true of our worship now. We may not be offering sacrifices of grains or animals, but we are still showing our love and reverence for Him through our actions and attitudes.
Romans 12:1 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.” Let your body be the means of your worship. It is the response of our entire being – heart, soul, mind, and strength. It flows naturally from a repentant, gratitude filled heart, and God finds it pleasing.
Our goal should be to live a life of worship. That means we are honoring God in our bodies every day of the week, not just on Sundays. The Christian life is about worshipping God, bowing down to Him in honor and reverence continuously. God is there for us every minute of every day, so why are we not honoring Him in response every day?
True worship is focused on God and only Him. It is not a performance, or an action we engage in with hopes of receiving something in return. It is done in spirit and in truth (John 4:24). It is not limited to one action only but is anything you do when your heart and attitude are in the right place, which means focused on Him.
We also need to remember that worship is for God only. Only He is worthy of our worship (Revelation 19:10). That means we do not offer worship to anyone or anything else. Saying this may make some denominations angry, but our worship should be for God only – not saints, prophets, statues, other Gods, or Mary, the mother of Jesus. True worship is the acknowledgement of God and His worthiness. Our worship glorifies and exalts Him.
Ways We Can Worship
There are many ways to worship God. Below are just a few. Remember, worship is any act that honors and glorifies God. If your action is done from the right place, with an open heart full of gratitude and admiration, but is not listed below, then it can still be called worship. The following are just examples to help you understand what worship can include.
Worship can be public or private, communal (with others) or on your own.
Singing
This is the most common form of worship and one that people will identify as worship immediately when asked. We sing worship songs in church each week to help us prepare our hearts for the message we are to receive.
The Psalms are full of verses that support singing and the use of instruments in worship. For example, Psalm 149:1 – “Praise the Lord. Sing to the Lord a new song, His praise in the assembly of His faithful people.”
Other Scripture also supports the act of singing in worship. Colossians 3:16 says, “Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.”
Service
We will cover service and serving others in the next lesson, so will not go into detail here. But acts of service are considered worship. Through our acts of service we put our faith into action through the sacrifice of self by serving others and meeting their needs. By putting their needs ahead of our own, we are filled with joy and fulfillment as the response or reward for our service.
Matthew 25:35-40 demonstrates this principle. “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me. Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’”
Prayer
Prayer is a form of worship where we connect with God and place our trust in Him. Through our prayer we express our emotions, gratitude, praise, and thanksgiving. And through these prayers we are glorifying God. Even when we are interceding on behalf of others or confessing our sins, our act of praying is honoring Him and acknowledging His ultimate power and authority over us.
Jesus desires His people pray so that He may work and therefore glorify the Father. John 14:13 says, “And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”
Gathering
We already covered the importance of fellowship and the gathering together of the saints frequently in a previous lesson. But when we gather with others we engage in an act of worship. When we gather, it can be for different reasons but will still be considered worship. For example, we might come together for church, we might gather for a small group or Bible study, we might join one another with the purpose of praying for others, or we may unite to complete a service or outreach project. There are many ways we can join our fellow brothers and sisters as one corporate body of Christ – and all of it is worship.
In 1 Corinthians 14:26 we see the following, “What then shall we say, brothers and sisters? When you come together, each of you has a hymn, or a word or instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. Everything must be done so that the church may be built up.”
Giving
Acts of giving are a common form of worship. This can be giving of one’s time, physical items like clothing, books, or household items, or financial. The early Church gave everything they had – they sold all their items and gave to the church, to one another. In the Old Testament they gave sacrifices to God. There are many different references you can look up regarding the importance of giving to God.
The Apostle Paul instructs Timothy to “Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.” (1 Timothy 6:18-19)
Postures
In addition to these ways of worshipping, there are also postures we might assume during worship. Postures are movements or positions someone holds their body in. These include, but are not limited to:
- Hand raising
- Dancing or swaying
- Standing during song or prayer
- Bowing during song or prayer
- Prayer walking
Study Questions
- What is worship?
- How does someone worship God?
- Why do you think worship is important?
Think About It
Think about what you have learned about worship and compare it to worship you have seen in church. Have you seen any of the postures from the end of the lesson in your church? Have you worshipped in any of those postures? Why or why not?
Discipleship Program Index | Lesson 8 | Lesson 10
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