True Worship

As one who leads others into God’s presence, I have realized how important it is to have a correct perspective of what worship is. Being a musician, I always felt that if I can just focus on God when I am playing my instrument, it means I worshipped and when I finish playing my music I can focus on other things. One day God revealed to me a higher view of worship. He said to me as I was writing a worship song, “Many of my people are only intense and passionate about Me when they are singing and playing. Why do I have to wait for the music to receive intense attention?” Then the revelation fell into my heart. I need to be intense about God all the time.—which gave me the understanding that worship is not a song, not a thirty-minute period in our service to God, it’s not even lifting our hands, and closing our eyes. Worship is a lifestyle, this is why God seeks such (John 4:23), who would worship Him in Spirit and in truth.

The Lord has shown me that a song, lifting my hands, and closing my eyes and playing my instruments are outward manifestations of what has been going on in my heart all week. If you are married, how would you feel if your spouse only showed interest in you when you are intimate, but after that it’s back to business as usual? In a similar way this is what we do to God when we only show passion for him when we sing and play at worship services and not in our everyday life. Every spouse wants someone who they have a great relationship with all the time, and then out of that great relationship you can express it emotionally, sexually and physically. Ultimately, I believe God is looking for what I call lifestyle worshippers. Those who naturally come into His presence in their daily lives—like fish in the sea—the only time the fish suffers and dies is when it’s out of its natural environment. Likewise, our very life depends on us coming to God and living in his Spirit daily. Today do not box your expression to God in a song or a service, be free and worship Him in and with your life.

Here are a few ways to get started.

1. Meditate on his Word daily.
Joshua 1:8 says, “Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.”

2. Sacrifice your will for his will.
Mark 8:24, “Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.”

3. Make personal time each day for just you and him to talk.
2 Corinthians 13:14, “May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”

4. Be transparent and talk to him about everything that concerns you.
Psalm 139:1 says, “You have searched me, LORD, and you know me.”

5. Acknowledge him in all your daily decisions.
Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”

6. Keep a thankful attitude all day for everything he’s done for you.
Hebrews 13:15 says, “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name.”

Now you can take these steps and then express them in a song, with instruments, and any other forms of expression. These have been some things that have made my worship unto God more amazing and life changing. Make up your mind today that you will be one who the Father seeks for. Make God the center of your very being, and you will begin to see His peace, love and joy overshadow you from day to day.