“I stretch out my hands to you; my soul thirsts for you like a parched land. Selah.”
Psalm 143:6

Worship: showering Almighty God with praise and honor that only He deserves while the peace and joy of His presence wash over your soul. Christians should long for worship as we thirst for water when our throats are dry and parched. But do we? Do we approach the throne of grace with eager anticipation, awe, and wonder as we celebrate and adore our Lord? Do we genuinely worship, or do we go through scripted motions and expected orders of events -labeling it worship but feeling little more than lukewarm contentment?

Worship is a very personal experience. Some comfortably express themselves openly during worship. Others are hesitant to expose such tender and personal emotions publicly. I am not sure it matters which you do, as long as you worship the only one worthy, Jesus Christ, and you do so with purity of heart. Whether it is experienced in privacy or with reckless abandon, worship is a balm for the soul. It is a precious gift from God.

Dare I ask you to remember the last time you sincerely and wholly worshipped God? I’m not talking about singing a unique religious music genre or participating in a specific segment of a church service. I am talking about offering your sincere love, adoration, and reverence to Creator God, the Lord of all. If you know Jesus Christ as Lord, your regular worship offering should be a vital part of living for Him.

Worship is more than music. It is not limited to a church service or a physical posture. Worship can occur wherever we find ourselves seeking a fresh encounter with God. We enter into His presence. We listen, we speak, and we worship. We can worship from our knees, standing on our feet, sitting in our seats, or driving down the road. Our hands may be folded in prayer, lifted above our head in praise, or holding a sleeping infant.

Worship occurs “in your heart.” It happens in your soul, the center of your being. Worship can express itself in your words, hands, arms, feet, or face. It can be an act of service or a quiet conversation. Worship is the expression of pure love and devotion to one righteous and true God. It is the realization and recognition of His unfathomable holiness. We enter into the presence of God Almighty only through his Son, Jesus Christ, and we worship. We offer adoration and praise; we exalt the One worthy. We are “undone” by all that He is.

Ezra declared,

“Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all.” (1 Chronicles 29:11)

The Psalmist exclaimed,

“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name!” (Psalm 103:1) and “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!” (Psalm 150:6)

I pray our worship will be pure, sweet, and offered often. May we understand we worship a holy, perfect, loving, just, and all-powerful creator of everything. As sinners, saved by grace, we only come into the presence of holy God based on our perfect Redeemer, Jesus Christ. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!

Charlene Miller
Lean into Jesus Ministries

#charlenemillerblogs

P.S. I love this beautiful song: “Place of Freedom” by Highlands Worship. I hope it blesses you today!