I write this article from my personal experience, not just as
a true worshipper, but also as a worship leader. So as to help you attain the
height that God is calling every of His children to climb through worship. As a
worship leader, I strongly long for all of God’s children to experience the
greatest dimension in God that comes as a result of a wholehearted worship.
In Christianity, there are several spiritual activities
ranging from praying, fasting, giving, meditation, Bible study and many more,
with huge spiritual and physical benefits which are too numerous to mention.
However, another vital spiritual exercise that is often overlooked is WORSHIP.
It comes with a lot of great blessings and this is not excluded to corporate
worship alone but also of private worship.
MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT WORSHIP
Worship in Christianity is not just an activity that involves
singing or talking about God. Like I’ve once said, anyone can talk about God in
a beer parlour or in the house of prostitutes, but that doesn’t mean they are
worshipping God. Worship is beyond singing or saying great words about God, it’s
a matter of the heart that reflects in the act. Worship is all about honouring
God.
Worship is beyond singing a song as some might supposed,
neither does it has anything to do with how fast or how slow a song is. However,
why slower songs are associated with worship is simply because the songs are
solemn, giving worshipers the opportunity to meditate and reflect on the lyrics
of the songs.
Worship is not just music dependent but heart dependent.
Likewise, worship is not feelings dependent but feelings involvement, the fact
that you are feeling bad should not be an excuse not to connect in worship.
We don’t worship to satisfy God’s ego, because in the first
place, God doesn’t have an ego problem that requires our worship. He is God all
by Himself.
I’ve heard some worship leaders said, “let us give (worship)
to God what He cannot give to Himself”. The question is: “do you think God
cannot give worship to Himself?” Jesus said, God would raise up stones to
praise Him if man would not. This implies that God can make anything (just as
He created Angels), anytime to give Him worship, if that is what He needs.
Worship is for our own benefit; it’s for man’s good. Worship
actually affects and changes us, making room in our hearts for God to come and manifest
Himself in our lives.
MY DEFINITIONS OF WORSHIP
Worship is the meeting point between man and Divinity.
Worship is fellowship with Divinity.
Worship is an encounter with Divinity.
Worship is a matter of the heart and the mindset that finds
expression in words and action.
Worship is all about honouring God.
Worship is a reverential act of meditating about the
personality of God which involves the mind, will, intellect, emotion, heart,
mouth, hands and the entire being of a man.
Worship is an act of acknowledging God’s greatness, goodness,
faithfulness, awesomeness, mercies and personality.
Worship is a life changing experience. If it is not life changing,
then it is not worship but only a religious ritual. Worship is truly a life
altering experience. Prophet Isaiah experienced a glimpse of a heavenly worship
and his life never remained the same (Isaiah 6:1-7).
Worship is an experience that helps you get off your mind
from the world system that is full of problems, challenges, stress, lust and
restless pursuits, to focusing your mind on the greatness and personality of
God.
THE CRUX OF WORSHIP
Worship should never be a momentary thing that we do only
when we are in church or having our devotional. Rather, it should be our normal
lifestyle whether in or out of church. I’m still trusting God to attain to that
height where every seconds and activities of my life is all about the worship
of God.
A prayer that is wrapped up in the cloth of worship is very
effective and powerful.
Songs play vital role in connecting us easily in worship. It
is very important to be aware that the song in itself is not worship but only a
medium or a vehicle that takes us there.
Putting your mind on what you are singing is what counts.
That is where the crux of the matter is. That is what the Psalmist refers to as
singing with understanding (Psalms 47:7). This implies that you should know and
understand what you are singing and also mean what you are singing or saying.
9 THINGS WORSHIP WILL
DO TO YOU AND FOR YOU
1.
During Worship There Is A Cleansing Of Impurity
In 1 John 1:7, the Scripture talks about a cleaning from sin
that comes not as a result of a confession of sin, but of one that comes by
fellowship with God. Such kind of fellowship is attainable in the place of
worship where your whole being is focused on the personality of the Great and
Mighty God who is holy and righteous.
Such experience can be explained with this illustration of
gold and fire; when gold in its impure state is brought into (fellowship with)
fire, the impurity in the gold is automatically consumed by the heat of the
fire, even without the gold asking for the impurity to be removed.
That is what happens when you bring yourself into fellowship
with God’s Spirit through worship. Just like darkness cannot exist in the
presence of light, likewise your sins will give way in the place of worship. The
glory of God overshadows and cleans you from any impurity.
All of us! Nothing
between us and God, our faces shining with the brightness of his face. And so
we are transfigured much like the Messiah, our lives gradually becoming
brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become like him. 2 Corinthians 3:18 MSG
2.
In Worship, God Is Magnified Before Your Eyes
God’s promises are good and encouraging. God’s promises
induce hope in us. However, another thing that gives me great hope is the
thought of the greatness and personality of my God.
Don’t forget, I defined worship as an act of acknowledging
God’s greatness, goodness, faithfulness, awesomeness, mercies and personality.
During worship experiences, I see how great my God is. I see
that God is bigger than any man, bigger than any desire of mine, bigger than
any challenge, bigger than whatever I can imagine. This is encouraging to me because
it’s not just that God is bigger, but He is my God and Father who have loved me
with an everlasting love.
For this reason, a true worshipper is the one that is
naturally humbled because of the fact that he knows that he or she is
insignificant compared to the greatness of God.
3.
Worship Beautifies And Puts Smile On Our Face
Worship should not be what is done only when we go to church
or once in a while thing. It should be a continuous experience. The worship of
God should be our lifestyle. Mind you, you have to consciously initiate it. You
have to consciously sing that song, play that worship song, and meditate on the
personality of God. When you do this, your face will unconsciously radiate smile,
showing forth God’s glory.
There is a rob-off of God’s glory that every child of God
experiences when they dwell in God’s presences. That was what Moses experienced
when he stayed with God after which his face shown with God’s glory (Exodus
34:30-35).
If you claim to have had an experience with God in the place
of worship, then it should show in your face. The experience should melt every
mountain before your mind and make you smile home.
4.
Worship Helps You To Function In The Many Graces Of God Effortlessly
God has given us grace for everything we ought to be doing
but this grace only works when we set our gaze on Him, and not on ourselves,
nor the mountain before us. The more we set our gaze on Him, the less effort we
require to live the Triumphant Christian Life.
The act of worship helps you set your gaze on Christ. The more
your gaze is on Him, the more you experience His fullness in every aspect of
your life. This including living the holy life, functioning in your ministry
and being a doer of the Word.
5.
In Worship, You Understand God’s Love
That Christ may dwell
in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be
able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth,
and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye
might be filled with all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:17-19.
Worship is such a powerful spiritual activity that can make anyone
experience the prayers of Apostle Paul, as recorded in Ephesians 3:17-19.
As the light of God’s glory floods your heart during worship,
you will begin to understand and accept God’s love. That is what makes many
cry, smile, dance and laugh during worship.
6.
In Worship, You Get Energetic And Empowered
Sometimes, because of the challenges and temptations of life,
we come to church tired, downcast, defeated and even lukewarm. At such time,
if you can get yourself connected in worship, you will be refreshed and
empowered to continue the Christian race. I believe that was what Apostle Peter
was referring to when he said “refreshing
shall come from the presence of the Lord” Acts 3:19b.
7.
In Worship, You Get Filled With The Holy Spirit
One easy way to get filled or stay continuously filled with
the Holy Spirit is to live a life of worship. When you open your heart to God,
He will fill you. But your heart can only be opened when it is emptied of the
cares and lusts of this world and focused on Christ in an attitude of worship.
And worship gets you to God’s presence where you can have the privilege to be
filled with God’s Spirit.
Instead, be filled with
the Holy Spirit, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves,
and making music to the Lord in your hearts. Ephesians 5:18b-19 NLT.
The above scripture gives a clear connection between getting
filled with the Holy Spirit and singing songs of Worship to the Lord. You can’t
worship God in spirit and truth without getting filled with His Spirit.
8.
Worship Is A Major Key To Accessing God’s Presence
For a child of God, God’s presence should be our continuous
abode. We should never take a leave or break from the presences of God. We do
feel the presence of God the more in Church today, reason is because of the
worship atmosphere in the church. Actually, you can take that presence with you
everywhere you go; whether you are in your home, office, car, or wherever.
Entering God’s presence is the essence of our worship. When
you cultivate an attitude of worship, you will realize how easy it is to carry
the presence of God with you anywhere. Don’t forget, God’s presence comes along
with peace, strength, rest, peace, favour, etc
9.
Worship Affects Your Mentality, Intellect And Emotion
You can’t worship without the involvement of your mind,
intellect and emotion. Take for example; when you take a song during worship,
you have to reason out what you are singing. Is it intellectually accepted by
you? If it is, then it will affect your feeling. That is why you see people cry
during worship. Some laugh. Some just smile. These are emotional expressions
during worship.
But what is more important is the long lasting impact such
worship experience will have on your mentality, intellect and emotion which you
will invariably carry to your day to day activities.
For instance, if you worship with this song: “You are the God of heaven and the earth,
the unquestionable God, My Father and Friend…” One, you have to understand
and accept what you are singing as true and you should be able to relate with
the truth in the song.
If you do, it will affect your mentality and intellect by
programming your mind to see everything in life and everyone in life as
creatures under the control of your God. Furthermore, being aware of the fact
that God is your God, your Father and Friend, should make you feel great every
day.
