Many Christians go to a worship service at a church every week. If you’re one of them, have you ever stopped to think if you are actually worshipping during those services? I’ve spent many years working with Worship Pastors so I know the worship team is trying their best to lead you in worship. But are you really worshipping?
The Bible makes it clear that God doesn’t want empty sacrifices or rituals. Simply being in a worship service and giving to the offering and listening to the teaching and singing some worshipful songs mean nothing to God if you’re not even thinking about Him while you’re doing it all. He wants all that we do to flow out of a heart that is focused on Him and surrendered to Him. That’s what makes it worship.
So here are some things to think about the next time you go to a worship service.
Are you prepared to worship?
When you come to the service are you already thinking about God? Are you already talking to Him? Are you longing to pour your heart out to Him and to hear from Him? Are you even expecting to connect with Him during the service?
Are you directing your thoughts and worship to God throughout the service?
Are you consciously thinking about connecting with God and worshipping Him while you’re gathered there with other believers? Is that why you’re there? To worship Him?
It’s very easy to simply go through the motions of worship without authentically connecting with God at all. Remember the Pharisees? We too can easily have a great worshipful time together without really connecting with God. But that’s not worship.
Are you really thinking about what you’re singing during the worship songs?
Do you consciously think about the words of what you’re singing during the worship set? And I’m not asking if you believe the words. I’m guessing you do. What I’m asking is, are you consciously thinking about the words of the songs and then directing them appropriately?
When we sing songs that are about God, if we’re really thinking about the words, we should be singing them to each other. Those songs are similar to the pastor’s teaching. Truth is truth whether it’s spoken or sung. And it shouldn’t matter if the song is upbeat or slow. If it’s truth about God, let’s encourage each other with the words.
If the song is actually a prayer, we should be consciously singing it to God, not to each other. If it’s a prayer, it’s a prayer whether it’s spoken or sung. And again, it shouldn’t matter if the song is upbeat or slow. Songs that are prayers should be sung to God if we’re really thinking about what we’re singing.
Worship is about God
Unfortunately many worship services are filled with people who are having a nice time together, with the assumption that God is somewhere watching them and saying, “That’s nice.” Wouldn’t it be great if our worship services were filled with people who were coming together and each actively connecting with God in that moment; where God is a part of the service and not just watching from afar.
What God wants from you is a real relationship, not just a form of religion. The next time you go to a worship service, consciously think about connecting with Him and worshipping Him. That’s what a worship service should be about.
by Bernice Gudgel
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