WORSHIP

by Hallie Gipson

Psalm 29:2 

“Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;

Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness.

Sometimes when we speak of worship, we tend to think of the corporate worship that we participate in during Sunday services. But as we reflect on what worship means to us in our personal relationship with the Lord, is it a part of our daily communication with God? And what exactly is worship?

Strong’s Dictionary of Bible Words includes these phrases to define the word “worship”:

• To prostrate oneself in homage
• To put religion into practice
• To minister to God
• To revere or adore

What does worship look like for you? How do you let God know how much you adore Him? How inhibited are you in your worship?

The following Scriptures help us focus on several elements of worship –- our ‘posture’ (physical stance), how we worship, why we worship, and our attitude as we worship.

Ø      Psalm 95:6-7

          Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker;

          For He is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care.

The posture/physical stance of the Psalmist is bowed down and kneeling. This also tells us why we are to worship God – He is our maker.

Ø      1 Chronicles 16:29

Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name.

Bring an offering and come before him;

Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness.

This verse tells us how we worship – with an offering. It is an action we take because of our love for God. We are worshipping God for His attributes of glory and holiness.

Ø      2 Chronicles 29:30

. . . so they sang praises with gladness and bowed their heads and worshipped.

Although this is an example of corporate worship during King Hezekiah’s reign, it is a fitting example of bowing the head. How did they sing their worship? With gladness!! Our faces should not be downcast when we worship.

Ø      Psalm 100:1-2

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.

Worship the Lord with gladness;

come before him with joyful songs.

The worship in this verse is with ‘gladness’ and the songs are ‘joyful’.

Ø      Matthew 2:11-12

On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary,

and they bowed down and worshipped him.

Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of

gold and of incense and of myrrh.

The Magi showed homage to the Christ child by bowing down, worshipping, and presenting him with gifts.

Ø      John 4:24

God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.

Ø      Matthew 28:9

Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings”, he said.

They (the disciples when they saw Jesus after His resurrection) came to him, clasped his feet and worshipped him.

Our worship here on earth is also a rehearsal of things to come in heaven. And what a worship service that will be!! Revelation 5:-13 gives us a glimpse of that worship:

Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of

myriads, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice,

          “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive

power and riches and wisdom and might and

honor and glory and blessing.”

And every created thing which is in heaven and on earth and under the earth

and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying,

          “To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing

          And honor and glory and dominion forever and ever.”

As you worship Him and meditate on all that He is, consider the attributes listed in the WORSHIP acrostic. God is truly the only One worthy of our worship!!

Worthy

Omnipotent

Righteous

Sovereign

Holy

Incomparable

Perfect