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The concept of worship carries many connotations. As I remember, in our household, for years it was only a Sunday morning obligation called "the worship service" -- one hour maximum, and pity the minister if he dared exceed that. Sometimes, glorious sounds from the organ and a particularly wonderful choral offering made one feel warm, squishy, and a little closer to God. But generally it was an opportunity to be with like-minded friends we hadn't seen all week and to be reminded that God loves us and sustains us through the ups and downs of life.
 Now, after 30 years as a Spirit-baptized Christian (sad to say, not always Spirit-filled), and a life-time of church-related activities, I am, at times, grieved by these memories. It saddens me to recall that so many of us were unaware that worship in the true and deepest sense is something quite different from merely a weekly encounter in a service. Even today many Christians are only just beginning to recognize worship as a life-style calling and necessity.
Someone once said that "worship" is giving "worth to the one due it." Another challenged us to be worship. That latter statement is, at first, hard to grasp. We asked: How can I be worship? Could it mean a life so filled with the Spirit of God that each attitude and action gives worth to the One due it? Could it mean "something I am" not "something I do?" Could it be a fruit of developing intimacy with God which takes time, desire and a single-mindedness above other distractions?
Surely worship includes ardent love and adoration, respect and recognition of God's immensity, thanksgiving, which is a heart-sense not just words, and dynamic devotion.
"So here's what I want you to do. God helping you: take your everyday ordinary life -- your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life -- and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for Him." (Rom 12:1)
As a result of these last seven years of renewal and the fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit, I have experienced ever increasing, spontaneous times when my heart is suddenly drawn to Him -- for example, this morning as I was transferring shirts from the washer to the dryer.
I find my personal prayer and study of the Word more frequently includes expressions of the chorus:
"I worship You, Almighty God.
There is none like You.
I worship You, O Prince of Peace.
That is all I want to do.
I give You praise
For You are my righteousness.
I worship You, Almighty God.
There is none like You."
As well, the music, songs of praise, and declarations of love and thanksgiving during corporate worship have taken on a new dimension and have drawn me into His Presence as never before.
The Old and New Testaments are full of exhortations to devote ourselves to God with all of our heart, soul and strength. To "devote" is to "concentrate on a particular purpose, pursuit, or cause." Zeal alone does not please Him and we must guard against letting the works of the Kingdom become more important than knowing the King. One cannot pretend worship or devotion as God knows our hearts and watches for true adoration and obedience to His Word and ways, not just lip service. He wants us to persevere in following Him, refusing complacency.
As we come to worship Him in spirit and truth, the Holy Spirit quickens our worship. He enables us to do this frequently, using our personal prayer language as well as our ability to pray and worship with our human understanding. Our natural expressions can be so limited that I truly thank God for the ability to worship and pray in tongues.
As well, true devotion includes soaking in His Word and becoming radically transformed into a Christ-like child of God. Our minds become renewed so we can know and do His will moving even more into a dynamic relationship with Him.
Again, worship is a passionate hunger for God, intimacy with Him, learning to hear His voice, growing in awareness of His guidance and knowing His peace. All these are ingredients we need in order to be effective ministers on the prayer teams. They are really only developed out of devotion and worship.
Thank You, Lord, that You are enabling us to mature in these areas.
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