The Privilege of Worship

We should be grateful that we were given a kingdom that cannot be shaken. And in this kingdom, we please God by worshiping him and by showing him great honor and respect (Hebrews 12:28 CEV).

One of the greatest honors that we have as God’s children is the privilege to worship Him. Our worship of the Lord is so sacrosanct; it’s not something you do halfheartedly and irreverently. Some people could be in an environment of worship and be distracted by several things. Some could even be using their phones or exchanging pleasantries while worship is going on. That’s irreverent.

The Lord deserves and demands true worship. True worship is from the heart, offered without distractions. And true worshippers are the ones who have known the Father. Recall the conversation between the Master and the lady from Samaria in John 4. In verse 20, the woman said, “Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.”

The Lord responded, saying, “…Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews” (John 4:21-22). Observe that Jesus didn’t say the Samaritans weren’t worshipping at all; rather, He said they didn’t know whom they were worshipping.

Then He said, “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall Worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him” (John 4:23). So, there are true worshippers! When you learn to worship God truly from your heart, it’ll build your life and bring you tremendous blessings.

Take your times of worship seriously, especially worship in praise to God in the church. We worship God in our service to Him, in the things we do for Him; we worship Him in prayer as part of worship, but we also worship Him in praise and that’s the most important of them all. Always maintain not just an attitude, but a life of reverence, where you give true worship to the Lord.

\When we talk about worship, there’re those who don’t understand what it is. They wonder, “Who do you worship?” “Why do you worship?” “What are the benefits of worship?”

Worship is the recognition and appreciation of the goodness, blessings, kindness and righteousness of God. It’s the recognition, appreciation or confession of His character. For example, when you give thanks to God and say, “Lord, you’re good; you’re kind; you’ve blessed me; you’re righteous,” etc., you’re defining, recognizing, and appreciating His character.

God likes it when you worship Him like that because it shows who He is in your life; it separates Him from everyone else and from everything else. When you thank Him for His goodness, provisions, blessings, and all the wonderful things He’s given you, and done for you, you’re attributing those beautiful works to Him. The necessary result is that He’ll do more in your life.

Furthermore, worship brings to us a greater revelation of God. This is why we worship God and not men, angels or things. Neither men nor angels have the capacity or ability to reveal themselves beyond what they themselves can perceive. You can’t grow spiritually from knowing an angel or another human being; no human can reflect you to you, because every human being is unique to himself. But in fellowship, God reveals Himself to you, and in that process, He reveals you to you, and also reveals your future, your life, your personality, your value and then His purpose for your life.

That’s why when you study the Bible and read of men and women who encountered God, they all had a divine revelation of God’s purpose for their lives, an understanding of the future that God was leading them into, and a revelation of God Himself. Thus, worship for us is something much more than a form, a ritual or mere religious activity. When we worship God, there’s true recognition, a true perception, and real encounter with Deity.

When you’re in church and it’s time to worship, or when you worship in your closet, give it your attention; worship the Lord in reality, with this understanding.

I will worship toward thy holy temple and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth… (Psalm 138:2).

Oftentimes, people like to distinguish between praise and worship because they think they have major differences. But not really; praise is worship. Praise is one of the things you do when you worship God. In fact, it’s the highest part of worship. The simple difference between them is that worship includes other things you do for the Lord. For example, your service to God is an act of worship.

Once you clearly understand praise as the highest part of worship, you’ll realize how important it is in your relationship with God. The Bible says, “Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:5).

The Church is a holy priesthood assigned to offer up spiritual sacrifices to God, and there are different kinds of sacrifices. An example is when you give up something valuable for God or you volunteer your time through missionary activities. But the highest sacrifices are the sacrifices of praise.

The Bible says, “By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name” (Hebrews 13:15). Notice that it says we’re to offer our sacrifice of praise to God continually, not just once in a while. This shows just how important it is. Paul describes it as the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His Name.

David made a similar reference in Psalm 69:30-31. He said, “I will praise the name of God with a song and will magnify him with thanksgiving. This also shall please the Lord better than an ox or bullock that hath horns and hoofs.” Did you see that? He said, “I will magnify him with thanksgiving.”

The next verse lets us know that carrying out this act of praise to God is a massive testimony; it says, “The humble shall see this, and be glad…” (Psalm 69:32). Even now, give thanks to the Lord. Praise Him lavishly from your heart; think of something you want to thank Him for and then go ahead to praise Him profusely.

Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him: talk ye of all his wondrous works (Psalm 105:2).

All the great men or women of God you find in the Bible were singers of the Lord’s praise. No wonder they lived an extraordinarily victorious life in every way. It’s time for us to learn to praise and sing unto the Lord Most High; we’re to sing songs of the Spirit, for we’re singers of His praise!

For example, after crossing the Red Sea and witnessing how the Egyptian warlords perished in it, Moses broke out in songs of praise: “…I will sing unto the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously…The LORD is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father’s God, and I will exalt him. The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name” (Exodus 15:1-3).

When the Israelites fought against King Jabin and destroyed him, Deborah and Barak sang to the Lord with these beautiful words: “Praise ye the LORD for the avenging of Israel…Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes; I, even I, will sing unto the LORD; I will sing praise to the LORD God of Israel” (Judges 5:2-3).

How about Miriam’s poetic acknowledgment of Israel’s miraculous deliverance from the charging Egyptians: “…Sing to the LORD, because he has won a glorious victory; he has thrown the horses and their riders into the sea” (Exodus 15:21 GNB).

Over in the New Testament, we read the prophetic utterance about Jesus that says, “…in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee” (Hebrews 2:12). The prophetic utterance about Jesus declares that He would sing praises to the Lord amid the church, among His brethren. And He did. Hallelujah! The night before He was betrayed after He had served His disciples the Holy Communion, the Bible says, “They sang a hymn and went directly to Mount Olives” (Matthew 26:30 MSG). Then in Luke 10:21, He did something beautiful: He sang a psalm. Psalms are spiritual songs. Glory to God!

The phrase “spiritual songs” in the verse above means songs of the spirit. The Apostle Paul made the same reference in 1 Corinthians 14:14-15 when he talked about singing in tongues—singing in the spirit: “For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful. What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.”

Singing with the spirit is singing in other tongues. These songs come out of your spirit, not from your understanding. It’s similar to the way you yield your tongue to the Holy Spirit to pray in tongues, only that this time, you’re singing in other tongues and worshipping the Lord.

Jesus said, “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24). Worshipping in the spirit is the climax. You may sing and worship the Lord in your understanding and that’s okay, but to ascend higher; sing songs of the Spirit, from your spirit! Worship and relate from your spirit; it’s a deeper fellowship. Your songs of the spirit are songs of worship and praise to the Lord. Those who listen to you may not like the tune or melody, but it makes no difference. You’re not singing to them; you’re singing to the Lord! You’re making melodies of worship to the Lord, just as praying in tongues isn’t unto men but unto God (1 Corinthians 14:2).

Worshipping in the spirit brings about a divine exchange; as your spirit passes words in the spirit to God, the Holy Spirit imparts information to your spirit. When you’re through with such sessions of worship and fellowship, you’re full of the Spirit and are in dominion. At that point, nothing moves you. You’re more than certain of your victory. Your spirit has dominion!

Christianity is a life of the spirit, lived from the inside out. Therefore, learn to worship the Lord in the spirit, with your spirit, and by the Holy Spirit: “For we are the circumcision, which worships God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh” (Philippians 3:3).