2 Corinthians 9:7, Psalm 27:4, 1 Thessalonians 5:18, Luke 22:42, John 4:24

Paul Critchley

As part of my own journey with Jesus and my working with worship teams and congregations, I've looked at all sorts of definitions of the word worship. There are as many descriptions as there are expressions, so, I thought I'd explore a bit deeper with you some that I've found helpful in not only understanding the word but living it out.

It Starts With A 'D'

Worship can't just be something we do, but it needs to be something we desire to do.

The Bible says that, 'Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver'. 2 Corinthians 9:7

Our worship is a gift we give to God. The truth is he often gives back to us in worship so much more than we give him, but it begins as a gift from us to God.

One of the greatest songwriters of the Old Testament, King David, wrote this, 'One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple.' Psalm 27:4

David's deep heart reaction to God was that he wanted to and chose to worship.

If you spend some time delving into the book of Psalms you can see the consistent intent of David, even in troubled times, of which he experienced many. He turned his attention to God, the one he'd found to be faithful and the one he declared to be worthy of praise. In fact, throughout the book of Psalms the words 'praise and worship' appear 165 times. It was David's deep desire and something that he declared out loud!

Now Give Me An 'A'

It's one thing to have a heart to worship, but what could it look like for us right here and now? How can I turn my desire into action....

One expression of our worship is remembering to thank Him.

'In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you'. 1 Thessalonians 5:18

I know only too well that the reality of life, is that 'stuff happens'. However, it's good to recall God's goodness and to remember his faithfulness. It's only with the gift of hindsight that we can see what God has been doing, even in difficulty; building character, causing us to lean harder into him, learning to trust him more. It's all good.

Often, our worship is most significant when we offer it to God through pure obedience. Jesus himself gave us an amazing example of this as he prayed in the garden of Gethsemane. He was worried and upset. He did not want to die. He didn't want to go through all the suffering he knew lay in the near future but still, he prayed, 'Not my will but thine be done'. Luke 22:42.