“For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.” (John 4:24, NLT)
If you’ve been a Christian for any length of time, you’ve likely come to understand that worship is far more than singing a pre-selected set of songs on Sunday morning. Worship is the very thing that fuels our days. Everything can be an act of worship. However, there are three key ingredients to living a life of intentional worship.
1. Adoration
True worship begins with adoration, or praise and thanksgiving, from a heart that genuinely magnifies the Lord. Adoration is devotion out of love that is overwhelmed by His beauty, strength, and majesty. It is love in response to the One who first loved us (Romans 5:8). This can manifest itself in a variety of ways—through song, through speech, and prayer. And that leads us to our second ingredient…
2. Prayer
The Bible compares prayer to incense offered up in worship. When we pray, we pour our hearts out to Christ as a fragrant offering. We ask for forgiveness and intercede for others. We ask for direction and clarity, comfort, healing and peace. We also listen for His response. 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18 reminds us, “Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”
3. Obedience
The final component for living a life of intentional worship can be challenging. In today’s society, obedience to God’s Word is often regarded as old-fashioned, uncool and unimportant. Regardless, God values our obedience and submission more than anything else we offer Him. It is so important, my dear friends, to not only read the Bible but to also live out its truth in loving obedience every day. James 1:22 says, “But don’t just listen to God’s Word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.” Obedience to His voice is better than any sacrifice we can offer.
These three essential steps take discipline, yet when practiced, I think you’ll find them immeasurably useful. We are created to worship. Through adoration, prayer, and obedience, we can be people of faith who worship in spirit and truth.
REFLECT AND RESPOND:
- Make a list of all the attributes you most admire, adore and cherish about God.
- Spend some time in prayer thanking God for who He is. Then, pray for direction for your life and the needs of others.
- Take fifteen minutes out of your day to read the Bible. Write down how you can apply what you’ve learned to your life.
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If you need prayer or you would like to talk with a K-LOVE Pastor, we are here to serve you. Call us at 844-364-4673 (hope).
