Worship is recognizing and expressing who God is—the outward actions and internal devotion that believers offer to the one true God in Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit.
One of the most common definitions of worship is “to show reverence or adoration for.” When we worship God, we humble ourselves before Him in reverence and adoration and then actively respond to His character, words, and actions.
All that we know of God comes to beautiful expression in worship—through music, prayer, service, praise, and thanksgiving. This desire to express to God how we feel about Him based on all that we know of Him should be something that lives and burns within all Christians. It’s something that we cannot, and should not, ignore!
Take David, for example. David knew how to worship God. Very rarely did He praise God the same way twice. His praise was always fresh, creative, and inspired by the fullness of God’s nature. Take a moment to read 1 Chronicles 29:10-13. David takes three verses explaining who God is, and only then does He say “Now, therefore, our God, we thank you.” David shows here a beautiful picture of worship, out of which praise and thanksgiving flow.
There’s often a misconception that worship=music. While music is certainly an expression of worship or a means by which we come to worship Him, worship goes far beyond music. The outward actions and internal devotion that believers offer to the one true God in Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit is our worship. Therefore, we can worship Him in any and every moment of our lives. By no means is our worship unto God confined to the church building. He is worthy to be worshipped everywhere and always. We have the opportunity to worship (“show reverence or adoration for”) Him in our thoughts, words, and actions every day.
Worship is a behavior. To worship God in all that we do, we must come into His presence and into the knowledge of Him. The more we come to perceive His presence and the more we take time to learn about His character, the more we can be delighted by Him and all that He is. This gives truth and purpose to our worship. As the Chief Apostle Schneider once stated, “God doesn’t need us to worship Him. We’re the ones who need worship.”
In our worship, we are reminded of His promises for us. We are reminded of the goodness He brings to our lives. We are reminded of our sinful nature and God’s grace. When we recall these things, we understand where the writer of Acts was coming from when He said: “As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” The more we know about God, the more we can’t help but worship Him.