You and I cannot worship God properly the way we should until we get the right answer to the question, “Why is worship important to Christians?”
What is Worship?
To worship is to show devotion to God. It is to glorify Him with our entire lives in a show of inward belief. It is the expression of our highest purpose for living which is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.
Worship is spiritual and it is empowered by God the Holy Spirit. Only born-again believers can genuinely worship God.
In 1 Corinthians 10:31, the Bible says, “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” This means that everything we do in our lives daily should be an act of worship.
Worship is a lifestyle.
Worship of the One True God
Many people in every generation have wondered why worship is important.
Worship is important to Christians because:
- God initiates it.
- God seeks it.
- It is an expression of our love for God.
- It forms the avenue through which God releases His presence and blessing in the life of the believer.
- It will go on forever.
God Initiates Worship
God initiates worship when He reveals who He is in the Bible. In Isaiah 44:6, the Bible says, “The LORD, who rules and protects Israel, the LORD Almighty, has this to say: “I am the first, the last, the only God; there is no other god but me.”
The Bible further discloses that this one true God created all things. The only correct response to such a revelation is to worship.
God reveals Himself because we can only worship Him if we know Him. True worship begins with the knowledge of God’s attributes and character. The more we get to know Him, the better we can worship.
The Psalmist shows us such a response in Psalms 95:6-7.
“Come, let us bow down and worship him; let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker! He is our God; we are the people he cares for, the flock for which he provides.”
Apart from initiating worship through self-revelation, God also actively looks for true worshippers.
God Seeks True Worshippers
In John 4:23-24, The Lord Jesus Christ states:
“But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such to worship Him.”
Only those whose spirits have been regenerated by God’s Spirit can worship God in spirit and truth. Non-believers do not have this capacity because their spirits are dead toward God.
True worship is important to God that He seeks it. He longs to have people who will worship Him genuinely for who He is from their spirits.
What is important to God must be important to the believer.
Genuine Worship Flows from Love
A teacher of the law once asked Jesus what is the most important commandment in the Law.
In Mark 12: 29-30, “Jesus replied:
“The most important one is this: ‘Listen, Israel! The Lord our God is the only Lord. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’’
God wants us to love Him with all our beings. True worship is a function of a personal love relationship between God and the believer.
God detests any worship that does not flow from a loving heart-relationship with Him.
The Lord Jesus rebuked the Pharisees of His day for their hypocritical worship. They drew near to God but only with their mouths and honoured him with lip service but their hearts were far from Him.
God wants to be worshipped His way. Out of a loving heart-relationship.
Christians who love God passionately with their entire beings will naturally worship God.
God Releases His Presence and Blessing
As Christians worship God genuinely, God responds and releases His sweet presence and manifold blessings.
Paul and Silas were beaten and thrown in prison when they cast out an evil spirit from a slave girl. Instead of complaining, they decided to worship God in their pain.
Watch God’s response in Acts 16:26:
“And suddenly there was a great earthquake so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened and all the bonds were loosened.”
I have experienced God’s sweet presence as I worshipped Him in prayer, Bible reading, song, and other daily activities. My heart bubbled with joy and gladness.
I can attest to what the Psalmist says in Psalms 16:11:
“You will make Me know the way of life; in Your presence is fullness of joys. At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”
God promises blessings for those who will serve Him in worship. He promises to bless our food and water and to take sickness away from our midst.
Worship Will Go on Forever
Worship is the expression of our ultimate purpose for living. God created us so that we may worship and enjoy Him forever.
The Book of Revelation underscores the importance of worship.
We get a glimpse of what will be going on forever in heaven, in Revelation 4:10-11:
“And they worshiped Him who lives forever and ever, and threw their crowns before the throne, saying, O Lord, You are worthy to receive glory and honor and power, because You created all things, and for Your will, they are and were created.”
The Final Word
Worship is important to Christians because it is important to God. It is initiated by God through self-revelation of His power, nature, character, and attributes.
Human beings are wired by God for worship. If they do not worship the one true God, they will worship someone or something else, such as the devil, wealth, animals, stars, and fame.
True worship is key to God’s presence and will go on forever.
