Heart of Worship?

Most Christians at some point in our lives have asked what is a heart of worship or what does it mean? Why do we have to show reverence and how do we honor God? Adulation is one of the main theme of the Bible and is of great importance in the life of the believer.

Have you ever wondered, whether are you actually praising God as He intended? How can we be sure whether we are respecting Him in spirit and in truth. A life of worship is a life of consideration. A life of consideration requires time to wonder, time to dwell, time to ponder and time to look up.

Looking up is what veneration is all about. When we look up everything changes. We are intrigued by the incomprehensible, the Eternal, the mysterious, the expansive, the beautiful. If we spend our time looking around at our circumstances, it deflates devotion. We see frustrations, unfinished tasks, imperfection, injustice, sickness and a multitude of lesser gods. To develop a heart of worship, take time to consider God.

A Barrier to a Heart of Worship

There is something within us crying out for more of God but there seems to be a barrier. Most Christians, do not have a clear grasp of the nature of adulation. When churchgoers talk about worship, they are referring to their Sunday morning worship service. They speak of hymns and choruses, and of the congregation standing and singing the planned music for the day.

Unfortunately, in many of these churches very little worship is taking place. People today in the body of Christ worldwide are thirsting for the tangible presence of God in the music they listen to and the exaltation of God in which they participate. We should more than ever want God to be pleased with the songs of our hearts.

We need to examine praise by looking beyond actions and behavior. Adulation begins within the heart. We need to study and understand the concepts of praise, thanksgiving and adoration. When we can comprehend the what and why of exalting God, then we can properly begin to understand how to have a heart worship.

So What Is Reverence?

The three main Hebrew words used in the Old Testament for exalting God is submission, service and reverence.

The most common word used for exaltation in Hebrew is "histahawah", and in Greek it is "proskuneo" and it means to bow down, do obeisance, pay homage and of course, exalt. It conveys the idea of honoring God and expressing an attitude of inward reverence and humility.

The next Hebrew word used is "abad" which shows that praise involves work or service. In the New Testament it is translated as "serve" ,"minister", "servant". The Greek words used is "latreuo" and "leitourgeo". Veneration is service to God expressed not only in religious gatherings but also in every area of life.

The third word used for exaltation in Hebrew is "Yare" and in Greek the word used is "Sebomai". In the Old Testament it means the fear or reverence of God, an attitude of awe and respect. In the New Testament it means to revere, to worship, to be devout or God fearing.

I came across a single verse in 2 Kings 17:35 that sums up all 3 aspects of veneration which comprises of submission, service and reverence. It is important to understand that these 3 aspects are not alternatives representing 3 different forms of exaltation but rather three different facets of a single, complex activity called Exalting God.

Old Testament Pattern For Honoring God

Moses, after worshiping God, received a vision of the pattern of ministry from God. He received instructions to build the Tabernacle - an eternal paradigm for the honor of God.

From this pattern, we Christians know that the way to the holiest place is through the brazen altar of Christ's sacrifice, the outer courts of praise, the inner court of exaltation, and on into the holiest place of God's divine presence and glory.

This is the part that most Christians are neglecting. Remember, in the fourth paragraph of this article, I mentioned that we are crying out for more of God but there seems to be a barrier. We go as far as the inner court but not into the Holiest Place and therefore we miss the joy of soaking in the Presence of God.

The Lord has opened the way for us but we must persevere and patiently wait on the Lord. If you hurry through devotion, don't expect to experience the glory of the Lord. Waiting on the Lord is a test of your love and passion for Him.

True Levitical singers, as with the priests of Bible times, kept themselves pure from public and private habitual sin in order for God's anointing to flow through them. They were true worshipers of God because of their life of prayer and purity. They had a heart of worship

God is looking for true worshipers that are a living and holy sacrifice acceptable to Him. He is grieved with the doctrine of cheap grace. He wants us to dwell in His presence, see and touch His glory, wants fellowship and intimacy with us and wants us to know Him in a deeper realm. He's looking for a heart of worship

In Psalm 118:19 -20, we are taught how to enter His presence. It's only through the Gates of Righteousness. If you are a believer in Christ you are clothed with His righteousness and washed in His Blood and have excess into the Holy of Holies. Daily we need to offer ourselves afresh as a living sacrifice and appropriate the cleansing blood of our Savior. Read and meditate on His precepts and obey what His Law says.

If you have not received the Lord Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior but desire to know God intimately, this is what you need to do. Confess with your mouth that you are a sinner and believe in your heart that Jesus Christ (Yeshua) is the Son of God, that he died for the sins of the world and rose again on the third day from the dead and that He will return.

When you make that confession and pray the sinners prayer, the Holy Spirit who is the Spirit of Jesus will come and take up residence in YOU. Old things pass away and You become a new creation, your sins are forgiven and you share in the spiritual inheritance of Christ and the Saints. You will be clothed with the righteousness of Christ and only then will the Gates of Righteousness be opened to you to enter to have fellowship with the Living God and exalt Him from a heart of worship

The Sinner's Prayer

Heavenly Father,

I acknowledge that I am a sinner, please forgive me and cleanse me of all my sins. I believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died for my sins and He rose again. I invite Him to come into my heart and may His Holy Spirit dwell in me.

In Jesus Name I pray. Amen.

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