A True Worshipper Is Different
My goal is to be a true worshipper of God—a child who worships Him in spirit and truth.
Sometimes I allow distractions or people to define how I worship. And, corporate worship is harder than worshiping at home. In a sanctuary, I’m mindful of everyone around me. Raising my hands in adoration may trip up someone who worships differently.
God gave a brief explanation of the characteristics of a true worshipper.
“The hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:23-24).
My heart yearns to feel His spiritual embrace. When I’m in His presence, I feel complete. I’m reborn so my heart and head long for more of His truth. Hooked into Him is the only way to find the truth He wants me to experience when worshipping.
Connecting to God is similar to electronic devices that require wireless or wired connectivity. Worship is all for naught until I fuse my spirit with His. When we think about how to be a true worshipper of God, we made ask, “What is a true worshipper of God?”
A True Worshipper Doesn’t Want Distractions
The smell of a crockpot full of homemade soup causes me to envision the delicious food in my mouth. I have a Bible in my lap with a headset plugged into worship music, but my mind and appetite agree. They’re one step away from the kitchen!
Similar distractions happen while worshipping at church. Those pretty, trendy shoes your pew neighbor wears remind you of the boots you wore in your twenties. A toddler trying to stay quiet drops crayons and crawls between feet and under pews to find them. Someone sniffs or smartphones ring one too many times.
Here’s another distraction I witnessed.
At a moment with everyone’s head bowed, a child voiced an amusing statement. Instead of laughing out loud, whole pews shook as people held in laughter. It was hilarious to watch.
In spite of distractions, a worshipper seeks to revitalize the spirit so that truth registers in the head. When that happens, God reveals Himself.
That brings us to unplanned moments to exalt God.
A True Worshipper Desires Spontaneity
Signs of a true worshiper:
Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk and said to her, “How long are you going to stay drunk? Put away your wine.”
“Not so, my lord,” Hannah replied, “I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine; I was pouring out my soul to the Lord. Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief” (I Samuel 1:13-16).
Hannah couldn’t have children and prior to praying and worshipping God, she vowed to dedicate her firstborn to the Lord. Prior to this spontaneous moment, she had no appetite and was downcast in her spirit. Scripture reveals that after the prayer she ate and went about no longer discouraged. End result: God gave Hannah the desire of her heart. She later became pregnant.
For me, spontaneous combustion means being on fire for God. When in public, worship rises up inside me to exalt Jesus. I want to shout, “I love you Jesus”, “Thank you Lord”, or other expressions of love. I often squelch unplanned moments of praise because I’m concerned about what others around me might think. So, I hold in spontaneity and lose the moment.
Other times, I’ll grocery shop, turn down an aisle and The Holy Ghost urges me to pray in tongues. I don’t refuse Him but sometimes I mutter under my breath. Once I see an empty aisle, I’m all in!
Eli misunderstood Hannah’s spontaneous act of praise to God. People would misunderstand me too if I responded in the grocery store without reservation. In no time at all, the loud speaker would blare, “someone please silence the woman on aisle 10.”
Then, there are the goats that waylay true worship.
A True Worshipper Doesn’t Want the Red Carpet Treatment
Goats show up for worship when churches lay down the red carpet to entertain people. I’m referring to the goats referenced in Matthew.
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left” (Matthew 25:31-33).
Goats and sheep don’t like the same thing. Goat worshippers prefer entertainment that’s fast and furious and enjoy the role of a detached spectator. Start focusing on God and you lose them. Fifty-plus years ago, A.W. Tozer, pastor and author, noticed the hearts of worshippers:
“It’s scarcely possible in most places to get anyone to attend a meeting where the only attraction is God.”
Sheep (a.k.a. true worshippers) are different from goats. Sheep think about mercy, grace, the cross and connecting to a living God with a loving heart. They don’t like feeling empty and undernourished after worshipping. The unstripped truth of Jesus’ messages is what sheep never tire of hearing. Sheep crave a vital and sustained connection to a life-giving God. Likewise, sheep won’t put up with boring worship.
How To Be a True Worshipper of God
Because worship means “expression of reverence”, worshippers give unselfishly to attribute God’s worth. Church leaders should never believe, “Give people what they want and they will come.” Worshippers aren’t consumers standing in line to purchase a commodity. Worship involves adoring God and Him alone.
I’ve attended churches that had a superficial atmosphere, lacking sacredness. Worship was half-hearted and artificial never reaching God or the congregants. If we aren’t careful, worship is nothing more than an energetic-type concert to swoop up worshippers with frenzied emotions. People leave without giving God the first thought.
Are we trending to what God’s prophet Isaiah spoke about?
The Lord says: “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught” (Isaiah 29:13)
Then, I’ve been in atmospheres where I can speak freely to God, like this:
“Lord, I enter into your presence. My heart and head bow in reverence and thanksgiving because you see humility when there’s haughtiness. I feel like Mary when she said, ‘My soul magnifies the Lord.’ I’m awed by You and your offers of abundance to me. Thank you for letting me see Jesus in everything I do. Surround my family, Oh Lord, with your protection and moment-by-moment provision. Thanks for sending people into their lives to let them know You are calling them home to you. One day Jesus will click in their hearts and they will know the truth instantly. Until that time, keep them close.”
Are You a True Worshipper?
You and I don’t need to waffle about in the presence of distractions, lack of spontaneity, goat worshippers, and meaningless worship. We can revel in gratitude when hearing God’s revealed truths as we focus internally and sidestep external stimulants. We’ll run wholeheartedly towards God with 24/7 passion considering it a privilege to focus on Him only.
Our worship will be Christ-centered as we depend on The Holy Spirit to draw us closer to Him. We will be totally engaged and vibrant while worshipping. We’ll surrender our hearts and heads so we anchor our lives in words of truth. Then, the vital spirit-to-spirit connection between God and true worshippers flows unabated.