Renew Your Heart of Worship
By Jessica Van Roekel
“Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was above all the people, and as he opened it all the people stood. And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, and all the people answered, ‘Amen, Amen,’ lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground.” Nehemiah 8:5-6, ESV
“Will you stand with me?” is a question I ask my congregation each week. They rise, and the band begins to play. Our voices join as one to worship God. I’ve been a worship leader for several years, and I’m always amazed every week at how God meets us right where we are at. We might be dealing with frustrating circumstances or excruciating disappointments, but God meets us in the middle of it all.
When we enter his presence with word and song, and through the lifting up of our hands, two things happen: love and adoration for God stirs in our hearts, and he inhabits our praise. With platform ministry comes the risk of personal ambitions vying for central focus. Congregations can set those on the stage on a pedestal and forget that worship leaders are just like them with their own trials and internal battles. We can lose sight of true worship.
The English word for worship comes from the Old English word “worthship.” This word describes actions and attitudes that honor worthiness. God is worthy of our praise and adoration. True worship is God-centered, not human-centered. Our focus needs to be on who God is and his attributes. Some of those are faithfulness, omnipresent, eternal, unchangeable, compassionate, merciful, and patient. We worship him when we know and confess that God is the only Lord in our life.
When we engage in God-centered worship through singing songs that remind us of who God is, we become equipped to face our difficulties with robust faith. God-centered worship helps us grow in our spiritual walk because it centers our hearts on what is true about God. This is important because the cares of life can choke out what we know to be true about him because the cares loom large in our path.
The book of Nehemiah chronicles the rebuilding of Jerusalem’s walls and the return of the people’s hearts to the Lord. Ezra stood before the people on a wooden platform and opened the book of the Law before them. Revival began with a renewed desire for God’s word and a serious effort to understand it. The people responded with lifted hands and bowed heads.
God longs for us to express our deep love to him with regular times of worship. Two key principles help direct our worship. John 4:23 tells us that “true worshipers will worship in spirit and in truth.” God’s main concern is with our hearts. True worship comes from a heart that agrees with all that he is and chooses to live in obedience to him. It reflects godly character traits and reveals a deep inner devotion to him.
We can worship God when we praise him. God provides different expressions of how to praise him throughout the Old and New Testaments. It can be lifting of hands, shouting, singing, and confession of sin. When Ezra and Nehemiah realized how the people had neglected God’s word, they led the entire community in a passionate prayer of confession. Prayer is another important aspect of worship. We can pray publicly, privately, personally, or intercede for others. Worship also includes the public reading of God’s word and preaching its truth. Practical explanation and application of God’s word to our lives is an act of worship.
One of the most beautiful aspects of a renewed heart of worship is the community it creates within a body of believers. When we gather for a service, we come from different journeys and levels of personal difficulties. These can distract us and serve to pull us away from intimacy with God. One of the ways we can combat this is through worshiping together. There is power when we collectively lift our voices in songs that remind us of who God is and what he can do.
Intersecting Faith and Life:
Challenges can fill our lives and chip away at our faith. Often, we drift away from God through times of doubt, fear, and disappointments. But if we can refocus on God’s Word and desire to know him better, we renew a heart of worship. Whatever you find yourself facing today, pause and acknowledge God. Lift your hands to show you trust in him and bow your head to humble your heart. He longs to meet you right where you are. Come to him today.
Further Reading:
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