On Worship

Recently I had been having trouble truly worshipping God. To reference an earlier blog, I had been going through “Godless periods of Godmotions.” I could spend time trying to define the many facets of worship, but I don’t feel compelled to do that. Instead, I’ll share how God brought me out of my latest slump by reminding me of this definition of worship: recognizing who He is, and thanking Him for it.

One way I’ve recently worshipped is by thinking about what He’s done for me. For a while, I had forgotten the many ways God has protected me over the years. However, I had a conversation with an old friend that reminded me of how God has kept me from making decisions that would have had disastrous consequences. We have many ways of referring to moments that steer us away from making a bad decision, or give us new insight. Oprah, and many others, call them “Aha” Moments, but I call them “Brick Moments”: God gives me an unmistakable sign that shows me what I’m missing. It’s kind of like being hit upside the head with something you can’t ignore—like a brick—hence, the name. These Brick Moments are one way that God has shown himself to me, and a reason I praise him.

There are two songs that I think exemplify what worship is. When I feel as though I’m not truly worshipping, I often take a cue from them. The first is “Meditate” http://www.christianlyricsonline.com/artists/out-of-eden/meditate.html by Out of Eden. I just do what the song says. Also, “Hear My Worship” http://www.uplyrics.com/jaime_jamgochian_lyrics_9342/hear_my_worship_lyrics_326836.html by Jaime Jamgochian exemplifies how I feel when I’m raw before God.

Finally, the Psalms are a wonderful reminder of how to praise God. David especially exemplifies the meaning of true worship: Even when he’s being chased by his enemies in the desert and feels deserted by God, he always ends his psalms by thanking God for who He is, and recognizing He will deliver him regardless of how the situation looks. One of my favorites is Psalm 103:http://www.ibs.org/niv/searchprovider.php?passage_request=psalm%20103 In this psalm, which I don' t think was written by David, the author is totally blessing God for who He is. The Psalms are really a God-given textbook on how to worship wholeheartedly.

Meditate on the lyrics and the psalm. They’re just full of worship.