Chapter 27  Part I

General

Sections

See also:

• 25. Exalting God
• 28. Serving God

Worshiping God is one of the most important and fundamental duties of believers. It involves honoring him by acknowledging his worthiness, including his divine characteristics and wondrous deeds. This is done through such things as praise and thanksgiving, offered with adoration and reverence.

It is also done through offering our resources and even ourselves to God. The former is born out in the second half of this chapter. The latter is done largely through serving God. As such the following chapter on serving God is also pertinent to worshiping him.

Worship God

Worship God alone

Again, the devil took him [Jesus] to a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their grandeur. 9And he said to him, “I will give you all these things if you throw yourself to the ground and worship me.” 10Then Jesus said to him, “Go away, Satan! For it is written: ‘You are to worship the Lord your God and serve only him.’”   Matthew 4:8-10 NET

They [Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego] were willing to die rather than serve or worship any god other than their own.   Daniel 3:28b NCV™

Worship God for his glory and sovereignty

Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength! 8Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering, and come into his courts! 9Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness; tremble before him, all the earth! 10Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns!   Psalms 96:7-10a ESV

Worship God for his great deeds

All the nations, whom you created, will come and worship you, O Lord. They will honor your name. 10For you are great and do amazing things. You alone are God.   Psalms 86:9-10 NET

Worship God for his creation of everything

He [an angel] declared in a loud voice: “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has arrived, and worship the one who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water!”   Revelation 14:7 NET

Worship God because of his care of his people

They bowed down and worshiped the Lord because they knew that he had seen their suffering and was going to help them.   Exodus 4:31b CEV

Worshiping before God

Worship God in spirit

But a time is coming – and now is here – when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such people to be his worshipers. 24God is spirit, and the people who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.   John 4:23-24 NET

To worship “in spirit” is primarily an inward activity, rather than being centered on the performing of rituals (which were prominent in OT worship). It involves one’s spirit – and thus one’s mind and will. To begin with, the heart and/or conscience of the worshiper must be right before God. Then one must be honest and open in approaching God (cf. John 4:23-24 ↑), and fully focused on God; obviously this needs to be done willingly. Not least, the worshiper must worship by the Holy Spirit (cf. Philippians 3:3). This involves being conscious of the Spirit, relying on the Spirit’s enablement to commune with God and being open to the Spirit’s promptings.

Worship God in reverence and awe

Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, 29for our God is a consuming fire.   Hebrews 12:28-29 ESV

The description of God as a “consuming fire” points to his power and preparedness to fierily devour or destroy that which is opposed to him and incompatible with his holiness.

Worship God with praise

Then the man knelt down and worshipped the Lord. 27He said, “Praise the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has faithfully kept his promise to my master.   Genesis 24:26-27a GNT

Worshiping Together

Join with fellow believers in worshiping God

Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, and all the people replied “Amen! Amen!” as they lifted their hands. Then they bowed down and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground.   Nehemiah 8:6 NET

[A call to fellow Israelites:] Come! Let’s bow down and worship! Let’s kneel before the Lord, our creator!   Psalms 95:6 NET

Offer praise and thanksgiving together

They [Israelites] praised the Lord and gave thanks as they took turns singing: “The Lord is good! His faithful love for Israel will last forever.” Everyone started shouting and praising the Lord because work on the foundation of the temple had begun.   Ezra 3:11 CEV

Pray together

They [the apostles] gathered frequently to pray as a group, together with the women and with Mary the mother of Jesus and with his brothers.   Acts 1:14 GNT

Pray for persecuted Christians