True Worship

Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness. – Psalm 29:2

“The first thing we instinctively know from reading the Word is that God is worthy to be worshiped. The psalmist invites us to ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name and to worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness. This worship is due him alone. We can admire and respect people, but we worship only God. The word ‘worship’ comes from a Hebrew word that means to bow down before, and to exalt in the highest way possible. Our physical posture does not matter when we are worshiping God; neither does our location—whether we are in church or on our beds at night. But what does matter is the posture of our hearts as we humble ourselves and worship the Lord for who he is. When we petition God in prayer, we concentrate on our needs; and when we offer thanksgiving, we’re concentrating on God’s blessings in our lives. But when we are worshiping, we are focusing on the Lord. Jesus said that the Father seeks those who would worship him in spirit and in truth. This tells us that the Father treasures those who worship him, not just with their lips or with their mind, but with their spirit, as they are helped by the Holy Spirit who lives in them (John 4:23). It also means that we are to worship him in sincerity, with our hearts laid bare before him, without pretense or dissembling. As we worship God in this way, we will see him do wonderful things in our lives.” – Pastor Cymbala

  1. What is the first thing that we instinctively know about God from reading his Word?
  2. What does the word “worship” mean in the original Hebrew?
  3. What is the best posture to assume when we are worshiping God?
  4. What is the difference between worshiping God and petitioning him or offering him thanksgiving?
  5. What did Jesus mean when he said that the Father seeks those who would worship him in spirit and in truth? Take some time to worship the Lord right where you are at this very moment.