“…In Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” Psalm 16:11b
The only way to know God is through yielding our hearts to Him as our Lord. When we worship God, we are positioning ourselves in surrender to His greatness and glory, reveling in our love for Him. As our hearts are bowed before Him in dependent childlike faith, we come to Him. He is always there with open arms, ready to receive His children whose hearts and lives are humbled before Him.
Our worship is the expression of our hearts to our God, not only in our singing, but in our lifestyle, in our attitudes, and our conversation. Hearts that are yielded to God and to others in love and honor will experience the glory of God in their worship. True worshippers genuinely pursue the presence of God from their hearts. While it is helpful to have skilled worshippers leading us in songs that are culturally relevant, a true worshipper will be able to open their heart to God in worship in any situation.
Each person is unique in their expression of their worship to the Father. While some might be reserved in their expression, others may want to shout or jump or dance. Our emotions are not always indicators of a heart condition, and emotion alone will not draw us into God’s presence.
When we worship God individually, we can experience God’s manifested presence in private. When we worship God collectively, we can experience God’s glory corporately. Our worship time in church services are not just to express our love for God, but they are also a time to lay down our own agenda and pursue a moving of God’s Spirit that will touch and change the lives of the people that are there.
Application: When we are surrendered to God, we will endeavor to follow the leading of God’s Spirit. We will seek God’s purpose for our worship, both individually and collectively – there are times when we are celebrating His greatness, times when we are in quiet adoration, times of consecration, times when we are still in awe of His wonders, and more. Look inside your heart, in your spirit, and seek to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit as you worship the Lord and experience His glory.