Worship, revisited.

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God– this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is– his good, pleasing and perfect will." -Romans 12:1-2

My Bible is all full of footnotes, which is awesome. The note for the phrase "spiritual act" says, "not merely ritual activity but the involvement of heart, mind and will." I'm completely blown by this. For a large majority of my life, ritual activity has run rampant. My life has been filled with it. In grade school and high school (even when my parents didn't go to church), I found myself sitting in the pew, going through the motions, playing bass for worship, or running the soundboard. I helped with everything I could at church because the Bible told me to. It was just what I did. I found little joy in it, except when someone noticed and told me "good job." But this was not how life was supposed to be. Jesus says in John 5:41-44, "'I do not accept praise from men, but I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts. I have come in my Father's name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him. How can you believe if you accept praise from one another, yet make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only God?'"

So what does it mean to offer ourselves as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God? How can we do this spiritual act, an act that is not merely a ritual activity but the involvement of heart, mind, and will? How can we worship God in this way?

I was at a point in my life unlike any other I had been at before. I know that "the eyes of the Lord wander the earth looking for those whose hearts are fully committed to Him" (2 Chronicles 16:9) and He calls us to worship in spirit and in truth (John 4:24). I know this, but what does it look like? How can I do this? I know it means more than playing bass on Sundays, going to church, helping everywhere I can to get praise from people. I know that does not fill me with the Spirit of God and whatever passion I had for it would soon die out. But worshipping in spirit and in truth, giving your body as a living sacrifice, having a transformed mind, knowing God's will for me, that would be amazing. I would have a passion that I have never felt before- a passion for the One that loves me more than anything or anyone ever could. I knew that I wanted this, I wanted to worship, I wanted more than just the rituals and the routine.

It was at this point that God brought me to Generation Revival and I saw worship and a people hungry for God like I have never seen before. It made me uncomfortable. It made me want to run out of the church, yelling that no true Christians would ever have a part in something like that. People were singing their own songs, songs coming from their hearts instead of words on a projector screen. People were crying out to God, admitting their faults, calling down God's glory. Others were dancing. Some were speaking in tongues. Others were prostrate on the ground. It honestly was pretty intimidating for a girl who grew up strictly Lutheran. We hardly raise our hands in church and only call God's glory down through the words of contemporary Christian music. Yet I stayed in the church, I listened to what was said, I prayed in ways that I never had before. The Spirit moved and told me "Come, I want to have an intimate relationship with you."

So back to worship. What is it? How can we be true worshippers?
1. Prayer. Talking with (not just TO) our Heavenly Father. He longs to hear from us, to pour His love into our hearts, to heal us (Matthew 11:28-30). He can reveal so much through prayer- we can so touch His heart and learn so much from being in communication with Him through prayer! But don't expect His voice to always come in thunder, but maybe it will come as a whisper (1 Kings 19:11-12). Be so close to Him through prayer that you will never miss that whisper.
2. Getting into His Word, seeking to know His heart. Learn all you can about Him. Be a person, like David, who was after God's own heart. If we do not know Him, He will cast us from His side (Matthew 7:21-23).
3. Surrender, give Him control. Of EVERYTHING in your life. Daily die to sin that you may live with Him (1 Peter 2:24!
4. Sing. Cry out to God. Pray. Allow Him to move and His spirit to fill you totally and completely as you worship in His presence and glory. "Where two or more people are gathered in my name, there I am in the midst of them," (Matthew 18:20).

Just looking at these four seems overwhelming, but with God at the center of our lives, our heart, mind, and will are all employed to worship Him with our everything.

May God bless you as you seek His heart and worship Him in spirit and in truth!