Worship

Call to Prayer

Title: Worship

By: Daniel Peter

Date: 08.05.2024

Do not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God. Exodus 34:14 NIV

The concept of worship has been grossly misunderstood by a large section of the Church, as many think that worship is simply singing to God. Though singing is part of worship, it’s not the entirety. A proper understanding of what worship is will help us to do it more acceptably.

The first time worship was mentioned in the Bible was when God tested Abraham. As he and Isaac separated from the servants, Abraham said to them, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you” (Genesis 22:5). So, whatever Abraham did at Mount Moriah was what he meant as worship. From this encounter, we can discern that worship is not singing, as Abraham did not sing when he got there, but worship is “sacrificial obedience,” for at the mount he offered his son in obedience to God.

The best expression of worship was recorded in Philippians 2:8, when Apostle Paul said of Jesus, “… being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.” Like Jesus Christ, we are worshiping God when we offer ourselves as living sacrifices to Him by being completely yielded to Him (Romans 12:1).

With the above known, whatever stops us from being totally yielded to God becomes an object of worship. This was why God told the Israelites not to worship any other god before Him (Exodus 34:14). Though in the Old Testament the gods demanding worship from the people were deities represented by a wooden or metallic figure, in the New Covenant, it goes beyond it. It can be a person, a desire, or even self (anything or anyone that stops you from obeying God).

Apostle John ended His first epistle with the words, “Dear children, keep yourselves from idols” (1 John 5:21). I will end today’s devotional by saying, “People of God, do not allow anything or anyone to stop you from being totally yielded to God; do not give the worship that is due to God to a man, a thing, or a desire.”

Prayer Point

Let’s thank God for His word today. Let’s ask Him to help us worship Him acceptably.