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How can we worship God in our everyday lives? Worship is more than singing songs at church. It is turning our attention toward God, recognizing who He is, and responding to Him with adoration, praise, prayer, and surrender.
Learning how to worship God can also change the way we approach our problems. Instead of beginning every prayer by focusing on what is wrong, we can begin by looking to Jesus, remembering His character, and spending time in His presence.
Years ago, I came across a story about Henri Nouwen and Mother Teresa that illustrates this beautifully.
Henri Nouwen in one of his books tells a story of how he had the opportunity to meet Mother Teresa of Calcutta. And at that time, he was struggling with many things. Therefore, he decided to take the chance and meet this amazing woman of God and ask her a few things.
And before I continue, allow me to share with you a small piece of wisdom. Whenever you meet someone that is more advanced than you in a specific area of life, the best thing you can do is asking questions. You want to make sure you draw out of the other person as much as you can at that particular time. The most prominent mistake people do when they meet such a person is that they start complaining. And they talk about themselves and pour out all their life problems before that person. Nevertheless, at the end of their time, they will feel better, but they will continue their life in the same way. And they did not learn anything from the other person. Therefore, make sure you learn from the other people who are further away in their walk with God than you!
Going back to our story. After Henri Nouwen arrived at Mother Teresa’s place and as soon as he sat down, he did begin telling her all his problems. And he tried to describe to her all of his issues and how complicated life was. After quite a few minutes of talking, he did stop, and Mother Teresa gave him this answer:
Well, when you spend one hour a day adoring your Lord and never do anything which you know is wrong…you will be fine!
I do believe we need a heavenly answer for our earthly problems. And this answer will come as we spend time in His Presence, at His feet, as we adore our God.
In His Presence is where real healing will take place for our heart that is invaded by negative thoughts that come from the pit of hell.
How to Worship God in Your Daily Life
1. Worship God by Being Still in His Presence
Psalm 37:7 says
Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him (NIV).
The New King James version even says rest in the Lord.
I know it is not easy to do that, especially as we live hectic lives. However, this should be a daily discipline in the life of a believer. Being still before God turns our attention away from ourselves and our problems and toward Jesus. This does not mean ignoring our difficulties. It means remembering that our problems are not greater than the God in whose presence we stand. Yes, this is not easy. However, the more we practice this, the easier it becomes over time.
I try every day to spend time being still before the Lord. And this is a time where I say nothing. And usually, I try to do this early in the morning, first thing when I wake up. Moreover, this is even before I read my Bible or pray. I ask for the help of the Holy Spirit and then focus my mind and heart on Jesus. And on the gospel, the cross, and His second coming. Moreover, I also like to think about Psalm 23 and at Jesus being my Shepherd.
2. Worship God Through Praise and Adoration
After a while, we can move on to worship Jesus and praise and magnify Him. And nothing else will make me sense His Presence faster than giving Him thanks and praising Jesus. Moreover, while doing this, our hearts and minds will be captivated and fascinated by Him.
Sometimes I simply tell Jesus, “I give You my full attention—my mind, my heart, and all that I am.” In those moments, I am not asking Him for anything. I simply want to adore Him for who He is. I just give myself to Him. And while I am doing this, Psalm 34:5 becomes a reality to me.
Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame (NIV).
And you know why our faces are not radiant? Because we do not look at God, where we should. We look in the wrong place. And only God can make our faces radiant with His Presence.
3. Worship God Through Prayer
And then, after we now are filled with faith and joy, we start praying. And, as the Lord is leading us, we can pray the Bible. Very often I pray Psalm 121 or 91, 23, 40. Or I pray other scriptures that God is leading me to. And prayer will be so different after a time of adoring God.
Any serious student of the Bible will tell you that one’s prayer needs to start with adoration because that is what Jesus is teaching us. We can find this in Matthew 6:9 (NIV)
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name…
Jesus teaches us to begin by turning our attention toward the Father—His name, His kingdom, and His will—before bringing our personal needs before Him. Adoration changes the posture from which we pray.
Matthew Henry, one of the most popular Bible commentators of all time is saying that our prayers need to follow The Lord’s Prayer. And that means it should start with adoration. To focus on Him and bless His Name.
My friend, Andrew, will suggest you follow the pattern of Psalm 63. You can follow him here. He is an amazing man of God.
I am sure all of us can discover how powerful adoring Jesus can be. It may just be the thing we missed in our life to overcome the barriers that came across our paths.
Worship Is More Than a Feeling
Worshiping God is not dependent on whether we feel His presence strongly in a particular moment. Some days our emotions respond immediately; other days they do not.
Biblical worship begins with who God is, not with what we feel. We worship because He is worthy. As we turn our attention toward Him through Scripture, prayer, thanksgiving, and adoration, our hearts are gradually reoriented toward His truth.
Therefore, do not measure your time with God only by how emotional or powerful it felt. Faithfulness in seeking Him matters even when the experience seems ordinary.
Make Worship Part of Your Daily Life
Learning how to worship God does not require complicated techniques. Begin by giving Him your attention.
Be still before Him. Remember who He is. Praise Jesus for His character and His works. Open the Scriptures. Pray from a heart that has first looked toward God rather than toward its problems.
Your circumstances may not change immediately, but worship can change the direction of your heart. Instead of allowing fear, anxiety, or problems to occupy the center of your attention, you deliberately place God there.
Before you ask God for something today, spend a few minutes simply adoring Him for who He is.
Let me know if there is anything special going on in your life or if you want prayer! Moreover, share this post with your friends and don’t forget to leave a comment.
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I am a blogger, writer, pastor, Director of Zion Romania Bible School, husband to Olguta, a father and, most importantly, a child of God. I also completed my studies at the King’s University where I earned a B.A. in Theology with a concentration in Messianic Jewish Studies. I love Israel and I love the ‘Jewishness’ of the Bible.
Thank you for the encouraging words! I needed to hear this. God bless you!
Thank you Oni, great clear teaching, Lord, help me to put loving You, before all else! ?