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Why Christians Struggle to Worship God: 2 Reasons
Why do Christians struggle to worship God even when they genuinely love Him?
Sometimes the problem is not a lack of desire. We want to pray. We want to worship. We want to draw closer to God. Yet when the moment comes, we struggle to find the words.
At other times, the problem runs deeper.
Perhaps we struggle to worship God because we do not know Him as deeply as we think we do.
Years ago, an unexpected experience in India forced me to think seriously about worship, idolatry, and what it really means to adore God.
An Unexpected Lesson About Worship in India
In 2014, I visited India for the first time.
During my trip, I became friends with a Hindu man in his sixties who lived near one of my friends. One day, he invited me to his apartment to have dinner with him and his wife.
I gladly accepted.
However, when I arrived, something happened that I did not expect.
As soon as he opened the door, he bowed before me. Then his wife did the same.
For several seconds, I did not know how to respond.
I eventually asked them what they were doing. They explained that they wanted to honor me and that, according to their beliefs, they were honoring or worshiping the divine within me.
I tried to respond respectfully.
I thanked them for wanting to honor me, but I also explained that, according to my Christian faith, I could not receive worship.
I am not God.
The moment became a little awkward, but it also opened the door for a conversation about God and Jesus.
I never forgot that experience.
It reminded me that human beings are worshipers. Across cultures and throughout history, people have searched for something greater than themselves to trust, adore, and worship.
Yet idolatry is not merely a problem somewhere far away.
Our idols may look different, but the human heart still has the ability to give something—or someone—the place that belongs to God alone.
We can worship success, money, relationships, religious traditions, influential people, comfort, possessions, or even ourselves.
That is why the question is not merely:
Do I worship?
The deeper question is:
Who or what receives my highest devotion?
I previously wrote about how to worship and adore Jesus. Here I want to focus on two common reasons why Christians struggle to worship God, even when they sincerely want to follow Him.
1. We Struggle to Worship God When We Think We Need the Right Words
One of the barriers to worship is the belief that we need impressive words before we can approach God.
Perhaps you have thought:
I don’t know what to say.
Other Christians pray better than I do.
I don’t know enough Scripture.
My words sound too simple.
Consequently, instead of praying imperfectly, we sometimes do not pray at all.
But God is not impressed by religious vocabulary.
He desires truth in our hearts.
The writer of Hebrews gives us a remarkable invitation:
“Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence…” — Hebrews 4:16
Notice the word confidence.
Because of Jesus Christ, believers do not approach God on the basis of eloquence, spiritual performance, or perfect prayers. We come through Christ and what He has accomplished for us.
That means you can come to God honestly.
You can tell Him:
“Father, I don’t know what to say.”
“Lord, help me.”
“Jesus, I need You.”
Those may be simple prayers, but simple does not mean meaningless.
The Holy Spirit Helps Us Pray
We are also not left alone in our weakness.
Romans 8:26 teaches that the Holy Spirit helps us when we do not know how to pray as we should.
That is extraordinarily encouraging.
Your inability to find the perfect words does not disqualify you from prayer. Instead, your weakness can become an invitation to depend more deeply on the Holy Spirit.
Ask Him:
“Holy Spirit, teach me to pray.”
Then begin.
Do not wait until you feel spiritually impressive.
Come to God as you are.
Pray the Psalms When You Cannot Find the Words
Another practical way to grow in worship is to use Scripture itself.
The Psalms give us language for almost every season of life: joy, fear, gratitude, suffering, repentance, confusion, hope, and worship.
For example, read Psalm 63 slowly.
Turn its words into your own prayer.
When David says that his soul thirsts for God, stop and ask yourself:
Does my soul thirst for God like this?
Then talk to God about your answer.
You do not need sophisticated language to worship God.
You need an honest heart that turns toward Him.
2. We Struggle to Worship God When We Do Not Truly Know Him
The second reason goes deeper.
How can we deeply worship Someone we barely know?
Our worship will inevitably be affected by our view of God.
If we imagine God as distant, weak, uninterested, unpredictable, or small, our worship will reflect that picture.
This is why knowing God through Scripture matters so much.
The more we understand His holiness, goodness, sovereignty, mercy, justice, wisdom, faithfulness, and love, the more reasons we discover to worship Him.
A. W. Tozer famously emphasized the importance of having a high view of God.
That principle matters because a small view of God produces shallow worship.
However, when Scripture expands our vision of who God is, worship begins to change.
Consider what the Bible reveals about Him.
He is Creator.
He is holy.
He is sovereign.
He is faithful.
He is merciful.
He is righteous.
He is our Father.
He is the God who loved us and sent His Son for our salvation.
Jesus Christ died for our sins and rose again.
The Holy Spirit lives within God’s people.
When these truths move from theological information into personal conviction, worship becomes much more than singing.
It becomes a response to reality.
Knowing God Changes the Way We Worship
This is why Bible study and worship should never be separated.
Theology at its best should lead us to worship.
When you discover something about God’s character in Scripture, stop and respond to Him.
If you read about His faithfulness, thank Him for being faithful.
If you encounter His holiness, humble yourself before Him.
If Scripture reveals His mercy, remember how much mercy you have received.
If you see the greatness of Christ, adore Him.
The goal is not merely to know more about God.
The goal is to know God and increasingly respond to Him with faith, love, obedience, and worship.
How Christians Who Struggle to Worship God Can Grow
If you struggle to worship God, you do not need to manufacture an emotional experience.
Start with simple practices.
Read Scripture with the intention of discovering who God is. Pray honestly instead of trying to sound impressive. Use the Psalms when you cannot find your own words. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you pray and open your eyes to the greatness of God.
Then examine your heart.
Ask yourself:
What receives the devotion that belongs to God?
Our idols may not look like carved statues. They may look like careers, money, approval, relationships, political movements, entertainment, ministry success, or personal comfort.
Anything can become spiritually dangerous when it occupies the place that belongs to God.
Therefore, worship also involves surrender.
We turn away from our idols and turn toward the living God.
Worship Grows as Our Relationship With God Grows
Ultimately, why Christians struggle to worship God cannot be answered only by examining our vocabulary.
The deeper issue is relationship.
The better we know God, the more reasons we discover to worship Him.
And the more clearly we see Jesus, the less impressive our idols become.
You do not need perfect words today.
You need Jesus.
Open your Bible. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you. Come honestly before the Father. Remember what Christ has done for you.
Then worship.
As our knowledge of God grows, may our response increasingly become:
I want to know Him more, love Him more, obey Him more, and worship Him above everything else.
Take Your Next Step
If you want to grow deeper in worship, continue with How to Worship God: A Biblical Guide and explore the other resources in the Christian Worship section of Onisim.net.
And if you are going through something difficult and would like someone to pray with you, you can also send a prayer request.
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.
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