Jesus said in the 4th chapter of the gospel to John that “… the hour cometh and now is when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth.” We can interpret this to mean that not only is God seeking true worshippers, but also genuine worship.
True worship is authentic and legitimate in the spirit (or spiritual). In addition, true worship involves the motivation to worship, the presenting of our bodies as living and holy sacrifices, and the renewing of our minds with the Word of God (Romans 12:1,2). While also bearing in mind that true worship is God-centred and reserved only for God by being aware that it is also the acknowledging (present continuous tense) of God; and all His power and glory in everything that we do.
Having said all this, the big question is what makes for a true worshipper. Looking through the word of God and the principles I have seen in my life as a worship practitioner there are seven ingredients, that I can immediately highlight.
I should sound this note of caution, and this is that these ingredients or elements are in no way exhaustive in any shape or form.
However, these are some of the key features working in or reflective of the life of a man or woman who truly worships God and they are as follows:
Some qualities that make for a true worshipper
Having a clear and evident love for God stems from our experience of being born again and filled with the Holy Spirit.
You cannot fall in love with someone whom you have no constant and regular contact with. This love of and for God will drive you to want to know more about Him (study His word) and to talk to Him (prayer). It is the intimacy that comes from the act of being in proximity to Him; abiding in His Presence. There was the disciple who was recorded as loving Jesus. His closeness to the Lord is suggested in John 13:23: “Now there was leaning on Jesus' bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved.”
Walking in the fear of the Lord.
This is one of the key things missing in this present age. When as believers we fear no one and feel we can do what’s right in our sight, it’s a wonder that the presence and the power of God refuse to grace our pews. The fear of the Lord, on the one extreme, talks about the terribleness of God which instills trepidation and trembling in the lives of people. To fear the Lord is to have an awe, a deep reverential trust, and great respect for God.
In the book of Proverbs, we learn that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (1:7), it will cause one to hate evil (Prov. 8:13), it will prolong one's life (Prov. 10:27), provides strong confidence and is a fountain of life (Prov. 14:26-27) and it prompts one to depart from evil.
Joseph puts it so clearly and succinctly in Genesis 39:9 “There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back anything from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?”.
Job is also quoted as saying “I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?”.
You see when you walk in the fear of the Lord, it constrains you to walk within the boundaries of the covenant you made and to uphold the values you have sworn to embrace.
Spending time in the presence of God to develop a vibrant worship life.
It is important to earmark a place and a time to be before God daily, when we do this, we spend time in His presence. This is where God begins to become real to us and we begin to sense His ever-abiding Presence. The more we worship God, the more we become aware of His presence.
This man or woman would undoubtedly be a person who walks in the spirit and feels God’s pulse and heartbeat on issues. I understand that we walk by faith and not by sight, we also cannot compartmentalise God to our body of senses, because He is spirit. However, as we walk with Him in the spirit, the essence of God; His Presence begins to spill out on and into the realm of our senses.
The more we worship God, the more we become aware of His presence.
Having an unquenchable hunger and thirst for God.
“Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled.” Matthew 5:6. The psalmist said, “as the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.” Psalm 42:1. If we must develop a lifestyle of worship, we must seek God like precious silver or gold. And Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.” Mt. 6:35. “O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water.
Developing a lifestyle of humility.
Where your life is an open book before God where your will is aligned with His will. David said in Psalm 51:10, “…create in me a clean heart O Lord and renew a right (steadfast) spirit within me.” A life where God increases, and we decrease. When we look at the lives of Moses and David for instance, we can identify one key factor which was that they lay aside their agendas for the purpose and call of God. Their will was intertwined with God's purpose which was why God referred to them as ‘a meek man’ and a man after mine own heart’ respectively.
Living a life that pleases God is living a life that is free of sin.
It doesn’t mean that we are immune to sin but that if we fall into temptation, we not only know that we have an advocate with the Father through the Son with the help of the Holy Spirit but that we utilise that access without reservation or hesitation. So that we can stand before a righteous God without any sense of fear, guilt, sin, or inferiority. We can approach Him boldly to obtain grace to help in every time of need.
Living a life of service and obedience.
As a worship leader, there have been times when I have led the congregational worship, list in hand, repertoire all set out, and the progression all in order when midstream I have had the strong inclination to sing a song not on my original list and as I obeyed the leading almost instantaneously a mighty wave of God‘s presence hit the service.
Samuel the prophet was quoted as saying, “Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? The prophet Samuel emphasised the importance of obedience. ‘Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.” 1 Samuel 15:22.
Conclusion
I really do hope that you have been encouraged, empowered, and equipped to take your worship of God up a notch. Remember Great and Godly Gentlemen that it falls on us to take our place as Priest, Prophets, and Kings in our homes and within our spheres of influence in society.
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