THE PURPOSE OF WORSHIP
Terry R. Baughman
“The Lord is my strength and my shield; My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart greatly rejoices, And with my song I will praise Him” (Psalm 28:7).
We worship God because He is worthy of exaltation. His righteous acts are recorded in Scripture and revealed in all of creation. “When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained, what is man that You are mindful of him” (Psalm 8:3–4). We magnify Him because He is the one singular Deity above heaven and earth that justifies our adoration. He is truth. He is eternal. He is involved in our lives.
The worship of God has the added benefit of bringing blessing to the worshipper. As we exalt the name of God and magnify Him for His wonderful attributes we find that we ourselves are blessed in return. The psalmist said, “My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped.” David found a source of strength in his songs of praise. As he exalted the Lord God he found that God’s presence came in bringing hope and it greatly encouraged him.
There is an internal effect of worship. Acknowledging God and reflecting on His awesome power brings an assurance that we can trust Him with any of our problems and know that He will help us in our time of need. Solomon wrote, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths” (Proverbs 3:5–6). It begins in the heart. A worshipful attitude of the heart will bring confidence that God is present to lead us in His path.
There is power in the spoken word. We often hear the importance of speaking words of faith when it comes to receiving healing or some other miracle of God’s power, but those words may also be confessions of praise and expressions of exaltation. David said, “The mouth of the righteous speaks wisdom, and his tongue talks of justice. The law of his God is in his heart; None of his steps shall slide” (Psalm 37:30–31). When we speak the wisdom of God and confess the words of God our hearts are established and the Spirit will give direction to our footsteps. “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105).
Worship is far more than recitation and repetition. Worship involves the head and the heart. True worship is both spiritual and physical. Jesus told the woman of Samaria, “The true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth” (John 4:23). Intellectually we speak words of truth concerning God, His word, and His attributes. Emotionally, we may become moved with the acknowledgment of a great God who is intimately involved in our lives. We act according to knowledge as we move into worship and our hearts responds to our confession with affirmation. God responds to our sincere worship and touches us in the center of our emotion and as a result we acknowledge this reality intellectually. Intrinsically, we are united with God as we give ourselves to worship Him.
Scripture:
“From the end of the earth I will cry to You, when my heart is overwhelmed; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.” (Psalm 61:2).
Terry R. Baughman
“The Lord is my strength and my shield; My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart greatly rejoices, And with my song I will praise Him” (Psalm 28:7).
We worship God because He is worthy of exaltation. His righteous acts are recorded in Scripture and revealed in all of creation. “When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained, what is man that You are mindful of him” (Psalm 8:3–4). We magnify Him because He is the one singular Deity above heaven and earth that justifies our adoration. He is truth. He is eternal. He is involved in our lives.
The worship of God has the added benefit of bringing blessing to the worshipper. As we exalt the name of God and magnify Him for His wonderful attributes we find that we ourselves are blessed in return. The psalmist said, “My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped.” David found a source of strength in his songs of praise. As he exalted the Lord God he found that God’s presence came in bringing hope and it greatly encouraged him.
There is an internal effect of worship. Acknowledging God and reflecting on His awesome power brings an assurance that we can trust Him with any of our problems and know that He will help us in our time of need. Solomon wrote, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths” (Proverbs 3:5–6). It begins in the heart. A worshipful attitude of the heart will bring confidence that God is present to lead us in His path.
There is power in the spoken word. We often hear the importance of speaking words of faith when it comes to receiving healing or some other miracle of God’s power, but those words may also be confessions of praise and expressions of exaltation. David said, “The mouth of the righteous speaks wisdom, and his tongue talks of justice. The law of his God is in his heart; None of his steps shall slide” (Psalm 37:30–31). When we speak the wisdom of God and confess the words of God our hearts are established and the Spirit will give direction to our footsteps. “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105).
Worship is far more than recitation and repetition. Worship involves the head and the heart. True worship is both spiritual and physical. Jesus told the woman of Samaria, “The true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth” (John 4:23). Intellectually we speak words of truth concerning God, His word, and His attributes. Emotionally, we may become moved with the acknowledgment of a great God who is intimately involved in our lives. We act according to knowledge as we move into worship and our hearts responds to our confession with affirmation. God responds to our sincere worship and touches us in the center of our emotion and as a result we acknowledge this reality intellectually. Intrinsically, we are united with God as we give ourselves to worship Him.
Scripture:
“From the end of the earth I will cry to You, when my heart is overwhelmed; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.” (Psalm 61:2).
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