Worship and the heart

• Worship is what we were saved for (Revelation 1:5-6; Psalm 29:9; 84:4; 1 Peter 2:5).

•  Worship springs from gratitude (Psalm 50:23; Colossians 3:16b; Philippians 4:6).

• Worship is borne out of humility (Psalm 51:17; 1 Corinthians 1:29; Isaiah 57:14-15; 66:2)

• Worship requires clean hands and a pure heart (Psalm 24:3-6; 29:2; 96:9; 99:9). Some of my most profound experiences of worship begin with sorrow for grieving God’s heart with my sin. Then I see his incredible mercy, forgiveness, faithfulness, grace, and restoration (Hebrews 10:22; Nehemiah 9:3).

• Worship is led by the Holy Spirit (Philippians 3:3; Acts 13:2). Worship sometimes seems spontaneous under the Holy Spirit’s direction. Real worship is grounded in truth and involved deeply felt emotions and will be expressed. John Piper: “Where feelings are dead, so is worship.”

• Worship is a life-long process, not an event. (Psalm 16:11; 27:4, 8; 65:4). Worship is not limited to a certain day or place (John 4:21, 23; Colossians 2:16-17); it is a lifestyle. 

• Worship is an inner reality of the heart. Worship must not be institutionalized or ritualized. It cannot be prepackaged, standardized, or printed in a worship folder. Outward worship with no heart connection is useless (Isaiah 1:11-15; Colossians 2:23) and empty lip-service (Matthew 15:9; Mark 7:7; Isaiah 29:13; Amos 5:21-24).Some people can stand in the gates of thanksgiving, or even enter into the courts of praise, but their hearts are afar off when it comes to entering the holy place of worship.