Praise and Worship The God Of The Bible For He Is Holy And Righteous
What does it mean to praise and worship God? Worship, according to the dictionary means:
• to show profound religious devotion
• to have intense love and admiration
Praise, on the other hand, means:
• to express admiration or approval for
• to express thanks and worship to (one's God)
In other words, praise and worship go hand in hand.
Praising and worshiping God is not about a ritual, or prayer repetition. It’s not about spending a few minutes a day reading our bible or about reciting our wish list on a daily basis. True worship requires total commitment of our body, mind and spirit. It’s about exalting, adoring and acknowledging the God of the bible.
To worship God is to express our love and awe of who He is. In Isaiah 66:1 God says “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool.” He is the Creator of the universe and everything in it, which includes little ol’ me and you. How wonderful and amazing is that!
To many, worship is associated with singing. But there are certainly other types of worship. I believe the most important way to show our devotion to God is through our everyday lives. When we strive to be Christ-like, to loving and serving others, to honoring and glorifying God, then we are truly worshiping Him.
Worship can be done with a group of people, or by ourselves. We can worship God in church, in the garden, while we’re shopping or in the shower. Location doesn’t matter or how many people are involved. When we come before the Lord with a pure and repentant heart, He will bless us with His grace and mercy.
We can worship God through prayer, singing, raising our hands in adoration, dance, art, through the use of colors, playing instruments, using flags and banners, and even through mimestry (an exciting combination of mime, sign language and drama).
The bible warns us not to worship anyone or anything else. We are not to worship, saints, statues, angels, money, or celebrities. Anyone or any thing that becomes more important than God, and turns our hearts away from Him is an idol or a false god. God says in Exodus 20:2-3 “I am the LORD your God .....You shall have no other gods before me." When the devil tried to tempt Jesus in Matthew 4:10, Jesus rebuked him and said, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.” If we choose to worship false gods, God’s word says in Jonah 2:8 “Those who worship false gods turn their backs on all God’s mercies.” I certainly don't want to live my life without God’s mercy!
God is holy, righteous, and a loving Father, and He is worthy of our praise and worship. The bible tells us in Deut. 6:5, to “Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength." For some this may be difficult to do, but as John 4:23 says, “Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks”, therefore, I seek to be a true worshiper of God Almighty, the God of the bible.
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