The Heart of Worship

Hymns, prayers, communion and preaching. Throw in a few announcements and pass the collection plate - there you have it, another worship experience completed.  Perhaps or perhaps worship never even began. 

Worship does not equal a requisite performance of rituals or exercise of religious elements.  Worship is not even something that can be observed by human eyes. Evidence that worship may be taking place can be seen but not the worship itself, for worship takes place within the heart and soul - a place where only the worshipper and God can see. 

Jesus was very clear on this subject, "Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth" (John 4:23).  Even in the days of the Mosaic Law and Levitical rituals, the perfunctory act did not move the heart of The Lord as pointed out by David in Psalm 40:6, "Sacrifice and offering you did not desire."

Listen to how God really feels about our performing religious rituals: "You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.  My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise." (Psalm 51:16-17).  What God seeks is below the surface and within the heart.  

The point is that the outward act of religious ritual has no real worth to God or man unless it reflects the reality of the heart. Worship is much more an attitude than an act.  True and proper worship is a reflection of a transformed and renewal of the mind (see Rom 12:1-2) not a repetition of ritual. 

When we utter praise but reserve our heart, we "worship in vain" (Matt 15:8-9). What the Father desires is that we "sing and make music in our hearts to Him" (Eph 5:19).  Jus' Sayn.