Q: I know I'm supposed to worship God when I go to church, but I can't say I always do. My thoughts wander, or I get to thinking about the people around me and I come away disappointed in myself for not really worshipping. How can I keep from being distracted? - D.H.
A: You've already taken the first step by recognizing that you have this problem. Many people, I'm afraid, approach worship casually, and never experience the joy of worshipping God as they should.
Have you ever asked yourself what worship is? True worship takes place only when our full attention is on God - on His glory, His power, His majesty, His love, His compassion. This doesn't happen easily; even in church or in our times of private devotion we can get distracted and fail to see God as He truly is. The Bible says, "Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care" (Psalm 95:6-7).
How can we worship God? First, take time to prepare for worship. We rush off to church or hurry through our devotions - and then we wonder why God seems so distant. Prepare your heart in advance, and bow for a few moments of prayer before your church's service begins.
Then ask God to help you focus on who He is and what He has done for you. God created you; He also sent His Son into the world to redeem you. Turn your mind and heart to Him every day, praising Him for who He is and thanking Him for His love for you in Christ.
Affectionately known as the “World’s Preacher” for more than 60 years, the Rev. Billy Graham is one of the most influential and respected spiritual leaders of the 20th century. He has been a friend and spiritual advisor to ten American presidents and has preached the Gospel to more people in live audiences than anyone else in history — nearly 215 million people in more than 185 countries and territories — through various meetings. Hundreds of millions more have been reached through television, video, film, and webcasts. Send your queries to "My Answer," c/o Billy Graham, Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, 1 Billy Graham Parkway, Charlotte, N.C., 28201; call 1-(877) 2-GRAHAM, or visit the Web site for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association: www.billygraham.org.
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For me... Eucharistic Adoration!
Beloved, if you want to know if you are in a church that promotes true worship, just ask yourself the following questions:
1. When singing, do we sing songs about God, or do we sing to God?
2. Upon leaving the church, do you feel any different than when you walked in?
3. Does the Holy Spirit abide there, and does He pour on you His annointing so that you may go pour this on others as instructed?
Beloved, not only the place we chose to worship, but also our own motivations must be questioned as well:
1. Do I go to church to fulfill a requirement or appease a spouse or friend, or, do I go to church to get as close to Him as I possibly can?
Beloved, God is not necessarily looking at which church you attend, or how you worship Him, but rather He is looking at why you attend and why you worship. Remember when Jesus scolded the Pharisees and told them they should go and learn what is written: "I desire compassion and not sacrifice"?
So, beloved, ask yourself one more question: Why do I want to go to Heaven? Is it because you want to avoid Hell, or is it because He is there?
As I shared on another site, worship for some is no more than gathering together for the sole purpose of worshipping God in song and word, but for many of us it is so much more. The HCSB version states in Romans 12:1 that we are to present ourselves as a living sacrifice which is our spiritual worship and for me that's what worship is all about, to allow God to take us and mold us and shape us into the person He desires us to be and then allow us to join Him in doing His Will by joining Him in fulfilling His Great Commission. Worship is more than an event it is a lifestyle.
Oh Jesus, help us!! Does anyone know the 'true' meaning of the word? I wonder
"What is true worship?
A drop of water or the ocean.? NO quantity but the content.
Hos.11v4....I drew them to me with affection and love.
I picked them up and held them to my cheeks.
I bent down to them and fed them.
CATCH the moment, and anything you say or do is TRUE WOTSHIP.
I agree with everthing Billy wrote, but let's take it further and answer the question,"What is true worship". True worship is the style of worship handed down from Christ to the Apostles and still continued today in Catholic and Orthodox Churches. This Apostolic worship comes from God and has been handed down through Tradition.
I pray that all Protestants will come back to a more Apostolic style of Worship.