Worship

You were made to magnify God

It doesn't matter if we're by ourselves, with a small group, or with 100,000 people; any time we express our love to God, we're worshiping. We believe worship shouldn't be a religious duty. We worship God because we want to magnify and exalt his name.

Below, you’ll find a table with some beginner, intermediate, and advanced next steps to help you grow in your worship. While you may need to challenge yourself to step up to the task, you also need to be realistic in your expectations, otherwise you might become discouraged and give up. 

So consider starting off with a crawl step—a target you can easily hit in the next thirty days. Then you can move on to a walk step—a tangible goal that will stretch you over the next sixty to ninety days. Finally, choose a run step—something that will require a leap of faith, but through the power of the Holy Spirit will bring you to a whole new level of spiritual maturity.

When you have selected the step(s) you want to take, we encourage you to share your decision with a trusted friend who can help you stay the course by praying for you and holding you accountable. Don’t try to do this alone. Isolation can lead to procrastination. But a loving friend can encourage you if you’re feeling discouraged and help you up if you fall down.

Below those next steps, you’ll find some resources like books, studies, and bonus suggestions to help you dig deeper 

Next Steps

Growth Area Crawl Walk Run
How I live my life shows that God is my highest priority. Ask a friend or spouse to help you identify your top priorities. What changes do you need to make? Spend time reading through the life stories of some of the people in the Old Testament. Journal about the characteristics in their lives that demonstrated that God was a priority. What principles could you implement in your own life? Make it a daily habit to reflect on your activities for that day. Journal or spend time in prayer over how you saw God in your daily activities. How are your priorities shaped by a recognition of God’s presence?
I am dependent on God for every aspect of my life. Wake up with a prayer of thanks to God every morning. Read through the Psalms. Note all the times the writer of the Psalms talks about his dependency on God. How do those words describe your own dependence on God? Fast from food or some object on which you normally depend. Focus on God as you fast, and remind yourself how dependent you are on God for your life. Do this on a regular basis.
There is nothing in my life that I haven’t surrendered (kept back) from God. Take an inventory of your life and note everything you have not surrendered to God. Share your results with a friend. How can you work on these things to surrender them to God? Set up a plan for giving up one thing you have held back from God. You may need to ask a friend or spouse to hold you accountable to do this. Regularly fast from the things you have trouble surrendering to God. The “Suggestions” section below lists several helpful tips for fasting.
I regularly meditate on God’s Word and invite him into my everyday activities. Meditate on a verse of Scripture on a daily basis. You may want to take some notes on what you have learned about God. Set aside time to study God’s Word on a daily basis. Pray and ask God for insight into his Word and how it can apply to your daily life. Memorize Scripture. Choose some scriptures from your daily reading to memorize. Make it a priority to hide God’s Word in your heart.
I have a deep desire to spend time in God’s presence. Give God a one minute prayer every day. Set aside some time to go on a spiritual retreat to be alone with God. Identify a place you can go to focus on God and worship him. Make it a habit to spend time in this place on a regular basis.
I am the same person in public that I am in private. Have a friend or spouse complete the Spiritual Health Assessment on your behalf. Have a friend or spouse complete the Spiritual Health Assessment on your behalf. Set up a regular appointment with a friend, spouse, or mentor to discuss how well you are living a life that is transparent. Allow this person to speak the truth to you, and to hold you accountable.
I have an overwhelming sense of God’s awesomeness even when I do not feel his presence. Study the names of God using the Psalms. You may want to keep a journal to remind yourself what you have learned about God. Prepare yourself for a worship time using the method outlined in the “Suggestions” section below. Practice the presence of God in your everyday life. Use the methods in the “Suggestions” section below.

Worship Resources

  • Praying Like Monks, Living Like Fools by Tyler Staton
  • Facedown by Matt Redman
  • Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster
  • Whatever Happened to Worship by A.W. Tozer
  • The Way of a Worshiper by Buddy Owens
  • The Unquenchable Worshipper: Coming Back to the Heart of Worship by Matt Redman
  • The Air I Breathe: Worship As a Way of Life by Louie Giglio

Suggestions

racticing the presence of God involves looking for God in every detail of life.  

To do this you may want to think of God as ever present in every situation, and remember you are never alone.  

Look at everything you do not as something you do by yourself, but something you do together with God.  

Spend time speaking with Jesus as if he were right there with you.  

Take some time to think about him every hour of the day.

The purpose of a traditional fast is to abstain from food in order to focus clearly on your relationship with God.  

You can also fast from television, entertainment, reading, or anything that distracts you from God.  

Those who are diabetic, pregnant, or who suffer from severe physical disorders when fasting from food should fast from other things that are not physically damaging.  

Remember, the goal is to develop a focus on God. In order to fast you may want to consider the following:

  • What is the purpose of this fast?
  • Begin with something small like one meal or one time slot.
  • During the fast, commit the time you would have spent eating to prayer, Bible study, worship, etc. Use it as a time to focus on God.

Sometimes it is helpful to journal in order to see God’s work in our lives. You may want to start a journal that allows you to record some of the victories and struggles you are having.  

Record your thoughts and feelings as you go through a process of self-examination. Make it a point to review your journal annually to see how God has worked in your life over the past year.

ind a place where you can worship God privately. It may be a spot outdoors, in the privacy of your bedroom, or even in your car while commuting to work with worship music.  

Wherever it is, make a habit of visiting this place regularly and worshiping God there.

ake some time to meditate on who God is and to get a sense of his greatness.  

You may want to use the Psalms as a guide. Read through a Psalm and note what the psalmist says about God’s character and about his experiences with God.  

Take some Time to praise God for who he is and for what he has done in your life.

Make it a point to see every action as a worship sacrifice to God.  

When you wake, thank him for the day.  

As you go to work or school, sing praise music or adore him for who he is.  

Throughout the day, try to commit every word, thought, and action to him as a way of thanking him and worshiping him, realizing every breath is his gift to us.  

At home, bring God into every activity.  

Talk with others about the things God has done in your life.

Spend some time preparing yourself for your church worship service.  

As you approach the building, take a moment to stop and thank God for your church.  

Before the service begins, say a prayer of thanks to God. Tell him you are looking forward to meeting him in worship.  

Pray that God would prepare your heart to worship him. Spend some time praying for the pastor and everyone involved in worship that day.  

Look around at those entering the church and pray for as many as you can specifically that God would touch their hearts and souls during the service.  

During worship, try to picture Christ seated on the throne (Isaiah 6:1–8) and thank him for his sacrifice.

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