how do you get into a true state of worship? (christianity)?

Question

when I sing and praise God during worship, it seems so superficial to the point where I'm not even thinking about the words. I know worship is something we do everyday with our lives, but specifically about singing worship is what I'm inquiring about. I know God deserves our praise and we are made to worship Him, so it's only right I come with the right heart when I sing...

Answer 1

Put on a garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. What you need to do is be obedient to God first. The rest will follow. Realize the promises from Him when you praise Him. Praise Him because you love Him. Ask Him to show you more of Him. This is our love language to God. Praise has to be from the heart. If you at first don't feel like it, just put on the garment of praise.

Answer 2

Two weeks ago my pastor preached that gratitude is the heart of worship. And he also said that we will never be truly grateful for all that we have until we experience for an extended period of time what other people don't have.

So I would recommend a missions trip, if you can do that at this point in your life. I bet that it would help you reconnect with God and fill you with such a genuine urge and spirit for worship that you'll not be able to stop.

If you can't do that, maybe a simple inventory of your life would help. Look at the world around you. Look at what God created, and all that he has given you. Count your blessings, and note how few miseries you experience - God is responsible for this. He is responsible for all good things.

Look at the hard times you've been through and remember God's strength and faithfulness. Open your heart and let his love flow through you as you remember and focus on all of these wonderful things. Maybe that will fan a flame of desire for worship....

Answer 3

The Bible says "sing a new song" for a reason. Many of our beloved hymns and worship songs become so habitual that they become meaningless. I would suggest trying to worship after a day or two of fasting. That may bring you closer to God. Also, try worshiping silently, using no words, just talking to God from your spirit to His. Read a favorite passage of scripture, and thank God for giving it to you. Also, another thing that I do sometimes, is pray that the spirit will lead you to scripture that is encouraging, and then just flip open to a random page, and read where your eyes go. The spirit has guided you to this passage for a reason. Read it, and meditate on it, then go into a state of worshiping. I hope this helps.

God Bless and Good Luck.

Answer 4

Sometimes it may be superficial. If you're talking about that "Hallelujah! Amen brother! Shout it everywhere!" stuff where you got people jumpin' up & down the aisles,to where it seems more like a circus show than church, then yeah, I'm on your side. Yes, we're supposed to praise God, but that doesn't mean all that fake stuff I mentioned above. There are different ways. I mean, however you do it...Like me, I'll read His Word & thank Him, pray, sing (not scream or shout or yell :) ), just talk to Him, stuff like that. God made us in His own image to where we are happy, and the only way to be truly happy is in Him. Yes, we are to praise Him. & you do want to do it with the right heart. But that doesn't mean to go to church on Sabbath morning & try to force yourself to like the music! Shoot, I do special music in church alot & I don't pick "shouting songs" as I call them, & I keep getting asked. I give all the glory & honor to God. I can't get proud, I just can't. How bout u just email me? :) Oh and, if you ever get a chance to go on a mission trip (even if you don't have the money to travel all the way to the moon :) ) pray about it, step out in faith, ask your folks & if it's ok, do it! You don't have to go all the way to China or something, you can do it locally.That will give you the right heart, too. I've gone on two (Caribbean & Central America), & it has COMPLETELY changed me, & it gave my a less-selfish heart (I still need to work on it though). So yeah, email me! :)

Answer 5

Hi yah,

Worship is recognizing and giving God the worth that He alone deserves! i want to encourage you that in your asking your really longing for a deep feeling of knowing that God loves you. 1 John warns us that our hearts may at times condemn us but God is greater than our hearts. i just want to say that your desire to experience and be sincere with God is a great start. Just be careful though that you aren't simply desiring the "feeling", take that same passion and apply it to meeting with and growing deep with God.

The Scriptures tell us to sing praise with understanding so perhaps really meditating on the words and considering how Great and how truthful those words are, is powerful.

I also want to encourage you that praise can minister to us. Sometimes when i sing songs to the Lord it breaks me because i realize that i the words i'm singing doesn't always reflect the present state of my heart- and it draws me to prayer and just honestly telling God this is the heart that i long for (the Scriptures tell us God will never reject a humble and contrite heart).

For example there is a song with the Lyrics Lord I want to know you more. At that very moment if i'm really not walking in such a way where my life is saying Lord i want more of you- i can honestly can before the Lord and say- Lord my heart wants to truthfully proclaim that to you- will you help me? Will you take away anything that keeps me from knowing you more?

Don't get overly caught up with is your heart "right" when you sing. If it's not confess... (i always tell my friends- if you know you aren't right- get right). No one offers perfect worship to God, but as you sing the words let the truthfulness of it- be the words that you want to come forth from your heart and spirit and if there's a discrepancy- ask the Lord to help...

Be encouraged... and let me know if i can pray for you or help you any further with this.

God Bless... [e-mail]

Answer 6

I think the more you are in fellowship with God, the more truly you can praise Him. Are you in a bible study? Do you pray, talk to Jesus, meditate on His word? I find my worship more rich when I am constantly thinking about the Lord and pursuing a deeper relationship with Him.

Answer 7

Worshiping God is knowing what He is and pleases Him, Hebrew11:6. Isaiah59:1-22 tell us what God wants from us. Jesus say that he desires justice and mercy more than sacrifices. Mathew5,6,7

Answer 8

You pray. It is that simple. There is nothing else to it. You can sing while praying, you can stand on your head, you can eat macaroni and cheese, but the true state of worship occurs when you pray.

You do not need a right heart, God perfects us, we lack a perfect song. My own part of the Catholic Church could easily be called the singers to God. We sing because we are called to be the Earthly representation of the Heavenly Choir at the Wedding Feast of the Lamb. However our most profound singing is not profound to God at all. It is rather like a child's ABC song. We do not think highly of children because their deep knowledge or profound level of skill lets them sing their ABCs. We are not in awe of the depth they show.

We honor it because it is important for the growth and wellbeing of the child. We honor it for the work. We honor it because of our love for the child.

God does not profit from our singing because our song is deep, He profits from our singing because we sing and our singing helps us grow in love even when it feels rote.

Most Sundays, after the prayers to place the world in His hands and before the entrance of the Gospel books, we begin a series of antiphonal prayers with the psalm that starts "Shout joyfully to the Lord all the Earth, sing praise to His name, give to Him glorious praise."

I can be crabby. I can have a wailing baby with me. I can be angry at someone. I can be half asleep. I can be in a state of profound oneness with He Who Is. He honors our work because He makes it divine work.

Paul reminds all Christians to pray ceaselessly. Make your life a living prayer and do not worry about your sufficiency. He is sufficient alone. It is He who is the lover of mankind and is the medicine of our soul.

I do not wish to imply having a right heart is unimportant. To the contrary, being in a state of grace is something all the baptized must constantly strive to by constantly turning away from sin and toward Him. We are all to be penitents. But it is prideful to try and become perfect always. He will perfect you if you let Him.

As Holy Francis of Assissi said once", preach the Gospel constantly and if necessary, use words."

Also, if you are having problem with prayer, it is likely God is helping you grow and you are feeling the pain. If you would like to deepen your experience of prayer through song, I would suggest daily singing of the Divine Office. It is primarily the book of psalms and the canticles, but includes all of scripture and other profitable reading to help with scripture.

Go to http://www.universalis.com and it has everything except prayer for the third, sixth and ninth hours of the day on it. The office of Readings is for anytime of the day. The entire thing is sung. It doesn't provide notes. Theoretically it should be in plainsong, but any music for the psalms will work.

Over four weeks you will have sung the entire books of psalms and over a period of years you will sing the entirety of scripture as well if you do all of it daily.

This form of prayer is the prayer at the hours mentioned repeatedly in the Acts of the Apostles and is still sung daily throughout the world. The precise form varies based upon which apostle evangelized which areas of the world and upon different calendar usages. The basics are identical. The prayers are removed and in some cases, there is no reference to the particular scriptures for the day, but that also frees you to cycle through the entire bible as you see fit for yourself as well. Just as long as you end up singing the whole bible in the end.

Fear not, says the angels. Just pray.

Answer 9

The best way to worship is to live your life and not waste time singing about it. But hey, whatever floats your boat.

Answer 10

you are there when you live right before God and be Holy and when you praise God through the Holy Ghost, shouting and tongues and stuff.
The bible says worship hin in spirit ( the Holy Ghost) and truth ( Believing God and his word and living right)