What is worship?  “Worship is the soul bowing itself in adoring contemplation before the object worshipped.  To worship God is to bow before Him in adoring contemplation of who He is.” The word worship is commonly used in a very loose and unscriptural manner.  We often speak of our Sunday services as worship services, but there are many things we do in our services that isn’t worship.   
 
Listening to a sermon is not worship.  Praying is not worship and singing is not worship.  Worship is a definite act that is very clearly defined in the Bible.  It is “The soul bowing before God in adoring contemplation of Him.”  The root of the Hebrew word translated “worship” in the Old Testament means “to bow down.”  In worship we are occupied only with the Lord.  
 
Who does the Scripture say we should worship?  We should worship the Father.  (John 4:23)  “For the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth; for the Father seeketh such to worship Him.”
 
The Scriptures teach us that we should worship the Lord our God and serve Him alone.  (Matt. 4:10) “Thou shall worship the Lord thy God and Him only shall thou serve.”

 
We should worship Jesus Christ.  (Rev. 5:8-13)   “And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full or odours, which are the prayers of the saints.  And they sang a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; and hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.  And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders:  and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.  And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessings, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.”

 
Worship of God and of Christ is commanded.  We owe worship to God.  It is due to Him.  We owe love to others but God alone deserves our worship.  Our first duty toward God is to worship Him.  He is the all wise, almighty, infinite, and all perfect One.  Our rightful attitude toward Him is bowing before Him, or prostrating ourselves before Him in contemplation of His infinite glory and meditating on His attributes. If we do not worship God we are robbing Him of what is due Him.  It is not enough to only obey Him, give Him thanks and serve Him.  We must also worship Him.

 
Have you ever worshipped God?  How much time to you spend daily worshipping God in pure and simple worship, in bowing before Him in silent and adoring contemplation of who He is?
 
Scripture says that “God is looking for those who will worship Him in spirit and in truth.”  (John 4:23).  Above all else God desires that we worship Him.  He is seeking those who will worship Him.

 
How to worship:  We should worship God on the shed blood of Jesus.  The only way we can approach the Father is through the shed blood of Jesus Christ.
 
We should worship by the Spirit of God.  The first thing we should do when we worship is ask the Holy Spirit to enable us to worship acceptably.  We are helpless to worship without the Holy Spirit leading and enabling us.  Ask Him to show us how to adequately adore our Father.  Remember that this isn’t the time to petition the Father.  It is the time to bow in adoration and allow the Holy Spirit to teach you how to worship.
 
Scripture teaches us that by beholding and worshipping God we will become like Him.  The sanctifying work of the Spirit will be done in us and we will become transformed into His likeness as we spend time in His presence.   
 
We don’t want to be like Job who said, “I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear:  but now mine eye seeth thee.  Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.”
 
Job thought that he knew God.  But in reality he didn’t.  Only when God spoke to him and asked him where he was when God created the universe, and everything in it, did Job realize he didn’t know God at all.  We will “know” God when we abide in His presence through worship.
 
Exercise:
Begin now to worship the Lord.  Take the time to build worship into your daily schedule.
    
Reference:  What the Bible Teaches, by R.A. Torrey