Each Wednesday I co-host a show on blis.fm called ‘The Connect’. This week we were privileged to interview Whittney Jackson, an up and coming Gospel artist with a powerful voice. During the interview we discussed the topic of worship and Whittney said something that stood out to me, “Worship is a lifestyle.” And as I thought and prayed more about it, I realized that worship is how we prioritize God in our lives and not just how we feel when the slow song plays at church. This is a matter of the heart and we communicate with God through our worship.

1.      You have to learn God for yourself- Worship is an extension of the Holy Spirit residing in you. Whether you’ve grown up in church or were introduced to it much later in life, if you’re not careful, going to church simply becomes a habit [a good habit] but we have to be diligent and make a choice for ourselves about who God is and what He means to us. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) 19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.” (NJKV)

2.      Own your worship – The way you worship God is unique to you. It doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s worship. Sit down, stand up, raise your hands, open your eyes, keep them close; do whatever the Holy Spirit leads you to do in order to worship Him in spirit and truth. (John 4:23-24) 23 “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” (NKJV)

3.      Check your heart- When you are having trouble worshiping, check your heart and assess where you are in relation to God. Have you strayed from Him? Do you need to ask for forgiveness for something? Do you need to study more of His word? Is your worship only tied to whether or not God answers your prayers the way you want Him to? (Jeremiah 29:13) “And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.” (NKJV)