What is Acceptable Worship to God? From a Youth's Perspective...

By Pamela Joy Kline~ 

What is acceptable worship to God?

I picked Aunt Naqi to talk to and she told me that what it means to her is to abandon oneself in pouring out your heart to God and letting Him fill you back up. 

The scripture I picked is:
John 4:23-24 - But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth...

The important thing that I got out of all this was to be willing to look like a fool while I worship- if my heart expresses a lot in the moment. It is not easy to be willing to be a fool for God when it comes to worship or anything really... but I have heard that it is worth it all in the end :)

What is Acceptable Worship to God? From a Youth's Perspective...

From Rachel Fagan~ 

wor-ship (n) 

1. to love, admire, or respect somebody or something greatly and perhaps excessively or unquestioningly

2. to treat somebody or something as divine and show respect by engaging in acts of prayer and devotion

3. great or excessive love, admiration, and respect felt for somebody or something

worship synonyms:

adoration, love, reverence, respect, devotion, adulation, veneration

What the people of God say:

Papa Jesherun - True worship. God loves faithful worship from the heart.

Chavvah - Worship from a pure heart.

What the word of God says:

John 4:23, 24 - The time is coming when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, and the time is here already. You see, the Father, too, is actively seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.

Exodus 4:30, 31 …Then Moses did the miracles for all the people to see, and the Israelites believed. When they heard that the Lord was concerned about them and had seen their troubles, they bowed down and worshiped him.

What I think (my conclusion of what worship is):

I think that worship is loving someone so much, keeping their face before you, doing things for them and giving glory and honor to them. I think it is related to praise, but is deeper: more actions instead of words. I think praise and worship go hand-in-hand.

 

What is Acceptable Worship to God? From a Youth's Perspective...

From Jonathan Kline~ 

Worship - an act of reverence (Strong's Concordance)

Anavah - Acceptable worship comes from a pure heart, and walking upright with God.

Romans 12:1 - Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship.

I think that acceptable worship to God is more than just singing and praising Him. God wants us to worship Him in our lives - like a Living Sacrifice.    

What is Acceptable Worship to God? From a Youth's Perspective...

From Hosanna Dickerson~

Music and dance are two major tools I use to worship God. However, this does not mean that every time I am singing or dancing I am worshiping God. In all honesty, true worship does not come to me naturally. In fact, it is almost rare that I experience a good dose of it. This, obviously, has a lot to do with myself, since I believe having an understanding and a gratefulness for all that God has done for us leads us to worship Him. That doesn't come naturally to me either. I'm learning how to do this more and more as I'm growing up.

When I think of worship, there are a few specific words that come to mind. Humility, gratitude, focus, and reconciliation. These are some of the things I have experienced in worship. I have to have a humble and contrite heart to enter the throne room of God. He does not meet me there, if I am arrogant, or self conscious. I have to be intensely focused on Him, just as Christ is intensely focused on Him. I can't be worried about what I look like to others or what they think of me. God is so much bigger than I can comprehend, and He is worthy of my praise and worship because of all He has done for me. Who else would have died for my sins? Who else would have suffered unbearable pain so that I might live and know God and His forgiveness? This is the gratitude I feel when I worship. 

But I think the sweetest thing about worship, the part I love best of all, is the reconciliation of myself to God. To feel him draw near and know that He loves me in spite of how I am or what I've done. When my heart is right with God, I feel His pleasure. I will never grow dull to that feeling. He gives me hope, comfort, and life, and for that, I'll worship Him.