Pastor Stephen Dedman

“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bonds were unfastened.”
‭‭Acts‬ ‭16:25-26‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Have you ever worshipped and felt the presence of the Holy Spirit?  Have you ever had “God” bumps go up your arm while worshipping. There is an amazing effect that worship has when we are focused on worshipping Him. True worshippers get God’s attention. 

Paul and Silas were put in the inner prison with a guard watching to make sure they didn’t escape. They were imprisoned while they were traveling around preaching when they encountered a demon-possessed fortune-teller who was working as a slave. After commanding the demon out of her, the men who were profiting from her work knew their crooked business was over and sought to have Paul and Silas taken away. They were beaten and chained up.

While in prison, they didn’t cry and complain, they worshipped. They sang hymns to God. They were praising God while they were suffering. And suddenly it happened. The foundations began to shake and the doors were opened and the chains fell off. They worshipped and got God’s attention. God set them free. God fought their battle. They worshipped during a time that most people could not.

True worship has a lasting effect on the world. True worshippers make a difference. When we find ourselves in difficult and disastrous situations we need to turn our eyes to God and worship Him. God can change the whole situation and turn it around for His glory. God seeks to find people who are true worshippers.

Lord, make me a true worshipper. Give me a heart of praise and joy. Help me to know I can turn to You when I’m in trouble.

“But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him.”
‭‭John‬ ‭4:23‬ ‭ESV‬‬

What type of worshipper are you? Jesus said, God, the Father, is seeking for “true” worshippers to worship Him in spirit and truth. Are you a “true” worshipper? True worship is not about having a talented voice. It’s not about singing contemporary or traditional songs. It’s not about raising your hands, standing, or dancing. So what are the marks of a true worshipper? What is God looking for in a true worshipper?

Jesus said the greatest commandment is this, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.”‭‭ (Matthew‬ ‭22:37‬) A true worshipper is one who praises God, in good times and bad, one who rejoices from their heart with gladness and joy, and knows that God is deserving of all honor; heart, soul, and mind. That means true worship is more than a church service and more than a concert. Don’t take me the wrong way, we do worship God in church services, through gospel singings, and in Christian concerts. But there is more to true worship than what we do on Sunday.

True worshippers worship God through their jobs. They serve others with their talents and gifts. True worshippers are found in the operating rooms, in restaurants, on construction sites, on the sales floor, in the back office, answering phones, delivering products, and cleaning toilets. They worship in court rooms, classrooms, in offices, at home, on the highways, behind closed doors, and out in the field. It doesn’t matter what you do or where you do it, as long as you glorify God through it.

We can worship through serving others, giving of our talents and time, and loving those around us. God is seeking true worshippers. Do you wake up with a song on your lips? Do you praise God when things go wrong? Is honoring God with all that you have a priority? True worshippers get God’s attention.

Lord, I lift my voice to the Heavens to praise your holy name. I honor you with all that you have blessed me with. May you receive the glory in all that I do.