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Cultivating a Personal Worship Habit

Cultivating a Personal Worship Habit

Last updated on: August 19, 2023 at 5:18 pm by Abby Filipiak

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Cultivating a Personal Worship Habit 2023-08-19T17:18:18-05:00 Abby Filipiak

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As Christians, worship is a key part of displaying our gratitude and thankfulness to God. The term “worship” may bring up a specific image. For some, they may think of a group of songs sung on a Sunday morning. Others may think of a hobby that they take time each day or week to dedicate to the Lord.

The things we spend our time on show our heart’s intentions. If we spend time honoring God, then it is clear that we are having an intentional relationship with Him. I want to inspire you to reflect on the ways you worship and how you can cultivate a personal worship habit.

Requirement of Worship

When looking into worship in scripture, we see several examples that we can analyze. In the Psalms, we hear David speak about using our voices to worship. In Job, we see Job drop to His knees in worship.

One specific example that shows God’s requirement of worship is Exodus 25-26 and the building of the Tabernacle. God told Moses a list of things that were required of Israelites to honor Him. This included the Ark, the Table, Lampstand, Tabernacle, and the surrounding area.

God’s list was detailed– down to the type of wood that would be used as the handles to carry the Ark or even the type of metal to be used to hang the curtain. He did not leave room for error from the Israelites and expected obedience due to His clear instruction.

The Tabernacle was designed as a place for God’s presence to dwell among the Israelites. This sacred space symbolized God’s willingness to dwell among His people and engage in a close relationship with them.

By constructing the Tabernacle according to God’s instructions, the Israelites were creating a physical space that facilitated their communion with God. The act of building and maintaining this space encouraged a habit of seeking God’s presence, which is a central aspect of personal worship.

Because the Israelites were obedient to God, they were able to participate in a closer relationship with Him due to their acts of worship being held there. By following God’s requirements, the Israelites were able to honor God with their service. The things God asked them to create required sacrifice and hard work. Their hard work would pay off because of God’s promise to be their God as long as they worshipped Him.

Ultimately, it’s clear that God requires us to worship Him.

Worship in the Everyday

Worship is an attitude: the purpose is to bow down and show reverence or adoration to our God. Therefore, worship does not just mean singing on a Sunday morning, but finding ways to honor God throughout our lives.

God wants our worship time to be an attitude that we can turn into a habit. By creating a habit of Worship, we will find ourselves turning to Him more frequently or easily.

So, how do we find ways to worship God daily? Weekly? Maybe a daily worship and praise setlist playing while you’re in the shower isn’t feasible– or appealing. There are so many ways that we can honor our God.

Ways we see God worshipped in scripture:

Dancing
Praising
Singing
Honoring (Him or others)
Praying
Giving (time or physically)
Serving
Sacrificing

This list may be difficult to draw specific ideas from, so I have listed a few.

Music

Probably the one that comes to mind the quickest is the songs we listen to. I mentioned a Worship and Praise playlist– if you do not have one I highly recommend creating one. Then, choose to play this in the car on your way to work for half your commute.

During this, dedicate the time on your drive (or coffee, or quick run) to focus on what Jesus has done for you and ask how you can honor God today. Not sure where to start with creating this playlist? Reach out to the local Worship Director or Pastor in your church and ask for a list of songs that have been played in the last month at church.

If you feel uncomfortable with that, here are some Spotify playlists I recommend. My personal favorite is Ultimate Christian Alternative!

Songs of Glory

Signs & Wonders

Worship Wednesdays

Ultimate Christian Alternative

Talents

In addition to music as a way to worship, I encourage you to reflect on the talents that God has given you. Are you talented in art? Pick an amount of time for each day or week to dedicate your art to the Lord. Give Him your best efforts– create something that will take time and hard work to complete.

Gifted in crocheting or quilting? Make extra items and donate them to your local homeless shelter or school. Pray over each item and the owner that it is going to, that they will know they are cared for.

As a middle school teacher, I use my talents with students on my Wednesday Nights serving with my Youth Group. I am able to worship and display worship to 6th-8th grade students. It’s here that I find myself growing and honoring God with the gifts he has given me.

Relationships

Honoring God and worshipping Him in our earthly relationships may not be something you have considered. However, Jesus has reminded us that we should “as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them” (Luke 6:31 ESV).

Giving others the grace and mercy that they, and we, don’t deserve is an incredibly overlooked way to honor God. In this world, it can be incredibly hard to be respectful to others when our culture tells us to retaliate.

For example, doing unto my husband what I would like to be done to me can look like this:

Having patience on long days
Doing the dishes when it’s his turn but he’s had a bad day
Budgeting our incomes together so we can honor God with what he has given us
Serving together in our community
Showing others what a loving and affectionate relationship can look like
Including each other on all decisions
Prioritizing each other first

Daily Tasks

I know that the ways I can worship God in my home feel tedious. After all, I will always prefer listening to music or painting with my watercolors over doing my dishes.

However, the reality is that Worship is not meant to always be easy. Building the Tabernacle was not easy. Abraham trusting God as he laid his only son down on the sacrificial altar was not easy. Worship is the act of bowing down– and this includes our preferences.

If God asks me to worship him by scrubbing toilets, no act of worship should be too low for me.

Let the Past Inspire You

Finally, as we reflect on the many ways in which worship can be expressed, we realize that it extends far beyond the structure of a Sunday service or a scheduled routine. Our relationship with God is cultivated through acts of worship that resonate with our individual talents, passions, and daily activities. I encourage you to spend time reflecting on ways you can daily worship God in activities you are already doing.

Furthermore, we must look at the Israelites’ example to inspire us. The historical precedent set by the construction of the Tabernacle in Exodus 25-26 provides a profound example of how obedience, sacrificial effort, and deliberate attention to detail can honor God and foster a consistent habit of worship.

Ultimately, as Christians, we embrace worship as a lifestyle—one that is woven into the mundane and extraordinary moments alike. It is in the devotion of our talents, the extension of grace to others, and the willingness to serve, even in seemingly insignificant tasks, that we mirror the heart of worship exemplified by the Israelites’ dedication to the Tabernacle.

Family, Parenting and Religion

About Abby Filipiak

When she's not in the classroom, Abby can be found pouring her heart into her writing. Her Enneagram 8 personality fuels her drive to challenge societal norms and empower women to embrace their God-given roles. Abby's genuine passion for learning, teaching, and creating a safe space for Gen Z women shines through in her thought-provoking columns. You can read more about the author here.

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