The Heart of Worship

Worship is all about an attitude of heart and life. It finds its true meaning in the expression of love and gratitude we feel to the Lord in our hearts when we reflect on all He is and what He has done for us.

Source: eastmountainvineyard.org

I love to sing and one of my favourite worship songs is ‘The heart of worship’ by Matt Redman.  My voice is not brilliant and I have always wished that the Lord had blessed me with a voice like Kari Jobe or Twila Paris because when I sing I really want to belt it out and glorify God. The truth however is that although the people around me hear my voice I know God hears my heart. I`m no Darlene Zschech but I get by. Over the years I have been blessed (if a little reluctant at times) to be involved in the worship team in my church.  I have loved this and the Lord has both challenged me and often blessed me in this way.

Recently I became very hoarse and my voice started to get really thin and unpredictable. It appeared I had a polyp (an abnormal growth of tissue) on my vocal chords. No problem, the wonderful NHS arranged for me to have it removed. Job well done: but unfortunately it is going to take a long time before I get my voice back properly if at all. I must admit I have gone through quite a bit of frustration at this. It came to a head when my husband and I recently went to a ‘Big Church Night In’ event at which Kari Jobe and Matt Redman were leading the worship. The atmosphere was electric and the worship was wonderful and all the people around me were singing their hearts out.  I felt really frustrated and a little sorry for myself (silly me), because I could not sing my heart out too. Then Matt Redman sang ‘I`m coming back to the heart of worship’ and the Lord started to do real work on my heart.

I felt the Lord say to me, ‘What is worship?’  Well Lord it`s like the song says; ‘It’s all about you’. I felt the Lord remind me that it was about Him and not about me. The song also says:

‘I'll bring You more than a song

For a song in itself

Is not what You have required

You search much deeper within

Through the ways things appear

You're looking into my heart’

Source: Source: www.pinterest.com

And this is exactly what the Lord wanted me to learn. Worship is not just singing a song (which I guess I always knew) and I had also made it all about not being able to sing. He reminded me that Worship is all about an attitude of heart and life. It finds its true meaning in the expression of love and gratitude we feel to the Lord in our hearts when we reflect on all He is and what He has done for us.

For the rest of the night I stood singing my heart out in love to the Lord without opening my mouth or uttering a sound. Totally freed up from the need to get the notes right, or being conscious of what I sounded like. I experienced the true heart of worship, just Him and me, giving and receiving of love, with nothing to get in the way or distract. It was truly liberating and a really wonderful experience.

When we are in church it is encouraging to the worship leader and each other if we sing out loud. But if you get a chance, either for one song or at home whilst listening to a CD, close your eyes and keep your mouth closed and let your heart sing out to the Lord songs of love and worship (why not try this by playing the video below).  Experience the true heart of worship and you will be amazed what the Lord can reveal to you as you truly abandon yourself to worship him with NO distractions. John 4:23-24 ‘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. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.’

Author: Jan Pearson 

May God bless and enrich your life

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