The heart of Worship

Worship is a lifestyle. At least that's what it should be. It's what I want it to be.

Very recently though I have found that worship at church and youth for me has become very automatic.

Tonight at youth I had to catch myself and tell myself to slow down and really concentrate on what the words really meant, as I found myself being swept along by it all.

All of a sudden the worship seemed very polished and dressed up. I am not criticising or saying that this is wrong, but just for me personally at this moment in time, it felt like too much of a show.

"Worship is that heart-to-heart meeting with our Father"

So as I tried to slow myself down and think about what I was saying, I had this small, inner voice that spoke to me about the heart of worship.

And then I had a sudden desire to take worship back to the heart. Just me and the guitar (or just me!) singing to God and worshiping Him. Raw and exposed worship. Just the heart crying out to God.

I don't quite know how to explain and say what I am trying to say. It was just this incredible desire to meet with God through worship, and go straight to His heart. I just want to have worship where it's me and God and nothing else.

Take worship, not necessarily to a more quiet place, but a more private place.

It's sometimes so easy to get wrapped up in busy lifestyles or routines that we forget to worship with such abandon and joy as King David did when "He danced before the Lord with all his might; and he was girded with a linen ephod." (2 Sam 6:14)

And his response to his wife when she criticised him was "It was before the LORD, who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed me ruler over the LORD's people Israel - I will celebrate before the LORD. I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes." (2 Sam 6:21-22)

Isn't that great? Free and unhindered worship because your passion and love for the King of Kings is so uncontainable.

I just want worship that goes to the heart. Worship that goes back to the heart. I don't want to be just singing words because I know them and I automatically sing along. I want to be singing words because they're actually coming deep from within my heart as I try to express myself and connect with God.

Worship is a form of expression. Rather it be your own expression than someone else's.

I still don't think that I am saying exactly what I want to say, but I know in my heart what I want; and right now I can't think of a better way than to finish than with the lyrics of "Heart of Worship" by Matt Redman.

'When the music fades

All is stripped away
And I simply come
Longing just to bring
Something that's of worth
That will bless Your heart

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 way things appear
You're looking into my heart

I'm coming back to the heart of worship
And it's all about You,
It's all about You, Jesus
I'm sorry, Lord, for the thing I've made it
When it's all about You,
It's all about You, Jesus"