What's the difference between worship and praise

[tturt]

"Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully." (Psa 24:3-4). "Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded." (Jam 4:8).

"...defining worship as "the means by which we come into the Lord's presence and adore, praise and love Him in the same nature as He - in the spirit."
"...the root of the word joy, which means "to join." In other words, joy is the result of coming into God's presence, worshiping Him and being joined in spirit. This is simply saying that joy is the result of the union and the communion of our spirits."
"Another difference is that praise is often seen, whereas worship is secret - only God knows who the true worshipers are." excerpts from Nancy Missler's, "Fullness of Joy" at khouse.org/articles/2004/535/
(Acts 2:25-26, 28; Neh 8:10; Pro 17:22; Psa 16:11, 29:2).

 

[tturt]

-"Worship is the highest expression of our love for God. It's simply the paring down of our motives to "love" alone. Only love and holiness have access to the Lord's presence."
- "Fear of the Lord" means essentially two things: 1) To stand in reverential awe of who God is and 2) to hate sin."
- "Fear of God" is caring more about what God thinks than about what we think."
(James 4:8, Psa 15:1-2; 66:18, Heb 12:14; 2 Corinthians 7:1).
excerpts from Nancy Missler's, "Preparation for Worship" at khouse.org/articles/2004/550/print/

 

[tturt]

"In the Old Testament, the word "mind" was translated from three Hebrew words: reins, kidneys and spirit" "...born again believer his "spirit" will be united with God's Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:17). "Our spirit is the "life source," the "energy source," or the "power source" of our lives. Our spirit resides at the core of our being. It's what creates the thoughts of our hearts and it's what produces them as actions in our lives"

"In the New Testament there are 11 different Greek words that are simply translated "mind." Yet, each one of these words means something slightly different. For instance, in the First Commandment (Matthew 22:37), it says we are to "love the Lord, thy God, with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind."

"Mind here is the Greek word "dianoia". "Dianoia," more precisely translated, means willpower (or volition), ..." excerpts from Nancy Missler's, "What is Our Mind?" khouse.org/articles/1996/119/
(Rom 12:2; 1 Corinthians 2:16; Hosea 11:4; Proverbs 5:22; Psalm 32:8).. Strong's Concordance recommended.

"Our ability to worship is developed through application. In other words, we learn to worship by worshiping . The problem is, most of us have not been taught exactly "how" to worship."

"Unfortunately, the music in many of our church services is what determines how effective the worship is. This is not at all what the Word of God says. The Bible tells us that worship is not just to engage the audience, but to have them change as a result of it"

"Worship is critical because it's the key to God's presence. It's what brings us intimacy with the Father."

"Our heart is what matters when we worship, not our voice. In other words, we can only worship God to the degree to which we know Him-the degree to which our heart is filled with love for Him. When we really know and love Him, it becomes easy and natural for us to worship." "In other words, worship is simply a prayer of relationship in which the "created" lauds and magnifies the "Creator." It's our expression of His worthiness."
"Psalm 16:11 again, "...only in His presence [through worship] is fulness of joy!"
excerpts from Nancy Missler's, "What Makes Worship so Important" khouse.org/articles/2004/529/
(Psalm 95:6-7; 99:5,

Can study God's names, titles, and attributes by using online lists especially whose that include the Scripture so they can be checked out.

 

[tturt]

"We must never rest until everything inside us worships God.” "20 Timeless Worship Quotes by A.W.TOZER" by David Manner

"Worship is to feel in the heart and express in an appropriate manner, a humbling but delightful sense of admiring awe. Worship humbles you."

"There are INGREDIENTS that make up worship:
One is admiration. We can admire without worshiping — but we cannot worship without admiring, because worship is admiration carried to infinitude.
In the same way, we can honor what we do not worship — but we cannot worship the one we do not honor. So worship carries with it an ingredient of honor.
Then there is the spirit we call fascination — or transcendent wonder. Here the mind ceases to understand and goes over to a kind of delightful astonishment. We can only worship that which fascinates us.
Another ingredient is love. We can love without worshiping, but we cannot worship without loving. Worship seeks union with its Beloved, and an active effort to close the gap between the heart, and the God it adores — is worship at its best. To adore God means we love Him with all the powers within us. We love Him with fear and wonder and yearning and awe." excerpts from
A.W. Tozer's, "Worship - The Missing Jewel of Evangelical Churches" at gracegems.org/29/tozer_worship.htm

"Worship," Tozer explained, "is to feel in your heart and express in some appropriate manner a humbling but delightful sense of admiring awe and astonished wonder and overpowering love in the presence of that most ancient Mystery, that majesty which philosophers call the First Cause but which we call Our Father Which Art in Heaven." excerpts from A.W. Tozer's - "A Heart to Worship" awtozerclassics.com/articles/article/4891846/86018.htm

 

[tturt]

"We praise God through music and singing for “all of his wonderful acts” that He has done for us.

"But worship, on the other hand is a time to revere, to adore, to honor, and pay homage to God, not for what He has done but for who He is. He is Jehovah, the great I Am (Exodus 3:14); He is El Shaddai, the Almighty (Genesis 17:1); He is the Exalted, who is transcendent far above the universe (Psalm 113:4-5); He is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end (Revelation 1:8). He is the only God, and apart from Him there is no other (Isaiah 45:5). He is worthy of our adoration, our reverence, and our worship." excerpts from Dr Cindy Collier's, "What Exactly is Worship?" biblestudytools.com/bible-study/topical-studies/what-exactly-is-worship.html

Nehemiah 9:1-3; Psa 29:2, 37:4, 96:9;

"And when God comes in his own time as a response to our worship, Psalm 96:13 declares, "Let all creation rejoice before the LORD, for he comes, he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in his faithfulness." "...when we offer God our true worship, we are inviting him to inspect our hearts for anything that is not like him. This is the promise of worship—we can be transformed into God's likeness because he will reveal the truth about the condition of our hearts as we worship him."

"Evaluate your expressions of worship so that through singing, declaring, and giving, you will "give to the LORD the glory he deserves … " (Ps. 96:8). The promise is that when we worship God in this way, he will come and commune with us. And above all, God will respond to your worship by making your heart more like his." excerpts from Delesslyn A. KeKennebrew's, "What is True Worship?" christianitytoday.com/biblestudies/bible-answers/spirituallife/what-is-true-worship.html

'It is my sincere hope that we can share different ways of daily delighting in the Lord and sharing time with Him. I will tell you about the structure I have been using, which I call An Hour of Personal Worship. To give credit where credit it is due, it is adapted from an article I found quite a while ago written by Jim Elliff. I find it usually takes about an hour, though it could certainly be made longer or shorter. This structure is more than merely reading the Bible and praying – this is a time of intimate, personal worship to God. I recommend doing this in private..."
"1- In Jesus’ Name
Begin your time of personal worship by acknowledging that it is only through Christ’s merits that you can come before the Father. It is only through the work of Christ in which He took our sin upon Himself and satisfied the Father that we can now be accepted by God. Eph 2:13,18
2- Delight in Him
...expressing your wonder of His greatness. Praise Him for who His is – for His character and attributes. Do not focus yet on the things He has done for you, but on His person and attributes. You might also thank Him for His love, patience, kindness, goodness, knowledge and glory. Psa 37:4
3-Repentance -
Have a time of personal repentance where you reflect on your own sin and shortcomings in the light of the perfect majesty of God. Confess and repent of specific sins, asking God to forgive you for them. Trust that He is faithful to do so.(I John 1:9).
4 - Express Your Longings -
"Express your deepest, most personal longings to God. This is not a time to pray about everything you need or want, but a time to make known to Him your deepest desires. This may include your desire for deeper fellowship with Him, for personal holiness, to “finish strong” and so on. Ephesians 1:15-23 may serve as a guide for this
5 -Read a Psalm or portion
Praise God through your words.
6 - Sing to the Lord
If you are not a singer, consider reading or reciting a creed or reading a question and answer from a Catechism. (Psa 100:1, 2)
7 - Intercede For Others
8 - Place Your Day Before God
...ask Him for specific opportunities to serve Him in sharing the Gospel and serving others. It may be helpful to go through your day chronologically, asking him for help, patience, guidance, faith and so on in specific areas. ( Pro 3:5-6)
9 - Petitions
Bring your petitions before Him with faith and humility, knowing that God loves to grant the desires of your heart. (Heb 4:16, Jn. 16: 24)
10 - Study The Word
Having prepared your heart and removed any emphasis from yourself, it is now time to turn to the Bible.
Begin by asking the Spirit to illumine the Words you will read,...Eph 1:17,18, Psa 1:1-2
11- Thanksgiving
Finish your time with a prayer of thanksgiving. Be specific in thanking God for his forgiveness, goodness and providence. Thank Him for the time you have been able to spend with Him.(Hebrews 13:15).
And That Is It " excerpts from Tim Challies', 'An Hour of Personal Worship" challies.com/articles/an-hour-of-personal-worship/

 

[tturt]

"When we worship, the invisible God is at work doing invisible and powerful things. We get realigned, refreshed and refueled; we find unspeakable joy and indescribable peace. We discover the breakthrough strength of God, which enables us to walk in the truth, live in His presence and see Him fight our battles for us. It is how we can put the beauty of the Gospel on display, receive His many blessings and at the same time be a blessing to the world." excerpts from Tommy Walker,'s "Understanding the Breakthrough Power of Worship". billygraham.org/story/understanding-the-breakthrough-power-of-worship/

Also, "The closer you get to the Lord, the better you will get to know Him. And the better you get to know Him, the more you will want to express your feelings, thoughts, and emotions to Him."

"For those of you who know how to truly worship the Lord in the Spirit, you know what a wonderful blessing and experience it really is to be able to do this. Once you learn how to go into a true worship mode with the Lord through the Holy Spirit, it will help draw you that much closer to God in your own personal relationship with Him".

"Just realize that as you continue to grow and mature in your walk with the Lord, the Holy Spirit will start to illuminate your mind and open up your eyes to all of this. And one of the areas that He will definitely be including in your sanctification process with the Lord will be helping you out on how to truly worship the Lord from your heart and from your spirit." Excerpts from Michael Bradley's "How to Worship God in the Spirit". bible-knowledge.com/worship-god/
(Has list of Scriptures suggesting that they're read one after the other)

"Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth." Psa 46:10
.

 

[tturt]

"At times worship is an act of the will. It is a decision to honor and revere God. Other times worship is a response to experiencing the wonder of God. As we seek to rightly know God, and as He reveals Himself to us, our inner attitude toward Him will be transformed. This transformation is something we experience throughout the course of our lifetime rather than a destination to arrive at. At times worship may be full of knowledge and emotion. At other times worship may feel more like an act of the will that takes significant effort. As you experience these shifts, trust that through pursuing the Lord you are honoring Him." excerpts from Donald Whitney 's "Spiritual Disciplines: How to Worship God" accounseling.org/spiritual-disciplines-how-to-worship-god/

Steps to worship:
"I like to begin my time with the Lord in thankfulness, praise, and worship." (Psalm 100:2, 4)

"Then I ask the Holy Spirit to show me what the Lord has to say today in His Word, meditating on it. Next, I spend time in prayer, listening to hear what the Lord is saying to me. It is essential to quiet ourselves, fix our eyes on Jesus, and tune to the flow of the Spirit. You may want to write down what He says in a journal."

"It is important to prioritize our time to spend time with Him, focus on Him, and hear His voice and heart in His presence. He is inviting us to a deeper place of intimacy with Him, to come into the secret place and return to our first love. We walk with an awareness of His presence through a lifestyle of worship, repentance (Hebrews 6:1; Acts 3:19), and prayer." excerpts from Alexis Carucci's "An Invitation into God's Presence"alexiscarucci.com/2021/02/03/an-invitation-into-gods-presence/

'We are “sealed” by the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13). This speaks of a relationship. We are encouraged “not to grieve” the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:30) which speaks of intimacy. Intimacy flows from relationship. Our salvation gives us the relationship but our pursuit of the Holy Spirit brings about intimacy.

"The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.” II Cor 13:14

"He waits to be wanted, longs to be welcomed. He needs to be hosted. Many people invite the Holy Spirit, but few know how to host Him. To start fellowshipping with the Holy Spirit we must first see Him as a person. If you want to walk in the Holy Spirit, start with talking to the Holy Spirit. Throughout the day address Him, welcome Him, thank Him and worship Him. You should not feel guilty for not spending time with the Holy Spirit but you should feel thirsty. He wants relationship, not rules."

"If you take the risk of obedience you will experience the reward in that relationship. No risk = no reward = no relationship. When you sin, run to God."

"You are what you eat. You are what you feed yourself with. Your spiritual diet can transform your spiritual destiny. One of the habits you can make that will bring awareness of the Holy Spirit in your life is regularly reading about the person and the work of the Holy Spirit." excerpts from VLADIMIR SAVCHUK' "5 Steps to Deeper Relationship with the Holy Spirit" hungrygen.com/relationshipwithholyspirit/


"Inspiring Quotes about Worship:
-"You never go away from us, yet we have difficulty in returning to You. Come, Lord, stir us up and call us back. Kindle and seize us. Be our fire and our sweetness. Let us love. Let us run.”—Augustine of Hippo
-"Nothing teaches us about the preciousness of the Creator as much as when we learn the emptiness of everything else.”—Charles Spurgeon
-"From your heroes you pick up mannerisms and phrases and tones of voice and facial expressions and habits and demeanors and convictions and beliefs. The more admirable the hero is and the more intense your admiration is, the more profound will be your transformation. In the case of Jesus, he is infinitely admirable, and our admiration rises to the most absolute worship. Therefore, when we behold him as we should, the change is profound.”—John Piper
excerpts from Brandon Hadley's "19 Inspiring Quotes about Worship" mediashout.com/inspiring-worship-quotes/

 

[tturt]

"When God made a covenant with Noah, Abraham, and others, there was always the shedding of blood, and this blood enacted the covenant and made it strong and secure."

"The high priest came with the blood into the Holy of Holies, sprinkled the lid of the ark, and had God’s presence and His speaking. The only thing that qualifies us to enter into God’s presence is the redeeming blood of Christ, on which we stand when we meet with God; this blood satisfies God’s holy, righteous, and glorious requirements of us, and it qualifies us to be in God’s presence and have His speaking to us in grace." (Exo. 25:17, 22, 34:27-35; Lev. 16:11-16; Rom. 3:25; Heb. 9:5). excerpts from agodman's "The Blood of the Covenant Brings Us Into God's Presence to Receive His Speaking"
agodman.com/the-blood-of-the-covenant-brings-us-into-gods-presence-to-receive-his-speaking/

Also, "After two days, he will revive us; on the third day, he will raise us up; and we will live in his presence." Hos 6:2
"Live in His presence so you can better live in the present. His presence is a reality check. His presence is pure and it’s purifying. His expectation is Lordship over His followers. This is why we submit to Him each time we enter into His presence."

"His presence purifies your heart and mind (1 Thessalonians 3:13). His presence comforts and encourages like none other. His presence is where love lingers and holiness hovers."

"You know in your head that He is always present. But your heart must volitionally engage with Him in order for you to experience Him practically. Think about Him often. If men can think about sex every seven seconds, surely thoughts about their Savior can exceed this. Women tend to worry regularly. So a healthy habit is to send worry out the back door of your mind’s control, and invite the Lord in through the front door of your heart’s faith. He does “stand at the door and knock” (Revelation 3:20)." excerpts from Boyd Bradley's "Living in God's Presence" wisdomhunters.com/living-in-gods-presence/

Also, "John 4:24, a wonderful verse, matches Zechariah 12:1 and Isaiah 42:5."
"In His word to the Samaritan woman, the Lord Jesus seemed to be saying, "Woman, you do not know what it is to worship God. The real worship of God is not on a mountain or in Jerusalem—it is in your spirit. Only by using your spirit can you touch God. I am your God, and I am here as living water for you to drink of Me. The way to drink this living water is to exercise your spirit. This is what it means to worship the Father." God has given us a spirit that we may worship Him by drinking of Him."

"Another crucial verse concerning the human spirit is 2 Timothy 4:22. "The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you." This verse does not say that the Lord is with our mind or soul or heart; it tells us that He is with our spirit. Deep within, in the center of our being, we have a particular organ—the human spirit—created by God for the purpose of receiving Him and containing Him." excerpts from Witness Lee's "Life-Study of Zechariah" ministrysamples.org/excerpts/WORSHIPPING-GOD-IN-SPIRIT.HTML

Additionally, "Religious works can be performed by the flesh without knowing God at all, which is why legalists make it their focus whereas godliness—having a relationship with God—requires the human spirit. Jesus said, “God is spirit, and his worshippers must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:24). ‘Spirit’ here technically refers to the human spirit. The point being that true worship is not merely a matter of outward conformity to religious rules, ceremonies, works and places. Authentic worship springs from a regenerated spirit that’s connected with the LORD and involves communion between the individual and the indwelling Holy Spirit, who guides/helps us. This is relationship."

‘Godliness’ means to be like God and stems from this relationship since we become like those we spend time with the most. In other words, a relationship with God produces godliness. ‘Religion’ by contrast doesn’t refer to godliness, but to outward forms of devotion." Fountain of Life Teaching Ministry's "What Does It Mean to Worship God in Spirit and Truth?" fountainoflifetm.com/2022/06/19/what-does-it-mean-to-worship-god-in-spirit-and-in-truth/

"...for worship is always a NOW activity. It is a present involvement with God that inspires and releases fresh worship. What God has done for us may well inspire praise, but worship, as a response of love to love, functions only in the present." pg 524
"If worship is love responding to love, and if nothing in heaven, on earth, or in hell can separate us from God's love, then surely nothing can separate us from responding to that love. That response is worship." pg 568
"excerpts from Judson Cornwell, "Let Us Worship"

 

[tturt]

"Perhaps as close a definition of worship as we can find in the Word comes from the lips of Jesus when He said "...thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
31 And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these." (Mark 12:30-31).

Love that releases all of the heart's adoration, that expresses all of the soul's attitudes, that explains all of the mind's determination, and utilizes all of the strength of the worshipper's body is worship."

excerpts from Judson Cornwell, "Let Us Worship"

 

[Disciple_mike]

What is the difference in praise and worship? What is worship? These Scriptures show they're different.

"And when all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the Lord upon the house, they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pavement, and worshipped, and praised the Lord, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever." II Chron 7

"I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name." Psa 138

"Moreover Hezekiah the king and the princes commanded the Levites to sing praise unto the Lord with the words of David, and of Asaph the seer. And they sang praises with gladness, and they bowed their heads and worshipped." "II Chron 29

Then "God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." John 4

Know worshipping in truth is important but want to understand worshipping God in spirit better.

praise is a declaration making known

worship is obedience

 

[tturt]

Looking at worship, love responding to love

Jesus is praying - "I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me." (John 17:23).

Based on this John 17:23 Scripture, Patricia King said, "We all know that the Father loves His son. You know, He loves Jesus so perfectly. As the Lord loves Him – that’s how much He loves you. You might think He can’t because I can’t be perfect like Jesus. God doesn’t love Jesus because He’s perfect, He loves Jesus because Jesus is His son. That’s why God loves Jesus and He loves you the same way. He loves you the same way He loves Jesus because you are His child. The Father Himself loves you."

 

[tturt]

"We said that worship is the doorway to intimacy with the Father. It's a union of our two spirits - a bowing down of our selves and the receiving of His Life."

"Let's put all of this into practical application."

"As we go, be sure to keep in mind the order of service of the priests of Solomon's Temple ...because it is our model here:"

"As you recall, after the Levites opened the Outer Court gate for the people to come in and worship, they immediately began to sing and praise the Lord. Then, the priests entered the Inner Court and first went to the Lavers of Bronze, where they washed their hands and feet."

"After that they approached the Brazen Altar (or Holocaust Altar), where they sacrificed their animals in order to purge the sins of the people. Next, they immersed themselves bodily in the Molten Sea."

"And, finally, they took a censer full of hot coals from the Brazen Altar, went back into the Holy Place where they changed their clothes, took some incense and sprinkled it over the coals at the Golden Incense Altar where God promised to "meet with them." (Exodus 25:22) Approaching the Golden Altar of Incense, they took off their shoes, prostrated themselves and worshiped the Lord in the "beauty of holiness."

"Bear in mind, we as New Testament believers are not under the Law nor the Old Covenant, but under grace and the Law of the Spirit. So, I don't mean to imply that there's some sort of ritual or ceremony that we are required to do. There is not! However, I do believe that God has given us a "set of guidelines" and that by following these suggestions, in whatever way helps us achieve intimacy..."

"The most important thing we, as New Testament believers, can do is allow the Holy Spirit the freedom to direct us. Only He knows the "perfect way."

"My Private Worship Times"

"The goal, of course, is to worship the Lord all day long - having our spirits in union consistently..."At the beginning of this special time, I pray and ask the Lord not to allow any thoughts to come into my mind that "are not of Him."

"Praising God for Who He Is... and for what He has done in your life. Meditate... Again, always let the Holy Spirit guide you:" "After I have praised Him, I begin to thank Him for all the things I can think of that He has done for me. "

Then "... they entered the Inner Court and went through the ritual of cleansing. ...I, too, must recognize my sin and self; confess and repent of it (and also choose to forgive anyone who has wronged me); surrender the things the Lord has shown me; and then replace them with His Word."

"Once I have put off my sin and self, then I can proceed into the Holy Place where I can "change my clothes," just like the priests did. This is where I put on Christ... and where I put on the beauty of His holiness. ... and so I can now have the boldness to enter His presence in the Holy Place."

(Hebrews 10:19 and 22)

"At this point, I picture myself carrying those hot coals (symbolizing my surrendered life) from the Brazen Altar right into the Holy Place and the Incense Altar where God has promised to "meet with me." (Exodus 25:22) Because I now have "clean hands (a pure heart)," I can worship Him not only in "the beauty of holiness," but also in spirit and truth." (John 4:23-24)

"It was at this point that the priests sprinkled incense over the hot coals, fell on their faces and worshiped the Lord. In Revelation 4:8 and 11... "Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty, which was and is and is to come...Thou art worthy, O Lord to receive glory and honour and power; for Thou has created all things and for Thy pleasure they are and were created."

"Again, Psalm 95:6-7, "Oh, come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our maker. For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand..."

excerpts from Nancy Missler's "Practical Application - Private Worship - The Key to Joy" khouse.org/articles/2005/564/

 

[tturt]

"We said that worship is the doorway to intimacy with the Father. It's a union of our two spirits - a bowing down of our selves and the receiving of His Life."

"Let's put all of this into practical application."

"As we go, be sure to keep in mind the order of service of the priests of Solomon's Temple ...because it is our model here:"

"As you recall, after the Levites opened the Outer Court gate for the people to come in and worship, they immediately began to sing and praise the Lord. Then, the priests entered the Inner Court and first went to the Lavers of Bronze, where they washed their hands and feet."

"After that they approached the Brazen Altar (or Holocaust Altar), where they sacrificed their animals in order to purge the sins of the people. Next, they immersed themselves bodily in the Molten Sea."

"And, finally, they took a censer full of hot coals from the Brazen Altar, went back into the Holy Place where they changed their clothes, took some incense and sprinkled it over the coals at the Golden Incense Altar where God promised to "meet with them." (Exodus 25:22) Approaching the Golden Altar of Incense, they took off their shoes, prostrated themselves and worshiped the Lord in the "beauty of holiness."

"Bear in mind, we as New Testament believers are not under the Law nor the Old Covenant, but under grace and the Law of the Spirit. So, I don't mean to imply that there's some sort of ritual or ceremony that we are required to do. There is not! However, I do believe that God has given us a "set of guidelines" and that by following these suggestions, in whatever way helps us achieve intimacy..."

"The most important thing we, as New Testament believers, can do is allow the Holy Spirit the freedom to direct us. Only He knows the "perfect way."

"My Private Worship Times"

"Knowing He loves me and that He wants to be involved in my life gives me the strength to carry on, no matter what difficulties I face." "The goal, of course, is to worship the Lord all day long - having our spirits in union consistently..."At the beginning of this special time, I pray and ask the Lord not to allow any thoughts to come into my mind that "are not of Him."

"Praising God for Who He Is - It's helpful to know some of the specific names and characteristics of Jesus, so you can praise Him for who He is and for what He has done in your life. Meditate upon each of these names as you pray them. Again, always let the Holy Spirit guide you:" "After I have praised Him, I begin to thank Him for all the things I can think of that He has done for me. "

Then "... they entered the Inner Court and went through the ritual of cleansing. ...I, too, must recognize my sin and self; confess and repent of it (and also choose to forgive anyone who has wronged me); surrender the things the Lord has shown me; and then replace them with His Word."

"Once I have put off my sin and self, then I can proceed into the Holy Place where I can "change my clothes," just like the priests did. This is where I put on Christ - exchange lives with Him - and where I put on the beauty of His holiness. Our spirits have finally become united - I have put on His nature - and so I can now have the boldness to enter His presence in the Holy Place."

"Hebrews 10:19 and 22 tell us, "Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus...Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water."

"At this point, I picture myself carrying those hot coals (symbolizing my surrendered life) from the Brazen Altar right into the Holy Place and the Incense Altar where God has promised to "meet with me." (Exodus 25:22) Because I now have "clean hands (a pure heart)," I can worship Him not only in "the beauty of holiness," but also in spirit and truth." (John 4:23-24)

"It was at this point that the priests sprinkled incense over the hot coals, fell on their faces and worshiped the Lord. In Revelation 4:8 and 11, they do the same. "Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty, which was and is and is to come...Thou art worthy, O Lord to receive glory and honour and power; for Thou has created all things and for Thy pleasure they are and were created."

"And it's the same with us. This is the time we bow down, offering our love, adoration and a life fully surrendered. Again, Psalm 95:6-7, "Oh, come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our maker. For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand..."

excerpts from Nancy Missler's "Practical Application - Private Worship - The Key to Joy" khouse.org/articles/2005/564/

 

[tturt]

Worship, love responding to love.

One of Paul's prayers: "For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
15 Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,
16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;
17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;
19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.
20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen." (Eph 3:14-21).

First -

• "The Bible is full of paradoxes
• A paradox here - that you may be able to know the love of Christ that passes all knowledge
• Paul prays that we would grasp the dimensions of God's love
  • There is no adequate measurement of the love of God"Width

• "Paul has been writing ...to show them how much broader than their understanding is God's love
• God's love was to be extended to those who were outside of the original promise
  • God's love is inclusive to all (Rev 5:9,11; 7:9)
• The Gospel is sent out to all the world (John 3:16)"

Length

• "Human love is so often temporary
• • The answer is that God's love is eternal (3:11)
  
  
• God's love was there before the foundation of the world
  • The love of Christ was purposed in you before time began
• This love is not deserved, constrained, a response to virtue
• This love is generated from God's own nature
• His mercy, His loving kindness endures forever (Psalm 136)
• Having loved you Jesus will not give up loving you
  • He is faithful even when we are faithless
  • Unconditional love - no strings attached"

Depth

• • "Phil 2:5-11 speaks of the depth to this love
• There was a humiliation in Jesus:
  • He was the Son of God receiving all praise but humbled Himself to become a man
  • He would humble Himself to the death of the cross
• The reach of His love goes deeper than the depths of sin
• No-one can say their sin is too great or that they are too far away"

Height

• "God is rescuing and redeeming sinners from every nation
• We have been raised up from sin to sit with Christ in the heavenly places
• We are heirs with Christ
• We are called "children of God" (1 John 3:1-2)
• We are heirs now and shall inherit that which Christ has given to us"

"We need the Spirit to help us grasp how wide, long, deep and high is the love of Christ."
excerpts of Tim Curnow's "The width, length, depth, and height of God's love"
taborbaptistchurch.co.uk/sermons/the-width-length-depth-and-height-of-gods-love/

Also,
"The love of Jesus has dimensions and that it can be measured."

"The love of Jesus has width. You can see how wide a river is by noticing how much it covers over. God’s river of love is so wide that it covers over my sin, and it covers over every circumstance of my life...His love is as wide as the world: For God so loved the world (John 3:16)."

"The love of Jesus has length. Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3)."

"The love of Jesus has depth. Philippians 2:7-8 tell us how deep the love of Jesus goes: but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. You can’t go lower than the death of the cross, and that is how deep the love of Jesus is for us."

"The love of Jesus has height. It lifts me to heavenly places where I am seated with Christ. He has raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:6)."

"Can we really comprehend the width and length and depth and height of God’s love? To come to any understanding of the dimensions of God’s love, we must come to the cross. The cross pointed in four ways, essentially in every direction, because …

–God’s love is wide enough to include every person.
–God’s love is long enough to last through all eternity.
–God’s love is deep enough to reach the worst sinner.
–God’s love is high enough to take us to heaven."
excerpts from David Guzik's "Ephesians 3 New Year Thoughts" dwellingintheword.wordpress.com/2016/12/30/2000-ephesians-3-new-year-thoughts/

Additionally,
"Amazing! Because of the Love of Christ, we become capable of knowing the unknowable! Love sets us free to expand beyond the borders of our limited creatureness to become by grace what Christ is by nature! Huge! Cosmic! Mind-blowing!"

"Today, I want to challenge you to step to the edge of your comfort zone and peer into the vastness of just what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ. I want you to seriously take some time today – as much as you can spare –...Contemplate the love, the concern, the eternal care this Being has for you and for all the people you meet today. Think about the gift given to you today in the air you breath, the life you live, the love you experience and know all this is because of the grace and kindness of God in Christ ..."

"Today, embrace the Breadth, the Length, the Height, and the Depth of God’s selfless love for you and watch as the very act of contemplating these cosmic truths expands your thankfulness and your ability to know the unknowable!"
excerpts from Fr. Barnabas Powell's "The Breadth, Length, Height, and Depth"
blogs.ancientfaith.com/faithencouraged/2013/10/the-breadth-the-length-the-height-the-depth/

 

[tturt]

"...Biblical worship is celebration of God..."

"Israel - "...when God finally revealed Himself to them on Mt Sinai and offered them a personal relationship, they requested that He not speak to them again, and in return pledged to do anything that He requested (Deut 5:24-27). They traded relationship for law and worship for works."

"God seeks an opportunity to confront us with His presence to see if we will flee from Him in fear or to Him in faith. The confrontation is His; the conduct is ours. How geographically this is portrayed with the woman at the well in the fourth chapter of John!" excerpts from Judson Cornwell, "Let Us Worship"

Also, "These three dimensions of God’s presence are: His omnipresence, His indwelling presence and His manifest presence"

His omnipresence
"God is everywhere at all times. This establishes the supernatural nature of our God." (Psalm 139:7-13; II Chronicles 16:9).

"His indwelling presence"
"God’s indwelling in a man is a mystery especially considering the fact that He is very mighty with the heaven as His throne and the whole of the earth His footstool (Isaiah 66:1). God indwells a man through the Holy Spirit who lives in the man once the man becomes born again. It is not too easy to comprehend it that a mighty and immortal God will dwell in a frail and mortal man given to too many imperfections. But that is our God for you. It is His choice to make us His temple and this choice no man has a right to question."

John 1:12, Rom 8:14, I Cor 6:19
"These three scriptures put together reveals that the fundamental condition to have God’s presence dwell in us is to become born again and continue to live holy. That is the only way you can have God in the person of the Holy Spirit reside in you."

"John 15:4-5 makes it clear that without God dwelling in a believer, success will sure be difficult to attain. Without Him we are nothing. We are completely dependent on Him every day."

"Through His indwelling presence, God shapes our character and helps us to bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22)."

"His Manifest Presence"
'Severally in the Bible we see God’s manifest presence. In this kind of manifestation, we see God manifest through natural phenomena like the elements of weather and climate (wind, thunder, lightning, rainbow, cloud cover), audible voice, bodily form, dreams and visions."
."..the Burning Bush experience of Moses. Others include God’s appearance to Jacob at Bethel (Genesis 28:11-22), His appearance to Abraham, Samuel and, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the fiery furnace... It is often temporal in nature but leaves permanent glorious testimonies."

"When it happens, we see an instant change in the life of its recipient. Hardly has anyone experienced God’s manifest presence and remains the same. The manifest presence of God can be a very frightful sight. When the children of Israel saw it in Exodus 32:7-14, they repented and begged that God should cease to talk to them directly... During the dedication of the temple we read in 2 Chronicles 5:13-14 that the glory of God which appeared as cloud heralded the manifest presence of God;" "In Acts 9:3-9 we read of Saul’s encounter with the manifest presence of the Lord that changed everything about him"

"Presently, we often witness God’s power flowing in Christian meetings, touching lives, healing many and delivering others from the yokes of the devil. My sincere desire and prayer is that every believer will develop his relationship with God to the point that he will begin to witness the manifest presence of God in his favor."
excerpts from Fortune Ihunweze's "The Three Dimensions of God's Presence" nowinchrist.blogspot.com/2014/01/the-three-dimensions-of-gods-presence.html"

 

[tturt]

"Spirit, Soul and Body"

''Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Thessalonians 5:23)

'In the initial creation of man God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, and according to our likeness." Image refers to man's outward appearance. Likeness refers to man's inner nature."

"The account of man's creation reveals how his triune nature came into being: And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being -more correctly, a living soul."

"Man's spirit came from the inbreathed breath of God. His body was formed from clay, transformed into living human flesh. Instantly he became a living soul."

"The soul thus formed is the ego, the individual personality. It is usually defined as consisting of three elements: the will, the intellect and the emotions. It has the responsibility for making personal decisions and expresses itself in three phrases: I want, I think, I feel. Unless touched by the supernatural grace of God, all of human behavior is controlled by these three motivations."

"Man was created for personal fellowship with God, but his sinful disobedience produced disastrous effects in all three elements of his personality."

"Effects of salvation:
"In Ephesians 2:4-5 Paul goes on to describe the outworking of salvation in our spirits:
“But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ.”

"Our spirits, being reunited with God, are alive once more. At the same time, our souls through repentance and faith are released from rebellion and reconciled to God."

"When we realize that we have all been in rebellion against God, we understand why there can be no genuine salvation without repentance. Repentance means laying down our rebellion and submitting ourselves to God's righteous government."

"Nevertheless, from that moment onwards, our bodies no longer belong to us. They are God's property, God's temples"

Matthew 16:24-25:
"Our cross is the place where we choose to die. God does not impose this upon us. We take it up only of our own free will. It is here that we must deny our soul. This means that we say No to the three demands of the soul: I want, I think, I feel. Their place is taken by God's word and God's will. As we obey the word and the will of God, we find the new life which Jesus offers us."

"It is primarily through the act of worship that our spirits enter into this union with God. In John 4:23-24 Jesus said: “The true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth... God is Spirit, and [all] those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

"He made it clear that true worship must be an activity of our spirits."

"It is the highest and holiest activity of which a human being is capable. It is only possible, however, when the soul and the body come into submission to the spirit and in harmony with it. Such worship is often too profound for words. It becomes an intense and silent union with God."
excerpts from Derek Prince's "Spirit, Soul and Body" derekprince.com/teaching/96-2"
Gen 1:26, 2:7.

Also, "How Are the Body, Soul and Spirit Connected?"

"The Bible affirms there is a strong connection between our physical, emotional, and spiritual health. For example, it is written, “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones” (Proverbs 17:22, NIV). This verse tells us that the conditions of our souls and spirits affect our physical health."

"Even Jesus revealed the importance of harmony between the body and spirit, especially in prayer times as he warned his disciples: “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41, NKJV)."

"Now, interestingly, just as our physical bodies are endowed with five senses, our souls are also endowed with spiritual senses as we are born again by putting our faith in Jesus Christ."

"The Bible gives examples, which demonstrate that we have actually been given capabilities to discern spiritual matters (or the things of God) through these spiritual senses of sight (Psalm 34:8; Matthew 5:8), hearing (Romans 10:17), touch (Matthew 9:29), smell (Philippians 4:18; Ephesians 5:2; 2 Corinthians 2:15), and taste (Psalm 34:8; 1 Peter 2:3)."

"In other words, we can experience God’s manifested presence in worship through these spiritual senses: see His heart, hear His voice, feel His touch, smell His love (as we walk in love by presenting a fragrant offering and sacrifice to Him, according to Ephesians 5:2), and taste His goodness in our lives.

excerpts from Philip Wijaya's "How Are the Body, Soul and Spirit Connected?"

christianity.com/wiki/christian-life/how-are-the-body-soul-and-spirit-connected.html

 

[tturt]

"Spirit, Soul, and Body"

"There is a whole universe that man in all his wisdom is ignorant of. That is the world of the spirit. And I’m not just talking about the spiritual realm outside of us but also the spiritual being inside of every person. We aren’t evolved animals; we were created in God’s image and likeness (Gen. 1:26). We are spirit beings."

"If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 2 Corinthians 5:17"

"This isn’t talking about your body. If you were a man before you accepted Christ, you were still a man afterwards. Your body didn’t change. And your soul, which is what the Bible calls the mental-emotional part of you, didn’t automatically change either. It’s subject to change, but you have to renew your mind to experience change in your mind and emotions."

"...Spirit, Soul & Body. That’s not a catchy phrase, but it’s descriptive of the way the Lord revealed these truths to me. I’ve come to know I’m a spirit being who has a soul and lives in a body. But the real me is my spiritual person. And it’s in the spirit that I’ve been totally changed and made just like Jesus."

"Since God is a Spirit and He deals with me on the basis of who I am in the spirit (John 4:24), this has changed everything. I now worship God based on who I am in the spirit and not on who I am in my flesh; i.e., how I act or feel. I now understand how our holy God can truly love me, because in my born-again spirit, I’m totally righteous and holy (Eph. 4:24). My spirit is His workmanship (Eph. 2:10)."

excerpts from Andrew Wommack's "Spirit, Soul, and Body"
awmi.net/reading/teaching-articles/spirit-soul-and-body/

 

[tturt]

"The Dividing of Soul and Spirit"
"The Bible teaches that man possesses a spiritual heart as well as a physical heart. In fact, there are more than 800 references in the Bible to man’s heart, and very few of them refer to the physical part of the body. Most of these references refer to the unseen center of man’s being—the inward man (2 Cor. 4:16; 1 Peter 3:4). When I say, “Listen to your heart,” I am referring to listening to your spirit, the inward man."

"Successfully following God’s plan for your life depends on what you choose to listen to—your physical senses or the Word of God and the leading of the Holy Spirit."

"If you will continually fill your mind with God’s Word by reading, meditating on, and speaking the Word, you will begin responding to circumstances in line with the Word rather than from your physical senses or from your emotions—according to the way you used to think. So just stay faithful to daily receive the Word into your heart and mind (James 1:21), and it will become easier and easier to listen to your heart with confidence, following the Holy Spirit’s leading in all the situations and circumstances of life." (Heb. 12:1; I Thess 5:23; Rom. 12:2; James 1:21).
excerpts from Kenneth Hagin's "The Dividing of Soul and Spirit" rhema.org/

"The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord, searching all the inward parts of the belly." Pro 20:27

Also, "Learning to be led by the Holy Spirit according to the Word of God is the most important lesson you'll ever learn in life."

"The Bible says that God communicates with His children through their heart or spirit.
Romans 8:16 "The Spirit itself [Himself] beareth witness WITH OUR SPIRIT, that we are the children of God."

"However, even though your spirit is made new when you are born again, it still needs to be trained and developed. "The Bible clearly says that we are responsible for our spiritual growth
(Rom. 12:1–2; Eph. 4:22–24; 1 Peter 2:2). If we don't train our spirits to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit's direction, it will never be done."

"The first principle in training your spirit is to meditate on the Word of God."
"...the second principle in training the human spirit: Practice the Word."
"A doer of the Word praises God when circumstances in his life look bad, as well as when they look good. Why? Because his faith is not based on what he sees, but on what God has said."
"As you meditate on and practice the Word of God on a daily basis, you are giving the Word first place in your life. This is the third principle in training your spirit."
"When you've saturated your mind and heart with the Word of God and have put it first in your life, it becomes much easier to practice the fourth principle in training your spirit man: Instantly obey the voice of your spirit."
excerpts from Kenneth Hagin's "God, Is That You?" rhema.org

Jesus said "He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water." John 7:38

 

[tturt]

"Let us therefore, receiving a kingdom that is firm and stable and cannot be shaken, offer to God pleasing service and acceptable worship, with modesty and pious care and godly fear and awe;
29 For our God [is indeed] a consuming fire." Heb 12:28-29

"What does it Mean that God is a Consuming Fire"
"In Deuteronomy 4:24 and 9:3, the Lord is first identified as a consuming fire. In Hebrews, the author warns the Hebrews to worship the Lord God with reverence and awe “for our God is a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:29)."

"There is nothing unusual or mysterious about the Hebrew and Greek words translated consuming fire; they mean a fire that consumes or destroys.

"The holiness of God is why God is a consuming fire, for it burns up anything unholy. The holiness of God separates Him from sinful man (Isaiah 64:6)."

"In the death of Jesus, he has provided all the righteousness that sinners would ever need mitigating the wrath of God, exchanging His perfect righteousness for our sin (2 Corinthians 5:21)."

"The consuming fire of the Lord matters because of our worship. Rather than treating worship flippantly, we should worship the Lord properly and reverently. We are to worship the Lord in spirit and truth (John 4:24) because our whole lives are before His face."

"The Lord, as a consuming fire, should make the people of God reverent in worship, humble in prayer, and realize the Lord is not to be trifled with since He is holy and deserves all glory. He is loving, but He is our King and the only Sovereign."

excerpts from Dave Jenkins's "What does it Mean that God is a Consuming Fire" christianity.com/wiki/god/what-does-it-mean-that-god-is-a-consuming-fire.html

"Why is God a Consuming Fire?"
"God as a consuming fire is not just about his judgment or discipline. It is also about his glory and majesty. Here is an example from the Old Testament.
"When Solomon finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled the temple. The priests could not enter the temple of the Lord because the glory of the Lord filled it. When all the Israelites saw the fire coming down and the glory of the Lord above the temple, they knelt on the pavement with their faces to the ground, and they worshiped and gave thanks to the Lord, saying, ‘He is good; his love endures forever’” (2 Chronicles 7:1-3).

excerpts from Clarence L. Haynes Jr's "Why is God a Consuming Fire?" biblestudytools.com/bible-study/topical-studies/why-is-god-a-consuming-fire.html

 

[tturt]

"What does it mean that God is a Consuming Fire?"

"God’s holiness is the reason for His being a consuming fire, and it burns up anything unholy. The holiness of God is that part of His nature that most separates Him from sinful man. The godless, Isaiah writes, tremble before Him: “Who of us can dwell with the consuming fire? Who of us can dwell with everlasting burning?" Isaiah answers this by saying that only the righteous can withstand the consuming fire of God’s wrath against sin, because sin is an offense to God’s holiness. But Isaiah also assures us that no amount of our own righteousness is sufficient (Isaiah 64:6).
excerpts from "What does it mean that God is a Consuming Fire?"
gotquestions.org/consuming-fire.html

Additionally, "What Happens when We Worship?"

"Scientific studies suggest spiritual practices like worship have a measurable impact on the brain. In his book How God Changes Your Brain, Dr. Andrew Newberg provides evidence that worship can positively affect brain structure."

"Worship exalts God. There is nothing we can do as believers to further cement Yahweh in His supremacy. It is important, however, that we seek first His exaltation rather than our experience."

"When we worship, He meets with us, and we experience His goodness. But emotions and "spine tingles" must never be our pursuit. We should seek first to call God what He is: holy and worthy. Worship causes us to love God and others more."

"We need to reverently approach any time spent in worship individually and collectively."
excerpts from Chase Wagner's "What Happens when We Worship?" influencemagazine.com/practice/what-happens-when-we-worship

Also, "Worship: The Key to Drawing Near to God"

"True worship is a heartfelt expression of love, adoration, admiration, fascination, wonder, and celebration. It's something that happens in your heart and soul when you begin to praise God for who He is and thank Him for what He has done."

"Perhaps the best way to illustrate what happens when we worship is to look at the worship experience of one of God's prophets recorded in Isaiah 6.

"In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory." At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke (v.1–4)."

"First, worship brings an upward look, a glance at God on His throne in all His glory. It refocuses our view of God. It pulls our affections off our idols and puts them onto God. It causes us to remember how good He is, how big, kind, powerful, and loving He is, and how holy He is.

Second, worship brings an inward look. v 5-7 "But notice that after Isaiah saw and confessed his sinfulness, he also experienced the mercy, grace, and forgiveness of God. That's what happens when you really worship."

"But worship doesn't end there. Notice that Isaiah's inward look is followed by an outward look.

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!" (v. 8)

Genuine worship always leads to an outward look—a personal response or action—a desire to be obedient to whatever God calls you to do."

"Genuine worship is seeing God for who He really is—His power, His greatness, His holiness, His sovereignty, His love, and His compassion—and then giving Him what He’s worth—the best of your time, your talents, your thoughts, your words, and your deeds."

"True worship is seeing afresh the tremendous worth of God and, in response, giving Him the best of everything you have."
excerpts from Chip Ingram's "Worship: The Key to Drawing Near to God" crosswalk.com/church/worship/worship-the-key-to-drawing-near-to-god-11559086.html