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God created humanity with a capacity to know, love, and worship Him. Worship is that place where the heart of God and the heart of His child meet.

Oswald Chambers said, "Worship is giving God the best He has given you." Worship carries the idea of showing reverence to God. It's an active, adoring response whereby we declare His worth. To worship means to bow down and pay homage to God: "Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our Maker" (Psalm 95:6).

We worship not to get something for ourselves, but because God is Lord and is worthy of our worship (see Psalm 45:11). The Bible declares, "You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power" (Revelation 4:11). We worship God because of the splendor of His being. God always has sought after worshippers, and continues to do so. He doesn't need our worship, but He desires it-not for His benefit, but for ours.

"God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth" (John 4:24). Worshipping in spirit means giving God the homage of an enlightened mind and an affectionate heart. Worshipping in truth is to worship God according to the truth He has revealed in His Word, the Bible.

Worship should not resemble a spectator sport where we sit and watch others play. Worship requires participation. We worship the Lord through our words of praise and exaltation of God, by giving thanks to God in all things, by blessing His name through living a godly life, and by sharing His love with others.

Worship is a sacrifice. The Apostle Paul instructed believers, "offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship" (Romans 12:1 NIV).

We can make every day a worship experience when we yield ourselves to the Lord. God has created each of us with a mind, heart, and spirit. He wants us to use them for His glory. True worship is not lip service, but life service. It is to be as much a part of our lives as breathing and eating. Worship should be demonstrated in every area of our lives, every day of our lives.

We express our worship as we read the Bible (see Psalm 119), pray, give tithes and offerings, and offer praise through music. But the greatest demonstration of worship is through the lives we live.

True worship always magnifies God and our outlook toward Him. As God is magnified, everything else becomes insignificant. We begin to see beyond our circumstances and limitations, our fears diminish, and our spirits become refreshed.

Unless otherwise noted, a// Scripture references are taken from the Ho/y Bible, New King James Version (NOV), copyright@ 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.