So what is worship? Worship is really our acknowledgement and establishment of Jesus Christ as the King of King and Lord of Lords who went to the Cross to die for our sins to rise again from the dead on the third day. Worship is when we come and boldly approach the throne room of God in both spirit and in truth per John 4:19-24. Worship is when we offer up praises and sacrifices unto God and really expect nothing in return. Worship done in the attitude of the previous sentence shows the humility and submissiveness to a Holy God and shows reverence to God. Worship is not an experience, it is a reality lifestyle. Worship is not a pep rally, worship is the out pouring of one's hear to God. Worship is not begging and saying the right words to get something. Worship is one of many ways we give back to God praises realizing that we can not pay back God and Jesus for what they have done. Worship is our expression to God where we acknowledge His mercy, grace, love, peace, righetousness, and dominion over all other gods that try to exalt and plant their totems in the place God designates as a temple of the Holy Spirit.

We are very guilty of altering the focus of worship. Instead of saying catch phrazes, doing charismatic two-steps, christian aerobic movements, wearing fancy dress, recreating the Old Covenant temple, and waving flags that inspire our flesh and appears to look cool in God's eyes, worship should be done with a complete focus to exalt HE and not me. I believe that the dance, the mime, the music, the flag waving is and can be used as an expression of what God has done, the physical actions of dancing, mime, flag waving, etc is not the reason nor the focus behind the worship. True worship all boils down to one thing:

Who is exalted here? HE or me?

If the answer is me, then we have created a totem of self that we worship, a tower of Babel that we think can reach to heaven, and a strange fire from Nadab and Abihu that appears to be, but is not, the true fire from God. Worship is not a formula, worship is an expressive action realizing and proclaiming that Jesus still sits on the throne. Worship is the surrendering of the agendas, actions, and desires of me to conform them to the will of HE. Worship is the demonstration and the implementation of our desires to become more like Jesus to crucify the flesh and to die daily to our flesh. The act of worship is not something to be trivialized into a circus freak show nor is it to be rigid and regimented into certain rituals. Worship is the freedom to thank God for setting us free. If you look at the Lord's prayer found in Matthew, the first thing done in that prayer is the recognization of God the father, ruler of heaven and earth and praise and worship when Jesus said "Our father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name".

If one can not establish the praise and the exaltation of Jesus having victory over sin, death, hell, and the grave, etc. at the beginning of the prayer, then how can we expect ourselves to have faith that the rest of our prayers will be answered. If you look at the rest of the Lord's prayer after the praise, we see the asking of God's kingdom to be established on earth as it is in heaven, giving us our needs, forgiveness and forgiving, protection from temptation and deliverance from evil, and once again at the end, more praise and worship for God's power and glory. Worship is actually the bookends that hold the prayer together as we express our desire for Jesus, our needs, our plead for forgiveness and we forgive others, and our desire not to sin and deliverance from sin.

In summary, worship shows the attitude of the heart. Worship should be about exalting the creator and not exalting the act of worship. Worship should be about acknowledging Jesus and his victory over all, not our we will do our thing and twist the words of God to fit. Worship shows the surrender of our conscience to conform into the image of His likeness and not the fulfillment of our flesh calling it worship. Worship demonstrates our willingness to be obedient vessels and enforces our reality that with God, all things are possible. Worship shows the process of allowing ourselves to be a broken heart and a contrite spirit. When we realize that the purpose of worship is to humble ourselves and allow ourselves to be a broken heart and a contrite spirit and throw away our patterns, formulas, theories, dance steps, etc., then we will get back to the heart of worship, Jesus.

Father God, right now I ask in the name of Jesus that you would help us get back to the main focus and the heart of worship which is Jesus. I ask that you kill the sacred cows that we have made and called worship. I ask that you kill the feminization of worship we have made. I ask that you show us how to worship you in spirit and in truth. Lead us into your throneroom to worship, magnify, and exalt you as the holy one. We praise and worship your name and thank you for being the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. We exalt your name and give you all the glory, power, authority and dominion. We thank you for yourHoly Spirit that comforts us and lives within us. In Jesus name I pray, Amen!