Have you ever longed to go deeper in your spiritual walk but felt stuck? Have you been confused about verses like “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you” (James 4:8, English Standard Version)? I have found that worship delivers me from darkness to light in the most beautiful way. While worship is more than five things, worship is every bit of the following.

1 Worship is When We Adore God
Several years ago, I was in emotional pain from things in my past. As a result, my mentor gave me a month-long challenge: worship God for 20 minutes each day. She explained that worship is different from prayers of petition (where we ask God to do something for us or for someone else). It’s also different from prayers of thanksgiving (where we focus on what He has done in the past). In worship, we adore God by focusing on who He truly is. These words from A. P. Gibbs helped me understand this more clearly:

“In prayer, we are occupied with our needs, in thanksgiving we are occupied with our blessings, but in worship we are totally occupied with God Himself.”

2 Worship is a Vehicle for Entering into Communion with God
As I took the worship challenge, I was surprised to find that worship is much more encompassing than what I had previously experienced. I used to think that worship was the first 20 minutes of a Sunday morning church service — when songs are sung to the Lord. But it is far more than that. The Bible clearly reveals that worship is a powerful vehicle for entering into communion with God. This can be done corporately (as believers gather together to give God the glory He deserves), and it can also be a personal experience.