Myth of the place: “One must go to church to worship.”

This myth preceded even Christ’s ministry on earth; people were already thinking this way, as seen with the Samaritan woman at the well of Jacob. Believing that worshiping God necessarily requires going to a physical place misunderstands what Jesus means by “in spirit and in truth.” We must at least understand that God sometimes chooses to reveal Himself in specific places, and to this day, we have physical addresses of places of encounter between God and His people, like the temple in Jerusalem, or what remains of it.

But in response to the Samaritan woman’s question about the best place of worship between Mount Gerizim and Mount Zion, Jesus dismisses both references to propose a completely different immaterial, and personal reference: “in spirit and in truth.” He makes it clear to us that the place matters very little, and that it is in spirit and truth that everything happens with God. For we must also add the position of the heart, respect, and love.

Myth of action: “I must stop worshiping God now and attend to my other tasks.”

Another partial way of considering worship is to think of it as an action detached from our being. We think of worship as a personal act and consider it beginning when we decide and ending when we decide. Yet worship is a life that we render even in silence or in deep sleep. It is more than an act that begins and ends; it is a life to be lived even after death.

Myth of position: “Let us now take the proper position to worship our Lord.”

Some people limit worship to a very specific physical position without which one cannot speak of true worship. Another myth! Although the Greek term from which we translate the word worship literally means “to prostrate oneself before…”; this does not mean that the honors attributed to God, publicly or in secret, are limited to a physical position. Instead, we must first look into the heart for the position that pleases a God who judges beyond appearances.

So how does God receive the worship of a person living with a disability and unable to prostrate themselves? Moreover, it is not only kneeling but prostration that is obligatory, as in biblical times, face to the ground, whenever it is necessary to worship God.

Prostration is a very important physical expression that cannot in any way spring from a proud and unbroken heart; it is a mark of self-humiliation before the undeniable and fearsome greatness of the mighty God whom we serve. But prostration in itself is not always worship, for we must add the position of the heart, respect, and love that confirm our outward gesture.

Myth of destination: “I did not like today’s praise at all.”

When asked the question “who is the recipient of our worship and the consumer of our praise?” The answer is very easy: “God, of course!” But in practice, we witness countless whims of worshipers and spiritual leaders to the point of creating great confusion in the mind of the one who praises and worships, because he is afraid of being reprimanded by comments like “I did not like today’s worship!” Who really has the right to say such a thing if not the recipient to whom we want to please with our praises? Thus, we evolve the depth of our praise through the expression of the pastor or his wife or the other brothers and sisters around us; yet this should not be the case. There is no dead time in life.

Praise does not aim for the well-being of worshipers; it aims for God. The happiness derived from it is only a consequence that remains dependent on its cause; satisfying the audience is not a guarantee of true worship and adoration. We do not worship for our well-being; it is for the sole pleasure of the invisible and present Creator, the King of glory, the formidable Savior. But the well-being that follows is the oil of joy that He spreads among those who worship Him. Let us not confuse the recipient of our worship.

After defining some unavoidable terms in this book, we can now begin our study according to the method we have chosen to use. In the following lines, you will read statements commented on by examples and illustrations, supported by biblical references and citations from others. You will also find text areas to reinforce the spirit of synthesis once again.

My prayer for you is that you find in this book an instrument of God to revitalize the flame of prayer and the pleasure of staying in His presence and waiting for His coming in a life of daily praise and gratitude.

God bless you!

This text is an extract from the book “Redefine: Praise, Worship and Worship” written by Athom’s Mbuma Nkanda.

We invite you to read the following article “Don’t pray after doing everything, but do everything to pray.“