How Can I Worship Properly?

Receive abundant Sabbath Day blessings! It was truly a grace-filled worship, wasn’t it?

I understand how frustrating that can be. Then shall we think about why we worship and why it’s so important?

That’s right. One reason we worship is to receive blessings from God. Let’s take the Sabbath we keep every week as an example.

“Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array. By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.”

Genesis 2:1—3

Through the Sabbath, God blesses us and transforms us to become holy. Along with the Sabbath, He also established the Third Day and the seven feasts in three times as days of worship. Every worship brings blessings, but each one carries its own promise and meaning from God.

Exactly. That’s why, rather than simply going through the motions, we should first understand the meaning of the worship we keep. Worship is a holy ceremony to honor God with gratitude for His love. In the Old Testament, worship was offered through sacrifices.

That’s right. The representative method of sacrifice involved offering animals, including the burnt offering, sin offering, guilt offering, and fellowship offering. There were also grain offering using crops and drink offering where wine was poured out. Depending on how they were presented, they were classified as burnt offerings made by fire, heave offerings lifted up before God, and wave offerings presented by being waved. In addition to the Sabbath and the annual festivals, the people offered daily sacrifices every morning and evening. Whenever they sinned, they had to go to a priest and offer a sacrifice to receive forgiveness. At that time, sacrifice was the only way for sinners to receive forgiveness from God.

It really was. But when Jesus came in the New Testament times and offered Himself as the sacrifice on the cross, worship was changed into what we practice today. The precious blood of Christ fulfilled the blood of the Passover lamb, as well as the blood of the goats and bulls offered on the Day of Atonement, thereby completing all the festivals of the Old Testament through the new covenant.

“Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”

John 4:23—24

First, preparation is essential. The day before the Sabbath is called the Preparation Day, a day get ready so we can keep the Sabbath in a meaningful way. We should check for anything that might distract us and complete as many tasks as possible in advance. After preparing what we need for worship, it is also important to go to bed early so we are not tired during the service. The same applies to other worship days as well.
Also, think about meeting someone you truly respect. You would wear your best clothes and arrive early to prepare, right? Worship is our time to meet God. So, it is best to prepare both heart and mind, dress neatly, and arrive at church at least 20 to 30 minutes early.

Even when worshiping online at home, we should not approach it carelessly. Wherever we worship becomes like the church where God dwells.

“But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. . . .”

Hebrews 12:22

At home, keep your surroundings clean, sit quietly before the service begins, and prepare for worship through prayer and reading the Bible. Turn off your phone and remove anything that might distract you. After the service, sharing what you learned and felt with your family can make the worship even more meaningful.

First, thank God for allowing you to worship. Then pray that you can set aside distractions, focus on the message, gain understanding, and feel His love. This kind of prayer will change your mindset.

That’s right. What matters is that our attitude and actions should be godly not only during worship but at every moment. That is how we can offer worship that pleases God.
May you worship in a holy way and live a godly life at all times, receiving abundant blessings from God!