So I (BJ) have really been thinking about worship since the conference this past weekend. Students as a whole really have the “acts of worship” down pretty well. They are good at entering into singing and praising. The question that needs to be asked is “Do they know who they are singing to?” Can you worship someone or something you don’t really know? Is it enough to sing and raise your hands (which are good) but don’t connect with the God they are singing to.

Scripture is clear that one of the main ways to know God is through the study of His word and allowing it and the Holy Spirit to transform our lives. If the only Word you get are the lyrics to the songs you are singing, is that really enough? Can you get to know God intimately if you spend limited time with Him throughout the week? How can the God of the universe speak to me if the only time I spend with Him is during “corporate” worship (the time we get together as a group such as church or youth group). Is it enough of an experience to get to know the One I am singing to? Where does a daily experience of speaking to God and hearing from God fit in? Is that kind of experience necessary for true worship?

I believe it is. Jesus seemed to think it was important to spend time with His Father. We see many passages that refer to Him getting alone to pray and spend time with Him. He doesn’t do anything unless the Father directs Him to do it. If that is true, how did He find out what God wanted Him to do unless He was talking to Him at times other then when He and the disciples were engaged in corporate worship.

The word God has hammered me with this year is “intentional” (which means, to choose to do something, determined, to do on purpose or by design). He has me evaluating everything in my life in light of that word. So the question I ask in regards to worship with that in mind is this, “Have acts of worship somehow replaced intentional times of personal, prayer and Bible study in my life? Unless the Holy Spirit is actively Transforming my life, then growth is not happening. Worship is both corporate and individual. I read recently “that one purpose of corporate worship is to train believers to worship on their own. If this training doesn’t take place than it simply becomes a “fix” one gets and hopes will carry him through until the next corporate worship experience.” Perhaps that explains why we leave conferences and camps on a high, only to hit rock bottom when the “fix” runs out. I need to be intentional in my prayer life and personal Bible Study which in turn will lead to amazing personal worship. The evidence of an amazing personal worship is a Transformed life.

If you would like help being intentional in your times of personal worship with Bible study let us know what topics you would be interested in and we can post devos that would move you forward and Transform your worship!