You're looking into my heart...
“I’ll bring you more than a song
For a song in itself
Is not what you have required
You search much deeper within
Through the way things appear
You’re looking into my heart”
“God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” John 4:24
Worship is our way of giving back to God because of Who we know Him to be – no matter our circumstances. When we praise Him, it is a time to raise our hallelujahs because of the great things we see God doing.
Worship is not just an action. It isn’t just a song; it isn’t just a painting; it isn’t just a dance; it isn’t just a beautifully spoken sermon. It’s a posture of the heart. People, including myself, often forget this. I forget that worship isn’t necessarily about my actions, but it’s about the posture of my heart behind that action. 
Worship in church should be a time where we pour EVERYTHING out. The wells of our hearts and spirits need constant refreshment, something only the Living Water can fill. Like we sing in “Great Are You Lord,” “It’s YOUR breath in our lungs, so we pour out our praise to You only.” It’s an act of surrender in which we realize that we are NOTHING without Jesus – so we want to glorify Him for Who we know Him to be.
As it is a posture of our heart, worship can and should be happening all the time. I think we sometimes worship without even realizing we are. When we look outside at the mountains or we love on a friend, we are worshiping God by acknowledging Him and standing in awe of His creation. When we speak His name into our circumstances, that’s worship because we are trusting that He is the One who can shape it’s outcome and use it for our good.
Worship can be expressed in a song, a dance, an art piece, a sport, or anything else — like showing hospitality and serving someone a good meal. On the other hand, though, when all of these things are done without the heart being centered on God and His love, they are still good, but they may not be God-honoring. The glory is then not being lifted to God, but to oneself. 
Posturing your heart: what does it mean and how do you do it?
The best way to learn how to posture your heart is by reading God’s Word. As you read scripture and learn more about who He is, then you can grow to have a more intimate relationship with Him. Once you know the attributes and character of God, you will have a better understand of WHY you should worship Him.
The Bible helps us to understand that God is the provider of our every need. He is gracious, loving, faithful, good, and so much more. When we understand these things, we start to see them pop up in our everyday lives. We see His hand at work being faithful and good, even when we can’t see the bigger picture.
Sometimes we worship Him solely because we believe that He is a God of His word, and that because of this, He will not fail us. Even when we can’t feel Him, we have to keep persevering and trusting that He is at work.
Spend time with Jesus. Be constant in prayer. If you need to set an alarm to remind yourself to pray or read, do it. If you need to set landmarks on your commute, do it. Talk to Him like He’s close – because He is. The Holy Spirit resides inside of us. Take time to listen to Him. Prayer, like all conversations, should be two-way. FEEL Him moving and HEAR Him speaking. 
Think about talking to God like being on a long road trip with your best friend. There will definitely be times of constant conversation, but there will also be times of silence, where you are just sitting in His presence.
Praise God when it hurts; praise Him when you don’t feel Him and when you don’t see Him; praise God no matter the circumstances. He is GOOD, and He deserves it all.
Daily Prayer:
Jesus, my only desire is to worship You. You alone are worthy of praise. Thank You for giving us the gift of creation and the Word so that I can understand Your heart and the reason behind why I should want to worship You. Thank You for Your worship – that we are reminded even in the book of Matthew the account of the Last Supper when You sang a hymn with Your disciples. Thank You for humbling me in Your presence so that I can fully experience You. You are so good. I love You, and I humble myself in Your presence. In Your name I pray, Amen.
By Ashley Tschetter