For most of my Christian life (since 12 years old) I have misunderstood the true nature of worship. I have looked at it like is was my purpose and obligation to God because He is my creator. I was made to worship and when I don't I'm not pleasing God. I often don't worship God because I tend to see it as a vague and often useless responsibility to help in my life on earth. The only use I saw in it was appeasing God. I worshiped out of fear or duty knowing it is expected. I worshiped because I should--after all God is God. I worshiped so that God would not be angry at me or curse me...
Worship is what human beings do to recognize how great God is. The underlying implication is that our worship is something God required and desired of us for His own purposes. God required our worship much like we might see someone demanding that we acknowledge their authority over us. We might see worship as our sign of surrender to someone superior to us. When we look at worship from a human point of view we see God somehow using it over us or receiving it from us as acknowledgement of His Lordship.
This idea or persuasion motivating worship is all wrong. If we see worship as something we must do, should do, as in a duty, obligation, or responsibility, we are missing the real purpose of it. If we think that our worship is us giving God something and God is receiving, or taking in, or somehow feeding off of it--we are way off again. God doesn't need our worship, He doesn't need our praise! In fact, God doesn't need our love, adoration, and appreciation. God doesn't need anything--He is God.
Worship is not us giving it is us receiving!
Worship is what human beings do to recognize how great God is. The underlying implication is that our worship is something God required and desired of us for His own purposes. God required our worship much like we might see someone demanding that we acknowledge their authority over us. We might see worship as our sign of surrender to someone superior to us. When we look at worship from a human point of view we see God somehow using it over us or receiving it from us as acknowledgement of His Lordship.
This idea or persuasion motivating worship is all wrong. If we see worship as something we must do, should do, as in a duty, obligation, or responsibility, we are missing the real purpose of it. If we think that our worship is us giving God something and God is receiving, or taking in, or somehow feeding off of it--we are way off again. God doesn't need our worship, He doesn't need our praise! In fact, God doesn't need our love, adoration, and appreciation. God doesn't need anything--He is God.
Worship is not us giving it is us receiving!