Most Sunday mornings I have no trouble engaging in worship. Between the lyrics of the songs, scripture-readings, and the leader’s comments, I’m quickly transported into God’s presence and worshiping with gladness (Psalm 100:2). Sometimes my heart soars to the very gates of heaven and the joy overflows as tears.
But not always. There are other times when my heart seems numb, for no apparent reason. Why is that, and should I be concerned?
Perhaps. If I’ve allowed unconfessed sin to fester, then my connection to God will be negatively impacted.
But what if I have addressed my shortcomings with God, and still feel disconnected? What then?
I need to remember the following:
- Worship is sometimes an act of the will. “Put your hope in God,” the psalmist said, “for I will yet praise him” (Psalm 42:5). Worship wasn’t meant to be reserved only for moments of elation; it’s a choice. Job is a perfect example. After he was stripped of everything—cattle, flocks, servants, even his children—Job worshiped (Job 1:20). That astounds me.
- God isn’t as concerned about our feelings during worship as he is about our sincerity (John 4:24). We can earnestly worship even if spiritual bliss eludes us.
- God hasn’t promised we’ll always feel his presence. Sometimes he intentionally hides his face (Isaiah 45:15). It’s part of our maturation process that he occasionally allows a bit of distance between him and us.
I remember the first day of kindergarten. My mother dropped me off in front of the school, and told me to go inside to the classroom we had visited.
I would have much preferred if she had walked with me and made sure all was well before leaving me to fend for myself. What if I couldn’t find the right classroom, or the teacher wasn’t there?
But allowing me this bit of separation was part of my maturing process. I needed to learn I could trust Mom’s instructions—even when she wasn’t in sight. (Lest you think my parents were negligent, kindergarten was just inside the school door, to the left!)
In review:
- Sometimes worship is an act of the will.
- Sincerity is more important than feelings.
- Sometimes God distances himself a bit to grow our trust.
But would we be wrong to do what we can to forge a stronger connection to God, and, as a result, engage our emotions more fully?
I don’t think so.
David offers several examples in the psalms, when he expressed his honest feelings of abandonment, depression, dejection and more. He did not end his honest proclamations on a negative note, but concluded with expressions of praise and assurance, which surely impacted his emotions. (See Psalm 77:1-15 for one example).*
We can foster a stronger connection to God, and augment our worship with:
- Gratitude – Even on our way to church, we can thank him for creation and his many blessings. Gratitude turns our gaze toward heaven.
- Meditative Prayer – Before the service begins, praise God for his attributes, demonstrated day by day the previous week. Meditation ushers us into the presence of God.
- Focus – Stay attentive to the words of the music, the scripture, the prayer. Fight against wandering thoughts. “If worship is mindless, it is meaningless” (Rick Warren).
- Visualization – Imagine God on his throne, radiant with light, majestic and glorious, raised up in the sanctuary. See our resplendent God who is highly worthy of our full attention!
As our spirits become engaged in these ways, the emotions of awestruck wonder, unspeakable joy, and overwhelming love will undoubtedly follow!
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What do you do that helps to connect you with God during worship? Share with us in the Comment section below!
*(No doubt these psalms were not written during Sabbath worship. Surely David worshiped God every day, to his benefit and for God’s pleasure. But that’s a topic for another post!)
(Art & photo credits: www.ohbejoyfulchurch.org; http://www.bibleencyclopedia.com; http://www.banah.org; http://www.godthetruth.ws.)
I needed to hear this today. Thank you!
Praise God for his inspiration–at just the right time for you!
I, too, appreciated this post today. Many times the ‘feelings’ are not there for me and my mind wanders. When that happens I try to focus on the fact the Jesus died for me and would have died on the cross if I were the only person on this earth…because of his love for me. That shakes me out of my blahs for sure. I am reminded of a plaque that my Mom’s friend (the same friend that led her to the Lord) gave to her: “Pray when you feel like it. Pray when you don’t feel like it. Pray until you do feel like it.”
Oh, yes–to focus on Christ’s sacrifice for us surely causes a worshipful mood to surface! And I very much appreciate that quote of your mom’s friend. Prayer is too easily postponed if we wait until we feel like praying! Thank you for your thoughts, Cheri. (Always worthwhile!)
Thanks, Nancy!
Will, sincerity, trust: three great points, Nancy! I’m often reminded of this when I tell my wife I love her even though I’m not feeling ooey-gooey at the moment.
You’re right: whether we’re expressing our love for God or for a spouse, it involves our will, sincerity, and trust. Ooey-gooey is optional!
I love your suggestions for augmenting our worship. I find worship difficult, not because I don’t feel it or know He’s worthy of it, but because I’ve been taught that one must sing corporately in order to properly worship.
I have damaged vocal cords, so singing is not an option. (Unless I want to distract my fellow congregants with my frog sounds.) Thank you for giving me some options to ponder. While I try to focus on the words of the songs, your suggestions give me more to do.
You’re so wise, my friend. I appreciate you sharing your insights so faithfully!
Oh, thank you, Rebeca, for your kind words. For a long time I thought worship was expressed through song and prayer rather exclusively. Then I was asked to give a workshop on worship and started researching. I learned that worship encompasses much more than heartfelt music and prayerful response. Throughout scripture are numerous words related to worship. My list grew to ninety-five words! And as we incorporate worship into each day, blessings abound: joy, peace, rest, refuge, and strength, to name a few. Isn’t that just like our gracious God? He blesses US when we seek to bless him!
This may be an old post but I had been at my last wit with feeling numb in worship knowing that the numbness was not there at first so I needed an answer of what it meant. I understand more now that it’s Gid hiding His face from me for a little bit. I know that I will not always feel joy even when I am expressing it and that my worship is not about me. It is about God. To anyone who feels this way remember that the way we feel is not what is important but the way we will remain when God has stepped back for a second. He wants us to still choose Him even when we do not see Him.
“He wants us to still choose Him even when we do not see Him.” Well said, LaParsha! Though God may be silent for awhile, it does not mean he is absent. He has His reasons for the silence; nothing he does is without purpose. You are so right: The way we feel is not what is important, but the way we remain faithful in spite of feelings. Meanwhile, we have his Word to offer encouragement and hope! Hallelujah for that! Thank you for taking time to comment, even if was an old post! 🙂