In 2019 on a trip home to South Africa to see my cancer stricken mother, I gave her an iPOD full of worship music and got her the funkiest pink cordless headphones. I taught my mom how to use the iPOD and as she sat in her bed, she chose to listen to “Beautiful Name” by Hillsong Worship. As I watched, my mom closed her eyes, told me she loved this song, smiled, raised her hands and started worshipping. It was the most natural thing to her and for me, the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen my mom do. 

Here was my mom, sick, barely able to even sit up, and yet she worshipped!! 

In January 2020, I flew home to South Africa to say goodbye to my precious mother. She was in hospital and the day before she passed away, I took her iPOD with me when I visited her and asked her if she wanted to listen to worship music and she responded that she’d already been worshipping. I sat with her and started singing “Beautiful Name” to her and even in her weakness, she hummed along and we got to worship together. It’s a moment that I’ll treasure forever. 

I’m no singer and I’ve always joked that the only people that enjoy my singing is Jesus and my mom!! But I believe that in that hospital room in the middle of Johannesburg, in a moment that was so imperfect and so heartbreaking, the Lord loved our worship!!! 

Praise and worship are different. Praise can be bestowed upon God, people or things.
Praise is an expression of approval and admiration of someone or something, it’s offering gratitude and saying good things about someone or something. 

Worship is reserved for God alone!

Luke 4:8 & Matthew 4:10 “You must worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only” NLT

Exodus 34:14 “You must worship no other gods, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God” ESV

Revelation 19:10 “Worship only God” NLT

Worship is taking our eyes off ourselves, our wants and desires and surrendering to Jesus. It’s an expression of reverence and adoration. It’s extravagant devotion, trust and submission. Worship is an attitude, positioning and realigning of the heart.

Worshipping God is not about how we are feeling, what is happening around us or who we are, it’s about who HE is! Worship changes everything because it connects us to a perfect God! 

How easy it is for us to get discouraged with life. There are always so many things that distract us, call our name, take our time and cause our hearts to break. There are many things that we can and do worry about, it’s human nature. But the nature of God is to draw us to Himself and to envelop us in His grace, love and mercy. 

We don’t need to have it all together to worship. Even when we’re tired, out of words, and have nothing else to offer, we can worship and connect with the ONE who knows all, sees all, understands all, forgives all and loves all!! 

I love how Bob Kauflin puts it… 
“To worship God is to humble everything about ourselves and exalt everything about Him”

Worship is constant, it’s not just for church on Sundays. No matter the circumstance we find ourselves in, no matter how tough or how heartbreaking, we can choose to worship through it. 

“Come let us worship and bow down” Psalm 95:6 NLT

“But the hour is coming and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship Him” John 4:23 ESV

“Honour the Lord for the glory of His name, worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness” Psalm 29:2 NLT

“thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe” Hebrews 12:28 ESV

“Exalt the Lord our God; worship at His footstool! Holy is He!” Psalm 99:5 ESV