When asked how to engage God in worship, two words come to mind: Attention and Intention. Worship is about giving God our attention and setting our intentions on Him in all that we do. So often, when talking about worship, those of us who are followers of Jesus can relegate all of our talk to religious or church activities when in fact, we are always worshipping. The question is:

What is the object of our worship?

Whether we realize it or not, most, if not all of us, are worshiping ourselves a majority of the time, whether we are religious or not. How can we know this? Well, everything we say, do, and think is usually based on how we might achieve the best outcome for ourselves. Even in the good things we do, if we are being honest, it is hard not to think of how these things might cause us to look good to the people around us.

I believe that worshipping God in all that we are, and do, is something that goes against our sinful nature. Worship is an intentional battle we must wage. Our intention to giving God our attention is essential to engaging God in worship. Let me share some scriptures that speak to this.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Do you see the absolutes in this passage? Always, without ceasing, and in all circumstances, followers of Jesus are to rejoice. And then the passage instructs us, “for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you”. This is the intention and attention I believe is necessary to engage God in worship. Worship is about approaching every day and moment with gratitude for the gift of life God has given us. It is about keeping our minds on Him throughout the day, and, amid all circumstances, giving thanks. Even in circumstances that are incredibly hard.

I have found that this posture is able to provide followers of Jesus with real peace, and I have experienced this especially so this year in the loss of my brother. In the midst of this sad and difficult time, I was able to continue to thank God in knowing that at my brother's passing he made a beautiful transition into eternity. Through the beautiful gift of life in Christ, there is no more pain, no more sorrow, only joy forevermore… True healing. Eternal healing.

Colossians 3:23-24

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” – Colossians 3:23-24

Most people work in secular (non-church) jobs or careers. It makes sense that we wouldn’t naturally think of our work as an opportunity to engage God in worship, but this scripture says, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord...” This is another area where attention and intention are at play. Followers of Jesus do well to set our intention on be people of integrity because we represent the Lord and want to please Him in all that we do. Living with this intention can be a worship offering to Him, and even more so in situations where others are being taken advantage of. Addressing these kinds of situations creates an opportunity for believers to more greatly shine the light of Christ into the world. (Matthew 5:16)

Philippians 4:6-8

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” – Philippians 4:6-8

How many of us feel like we should just figure out our problems ourselves? How many of us look to solutions using our own hands before taking our problems to the Lord? When we realize we do not have the answers on our own, we begin to worry and then decide to pray. These things are true for me often in my own life and even more so when I am not engaging God in worship in all areas of my life. However, when we daily focus our attention and intentions on the Lord, what this scripture tells us to do becomes a part of our everyday life. It is transformative when our entire life is filtered through the Gospel. Jesus is able to bring clarity and peace to situations where others can only see pain, loss, and darkness.

What I have realized is that when we live with ourselves as the focus of our worship, it is incredibly easy to become overwhelmed. All we can see is how we are affected at the moment. However, when we take a step back, consider God’s eternal purposes for us, and set our hearts on Him in worship (our Intention and Attention), God is able to accomplish amazing things in our lives for the good of the body of Christ and His glory. (Romans 8:28, James 1:1-4)

We were made by God for His glory, and trust me, He knows what is best for us. He knows that as His creations, if we keep our minds and hearts on Him with the word of God as our lens, everything becomes an opportunity to give God thanks and to shine His light and love into the world, and our world can use more of that.

The only thing we cannot do as unto the Lord is sin. In everything else set your heart on Him and seek His wisdom on how to do it in a way that honors Him.

Some good daily questions to ask:

1. How can I engage God in worship today personally and with my family?

2. How can I engage God in worship at work?

3. How can I engage God in worship by enjoying His creation?