Focused Worship

What is Worship

What exactly is worship? Worship is the lifestyle of a regenerated Christian. It is acknowledging God in all we do. It is obeying His instructions and following His leading. All these indicates that worship is beyond the time we set apart to give God due adoration. However, that special time apart is nonetheless worship. As a matter of fact, this is the definition that most people give to worship. This is what I want to dwell on-worship time.

One element of worship time is music or songs as we'll soon discover. That moment when we decide to think upon God's mercies and grace and our lips burst forth with song, that also is worship. Songs are snapshot of one's experience with God. Songs are the outflow or overflow of a spirit saturated with God's revelation. Also, songs evoke a revelation of God. I want to be very careful about the word evoke. It doesn't imply we can decide what aspect of God we want to see and then sing it to reality. God decides how He reveals Himself. He only gives us a hint and expects us to proceed through guided or focused worship.

Focused Worship

What is focused worship? I have been in great worship sessions and the leader says something like "lets worship the King of kings." I begin to paint a  picture of a great king to whom all other kings are bowing. And just before I finish my visualization of the king of kings, I hear "Rose of Sharon." The music is still in sync but in my imagination, there is chaos. The "Rose of Sharon" has no place in my painting. So I'm confused. I either abandon my initial worship session and start over or continue with my painting of the king of kings and discard the rose of Sharon. This happens as often as the theme changes. So often when worship time is over, i'm left with several incomplete paintings. None of the images in my heart have enough details to come alive.

Focused worship is worship with a central theme. Every song or comment is targeted to provide more detail to what is already on ground. Often before such times of worship is over, a few persons have got enough details that make the worship session an actual encounter with God. The greatest worship songs have a single theme. Abraham's entire worship experience on Mount Moriah was summarized in "Jehovah Jireh." David's worship experience in the 23rd psalm has "The Lord, My Shepard has its focus.

Focused Worship Reveals God

Focused Worship should have a single tangible theme. After such we must be able to say "The Provider was here" or "The Shepherd restored my soul." Not forgetting that one aim of worship is the revelation of God. When worship has focus, it will lead us to the revelation of God. Otherwise, we'd have to many rough works and no final picture; too many sketches and no finished painting. Like, a sermon it would have a theme. Like a prayer, it should have a focus. We have had too many worship times when we only feel good and cannot hold on to the revelation of God from that period. Focused worship is awesome because anyone who was present and decides to take a look at that theme will be immediately launched into that height they left off.

Focused Worship Changes Us

Focused worship is great because God is revealed to us, we behold His face and are changed from glory to glory. Another aim of worship is that after we have seen him, our faces begin to glow. Not with a glory that is fading away but one that becomes brighter. Take for instance, a focused worship that reveals God as Father will leave worshipers as sons. Worshipers who are fathers will receive grace to lead their home right and sons will be more obedient not only to their heavenly father but to their earthly fathers. That how much focused worship can do. How wonderful will it be if we had focused worship every now and then, we'd be more Christlike than we are now.

Finding Our Theme

How do we find a Theme for Focused Worship? Simple. God gives us. In genuine worship, God puts His pause on our lips. We sing the 'Song of the Lord.' Just like preachers get a scripture or a title upon which they build, worship leaders get an theme, a scripture or even a song. It might also be a felt need we perceive in the spirit and God will have it filled as we worship. Sometimes, nothing comes until you stand before people. It is perfectly okay to start proclaiming all the names you can recall. Soon you will find one name louder in your spirit. That is most likely the theme of worship. Beyond the theme of worship, that is the end revelation God will have us leave with and that is the character God will en-grace us to manifest from there.

Final Words

The time will come, in fact, the time has come when worshipers will offer worship in the spirit, just as God will love it and in truth, just how God will have it. The Father seeks these class and generation of worshipers. God is spirit. He is unreachable by natural means and so whoever will worship must do so the way He loves it and how He wants us to. (John 4:23-24 Paraphrased)

If you have comments or experiences you would like to share, please place them here. Remember, focused worship is more than song choices and song titles, it is about knowing God the more and becoming more like Christ.

Selah!