Worship and Emotions
Posted: Sun May 18, 2008 10:38 amDoes worshipping God involve our emotions?
Of course it does. We love God, because He first loved us (1st John 4:19), so much that He sent His Son to die for our sins. This alone is enough cause to worship, to feel love towards Him, all the rest of our lives.
But what if we don't "feel" God's presence when we worship? What if it seems as though He is not there, or isn't listening? If He never leaves us, or forgets us, why does it sometime "feel" like He has?
Because God never promised we would always "feel" Him there....He promised to always be there. Sometimes it feels as though He isn't there because God does not want us to rely on a feeling...He wants Faith.
It takes faith to please God, not feelings. (Hebrews 11:6) If we start to depend on the "feeling" that we have worshipped.then we are depending on something other than God. Worship is far more than emotion.
Jesus said ()John 4:23
"Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks."
God wants worshippers who wil go before Him as themselves.being truthful in everything.even how they honestly feel. It's who you truly are and how you live that count with God. He is looking for those who will worship Him out of their spirits, seeking the truth.
David was a "man after God's own heart", yet he often stated in numerous psalms that he could't feel God's presence. Did this anger God, or make Him forget David? No.David was worshipping God in truth, and then he would state that he knew God was faithful, and he believed in His Word, and still praised and worshipped Him.
This is a testing of faith, when God seemingly withdraws from us....even though we know He hasn't. It is a test of maturity and growth in the things of God. Can you take the test? Can you still praise and worship Him? When you can't "feel" anything, can you still sing and lift your hands, thankful for the gift of Jesus Christ?
This is the sacrifice of worship.doing it out of love for Him, not for our benefit of "feeling". It's what He os looking for.undying love.
God bless you in your worship. Kim
Of course it does. We love God, because He first loved us (1st John 4:19), so much that He sent His Son to die for our sins. This alone is enough cause to worship, to feel love towards Him, all the rest of our lives.
But what if we don't "feel" God's presence when we worship? What if it seems as though He is not there, or isn't listening? If He never leaves us, or forgets us, why does it sometime "feel" like He has?
Because God never promised we would always "feel" Him there....He promised to always be there. Sometimes it feels as though He isn't there because God does not want us to rely on a feeling...He wants Faith.
It takes faith to please God, not feelings. (Hebrews 11:6) If we start to depend on the "feeling" that we have worshipped.then we are depending on something other than God. Worship is far more than emotion.
Jesus said ()John 4:23
"Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks."
God wants worshippers who wil go before Him as themselves.being truthful in everything.even how they honestly feel. It's who you truly are and how you live that count with God. He is looking for those who will worship Him out of their spirits, seeking the truth.
David was a "man after God's own heart", yet he often stated in numerous psalms that he could't feel God's presence. Did this anger God, or make Him forget David? No.David was worshipping God in truth, and then he would state that he knew God was faithful, and he believed in His Word, and still praised and worshipped Him.
This is a testing of faith, when God seemingly withdraws from us....even though we know He hasn't. It is a test of maturity and growth in the things of God. Can you take the test? Can you still praise and worship Him? When you can't "feel" anything, can you still sing and lift your hands, thankful for the gift of Jesus Christ?
This is the sacrifice of worship.doing it out of love for Him, not for our benefit of "feeling". It's what He os looking for.undying love.
God bless you in your worship. Kim