True worship is sincere and wholehearted. It is offered with humility and should be offered not just with our mouths, but also with our lives. True worshipers worship God in spirit and in truth. So, what does true worship look like? What are the elements of worship offered from the heart of a true worshiper? It should include praise offered through singing and music. We should come before the presence of the Lord with singing (Psalm 100:2). We should praise Him with trumpets, lutes, harps, and tambourines (Psalm 150:3-4). Our worship should include praise offered through dance (Psalm 150:4). King David, who is one of the greatest examples of a true worshiper, danced before the Lord when the ark of the covenant was brought to Jerusalem (2 Samuel 6:14).
True worship should be done with awe, or fear of the Lord. Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 1:7). To fear the Lord means having a sense of awe and respect for Him and for His power. We should worship God because we are in awe of Him. In addition to walking in His ways and loving and serving Him with all our heart and mind, God requires that we fear Him (Deuteronomy 10:12). That fear of the Lord, that awe and respect, should be evident in the heart of a true worshiper.
True worship should include trust and thanksgiving. Psalm 4:5 tells us that we offer right sacrifices (our worship is our sacrifice when we worship with our lives) and put our trust in the Lord. Without faith, without trust, it is impossible for us to draw near to Him (Hebrews 11:6). God is faithful and, in order to draw near to Him and worship Him, we must put our trust in Him. And, when we draw near to Him, when we enter His presence to worship Him, our hearts should be filled with thanks (Psalm 100:4). Trust in the Lord and a heart filled with gratitude should be the mark of a true worshiper.
True worship should be done with joy. Because of His great love, we have been freed from sin and its penalty and can stand in His presence. He is the rock of our salvation and when we sing our praises to Him, it should be a joyful noise (Psalm 95:1). The Lord has given us victory over sin and over our enemy and, for that, we should offer shouts of joy (Psalm 27:6). When Jesus ascended into heaven, His disciples worshiped Him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. Their joy in the Lord was so great that they were continually found in the temple blessing and praising God. The joy of a true worshiper should be evident in the way in which he lives his life and offers his praise.
A Worshiper's Journal 