When You Don’t Feel Like Worshipping

In a Christian context, worship is our response to who God is. Generally, worship is our response to something that excites us. We cheer and clap for our favourite sports teams, sing along to our favourite band’s songs at concerts, and invest in their merchandise—that is a kind of “worth-ship,” as we ascribe worth to something.

No matter what we say we value, our lives reflect the truth of what we really value. Biblical worship includes elements such as silence, singing, loud music, standing, kneeling, clapping, dancing, shouting, and lifting hands. God desires us to be excited about Him, but often we find ourselves not as excited as we should be.

Isaiah 29:13 (NIV): “These people come near to Me with their mouth and honour Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. Their worship of Me is based on merely human rules they have been taught.”

This lack of excitement in worship is not surprising. Even King David had to tell his soul to praise the Lord.

Psalm 103:1-2 (NIV): “Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise His holy name. Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all His benefits.”

So, how can we stir our hearts in the right direction during worship? What can we do when we don’t feel like worshipping?

Count Our Blessings

Reflecting on and recalling all the good things God has done in our lives can help us cultivate a heart of gratitude and stir up worship within us.

Psalm 100:4 (NIV): “Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name.”

In Luke 7:36-47, a sinful woman showed great love towards Jesus because her many sins had been forgiven. We, too, can be thankful that He has forgiven our sins, which should ignite worship in our hearts.

Psalm 103:2 (NIV): “Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all His benefits.”

Get to Know Our God

What comes into our minds when we think about God is crucial. Our perception of God dictates how we live our lives. If we think God is distant and uninterested, we will respond to Him in the same way. However, if we truly know God, His character, and His attributes, we will worship Him reverently and with all that we can offer.

Proverbs 29:18 (NIV): “Where there is no revelation, people cast off restraint; but blessed is the one who heeds wisdom’s instruction.”

In John 4:1-26, during Jesus’ conversation with the Samaritan woman, He pointed out that if she truly understood who she was talking to, her response would have been different.

Psalm 96:7-8 (NIV): “Ascribe to the Lord, all you families of nations, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. Ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name; bring an offering and come into His courts.”

We need to see God as the Almighty, all-powerful One. To deepen our understanding of God, we should read the Bible and engage in fellowship with other believers.

Make a Decision to Worship in Faith

We must make a conscious decision to worship in faith, even when we don’t feel like it. Worship is faith-based; we choose to believe that God is exactly who He says He is in the Word, and we respond to Him in kind, out of faith. Right feelings will follow right actions.

Psalm 103:1 (NLT): “Let all that I am praise the Lord; with my whole heart, I will praise His holy name.”

Choosing to worship God when everything is going wrong is even more meaningful than doing so when everything is going right. We need to do what is right, regardless of our feelings.

Come as We Are

The accuser often tells us all the reasons why we are unfit to worship God. However, the truth of the Word says otherwise.

Romans 8:1 (NIV): “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

Hebrews 4:16 (NIV): “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

Whenever we mess up, we should run to Him, not away from Him.

Psalm 51:17 (NIV): “My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart You, God, will not despise.”

Conclusion

We need to be real with God in worship. In His presence, we can remove our masks because He sees everything that is going on within us. He will meet us where we are.

Isaiah 30:19 (NIV): “... How gracious He will be when you cry for help! As soon as He hears, He will answer you.”

Let us give Him our true selves and allow Him to heal us.