For some people, worship seems like the 20-minute preface to the sermon every Sunday morning, or it’s a synonym for when believers gather together. However, worship isn’t restricted to singing, music, a saint’s gathering, or a building. Worship is anything you do to magnify and esteem God’s worth.

Psalm 34:3 reminds us to magnify the Lord and exalt His name together. It’s a command, not a suggestion, and it’s vital if we want to live a surrendered and submissive life as one of Jesus’ followers. We can enlarge or magnify God’s name when we merge affirming His worth, honoring Him and praising Him for who He is in our everyday lives. Gratitude is thanking God for what He’s done, but worship is adoring Him for who He is. Here are some reasons why worship is vital to a Christian life.

Worship keeps our minds centered on heaven.

Colossians 3:2 reminds us to put our minds on things in heaven, not earthly things. Worship centers our hearts and minds on eternity, reminding us that we’re not of this world and have an eternal home with Jesus. That’s why we don’t belong on this earth, especially when our convictions and priorities are those of Christ’s, setting us at odds with the rest of the world.

John 15:18-20 reminds us that Jesus told us the world would hate us as it hated Him because He chose us out of the world to be His. If you feel that hate, you’re living in a way that rubs others the wrong way. You can keep your focus on heaven and remember where you belong when you worship the Lord consistently. It also stops you from trying to conform, fit in, or please this world, as detailed in Romans 12:2. Please the Lord by worshipping Him, and He’ll constantly remind you of your purpose on this earth, giving you peace and joy while you remain faithful to Him.

Worship keeps our focus on God.

It’s easy to be all about ourselves. This self-love mentality can make us think we only exist for ourselves. However, we exist to glorify God. Focusing on God’s worth takes us out of the picture and lets God take center stage. In John 3:30, John the Baptist said that Jesus must increase, but we must decrease, which is what worship does. Worship shrinks us so that God can be magnified, as He should be. It puts God in the spotlight, putting us back in a humble position to grow spiritually.

Worship prioritized our lives and hearts.

Another worship aspect is giving your talents, time and treasure. That prioritizes our life as we share our money and time with what’s important. Giving God your offerings and tithes after being paid every month prioritizes your budgeting, spending, and stewardship of all that God has given you.

When you lend your time to God first in prayer and reading the Bible, it prioritizes your day in figuring out who and what is most important to you. Matthew 6:19-20 tells us that God directed His followers to store treasures in heaven, not on earth. By worshipping Him with the best you have, including your money and time, you show God that He is a priority in your heart.

Worship allows us to slow down.

You can’t help but see and adore God when you’re outside among the beauty of His creation, away from mobile devices, technology, and anything with a screen. That’s the best time to tune into His signals, through a bird’s song, how He parts the clouds, the gentle breeze, and the reminder that the earth is His, as described in Psalm 24:1. Spending time in nature reminds us of our purpose. The Westminister Catechism says that man’s chief goal is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever, meaning we were created to worship.

Being out in the beauty of God’s creation and worshipping Him is like the Luke 19 story when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a young colt, and the Pharisees commanded Him to rebuke His followers for waving palm branches and praising Him as their king. Jesus said the stones would cry out if they stayed silent. Jesus must be glorified, and we’re the people created to do it. Don’t leave your God-given purpose and calling to the stones.

Worship shows the world who we love.

Everyone serves or worships something, whether it’s fame, money, people, possessions, or social status. In Matthew 6:24, Jesus reminds us we can’t serve wealth and God. Because worship is deeply rooted in us, and we all worship something, taking time to admire God’s magnificence in everything He created reminds us that God deserves our devotion and adoration, not possessions, fame, money or social status. God is our greatest possession, so He deserves our worship. King David, described by God as a man after His heart, sang that the Lord was His cup and portion, as described in Psalm 16:5.

Worship prepares us for what’s to come.

We must be in worship shape when we enter eternity. None of us know when our time on earth will be over, but whether we enter eternity by natural causes or accident, it’s all according to God’s perfect timing, not ours.

Therefore, we should be in worship shape when we’re in God’s presence, not regretting that we didn’t spend enough earthly time preparing for our heavenly home.

Psalm 100:4 reminds us to enter Heaven and His courts with praise and thanksgiving, giving thanks to Him and blessing His name. That should also be a goal of ours for how we enter eternity. If you’re always worshipping, you might be doing just that when you unexpectedly enter God’s presence. The Bible tells us we’ll be worshipping God for an eternity, so worship should be second nature when we reach heaven.

While we can worship alone, there’s also a necessary and dynamic component of worshipping with other believers. Worshipping God with others includes encouragement, accountability, and lifting each other as we grow in Christ. Jesus said our united worship with other believers shows our love for Him.