I’ve gone to church since I was born. We’re evangelical Christians. It’s what you do on Sunday mornings. Growing up with my Dad being the preacher, Wednesday nights were as sacred as Sunday mornings, plus any other times the church deemed necessary to gather for whatever reason.

That’s how my life played out since the beginning—until I became an adult and began to think for myself. After working through Why we go to church (love and respect for God), the What came more clearly into focus (practicing awe through worship). Then I had to ask How (what does it look like?) to authentically show love, respect and awe to Creator God, who is The Most High God Over All?

Obviously, we demonstrate our love for Him every day, not just on Sundays. Not long ago, someone  coined the motto, Lifestyle Worship, meaning we live everyday life in an attitude of worship. Since Jesus came, He lives within every believer, so we as believers carry God with us wherever we go.

If that’s the case, then what is the reason for church on Sunday morning? If we’re worshiping constantly, what’s the point for setting aside this time to worship in a certain place with a bunch of other people? Isn’t that redundant?

If you are in the habit of attending church, I imagine at some point you’ve had this conversation with yourself. “I can worship God anywhere. He lives within my heart, so He’s always with me.” Truth. Thus, the term, Lifestyle Worship.

Psalm 19 speaks to this, and although it’s one of my favorites, I’ve recently seen it in a new light while considering these thoughts about worship. In the past, I found it difficult to see how the two sections of this psalm related, but in light of worship, it makes total sense why David penned them in the same psalm.

When you read Psalm 19:1-6, you find:

• Observation: Nature displays God’s glory.  
• Interpretation: Everyone can see glimpses of God in the patterns and provisions of nature.
• Application: I pay attention and notice the activity of God all around me, grateful for His gift of life and His presence with me.

Paying attention to God’s Creation centers us in life. Ever have trouble believing God is really with you? Like during those times life is hard: relationship issues, financial difficulties, health challenges? When you feel God may have abandoned you, take a look at the sun. Even when the sun is covered by clouds, the sun still rises and runs its circuit, and then the moon takes its turn for the night. There are no words spoken, but the sun and moon express their purposes continuously. Creation reveals the presence of God. As long as the sun and moon continue to run, we can be assured God is with us. We see God’s presence in His creation, resulting in worship of Him even though we can’t see Him. This is our private worship.

Moving forward to Psalm 19:7-14 reveals:

• Observation: God’s words profit the believer for life.
• Interpretation: Following God’s words provides insight for living.
• Application: When I read and hear instruction, admit and agree with God about myself, I will enjoy pure and true friendship with the God of all Creation.

Paying attention to God’s Word centers us in relationship. Notice the communication described by David. We stay in touch with God when we read and hear His Word. We purify our friendship with God when we admit and agree about our sinful nature. In doing so, we understand the truth about ourselves.

In this psalm, David finds truth and keeps in step with God by asking God for two things:

1. “Show me my blind spots.” In other words, what sin is lurking in my heart that I’m not even aware of? Once we realize we have a potential problem, we can take steps to avoid that problem. God is good about helping us to see what doesn’t line up with His way of thinking.
2. “Keep me from deliberate sin.” Oh dear, in my natural self, I miss the mark constantly! It is this kind of interior spiritual work that is required in order to avoid being controlled by natural sins that will take over when left unchecked. Like David, we can only overcome our natural sin with the strong help of God. He’s always there for the asking, and He’s standing ready to give us help.

Once we are centered in lifestyle with God and centered in relationship with God,  we are ready to worship Him in spirit and in truth, as Jesus teaches in John 4:23-24. The truth of God’s Word connects our spirits with the Spirit of God, and a beautiful rhythm of friendship is enjoyed between us and our Heavenly Father. Paul describes this rhythm in 1 Corinthians 2:6-16.

So, when we gather with other believers, our corporate worship is enriched because our hearts are consistently centered in lifestyle and relationship. Together, we worship Creator God in full confidence, “combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words” (1 Corinthians 2:13) and encouraging each other “toward acts of compassion, doing beautiful works as expressions of love.” (Hebrews 10:24 TPT) The rewards of worship remove the redundancy of worship. 

I’ve found these scriptures to be true. Even on days I don’t feel like going to church, when I push through and make myself worship with others, I leave encouraged and more ready to face life. I find myself strengthened even though my life’s circumstances have not changed.

“So may the words of my mouth, my meditation-thoughts, and every movement of my heart be always pure and pleasing, acceptable before your eyes, my only Redeemer, my Protector-God.” (TPT)

Making Psalm 19:14 a daily prayer reminds me to keep in step with God, get back to center, intentionally focused on living life as God originally designed. This is true worship! 

What sends you to the center of life? Share your thoughts with us in the Comments below.