A CUP OF COLD WATER

 ADORATION AND WORSHIP TO OUR GOD!

To adore God is to show Him our deepest affection for Who He is, and to worship God is to magnify Him, above all others, for all He has done and continues to do for us. We adore and worship God in spirit and truth (John 4:23–24). God is Spirit and it is from our spirits that we should adore and worship Him. God is truth and our adoration and worship should recognise Him for what He is, the Truth, as opposed to who we are. In Psalm 145, we are called to worship God for His greatness and creative power.

The Holy Bible contains many accounts of people who worshipped God. Miriam worshipped God with a song after He delivered them from the Egyptians at the Red Sea (Exodus 15:20–21). The prophetess Deborah and Barak, her military commander, worshipped God after He delivered them from the Canaanites (Judges 5). Perhaps the greatest of worshippers was King David, also known as the sweet psalmist of Israel (2 Samuel 23:1). In Psalm 145, he expressed his admiration for God’s majesty and love. He was in complete awe of God. In 2 Samuel 6:14, we read that David danced with all his might before the Lord, in the streets, as a way of showing his appreciation to God. He even worshipped God after the death of his son (2 Samuel 12:19–20), indicating that we should worship God regardless our circumstances because worship helps us focus on God and not our problem, giving us another perspective to the problem. 

Worship is also a form of spiritual warfare because it can pull down strongholds and release the purposes of God on people, nations, and circumstances. Our adoration and worship enables God to execute vengeance on our enemies. When Joshua faced the impregnable walls of Jericho, worship secured the victory and the Israelites took possession of Jericho (Joshua 6:20). Paul and Silas were imprisoned for preaching about Jesus Christ and at midnight, as they worshipped, an earthquake occurred which opened the prison doors, resulting in their release and the jailor and his household’s salvation (Acts 16:25–34). When King Jehoshaphat and Judah were attacked, God instructed them to worship Him as they went to battle. They obeyed and God fought their battle, giving them a resounding victory (2 Chronicles 20:21–24). 

We use words of adoration and worship to come into the presence of God and to invite Him into our prayer time (Psalm 100:4). Under such an atmosphere, I have experienced peace, joy and strength, and found praying to be effortless. My greatest admiration of God, however, is for His great plan of salvation for humanity, and I adore and worship Him for this constantly. Finally, I adore and worship God who gave His life in order to spend eternity with me/us.