Most of us go to church on Sundays to worship God, but is worship truly what we are doing? Often we associate the word with music in a service, but its meaning involves much more than that. An adequate definition may be difficult to express concisely, but think of worship this way: When one’s mind is occupied with thoughts of God, the heart overflows in an outpouring of awe, adoration, and praise to Him.

It’s helpful to notice the order so that our expressions of worship may be most pleasing to God—starting in the mind, moving to the heart, and working itself out in words and action. Therefore, the accuracy of our perception of God determines the validity of our response.

In other words, it’s essential to pay attention to what God has revealed about Himself. And that’s why the Lord spoke to the Israelites shortly after delivering them from Egyptian bondage—they needed to understand who He was so they could worship Him appropriately.

Today we have more revelation about God than they did, because He’s given us His inspired Word and His Son Jesus. Yet even an entire lifetime spent studying the Scriptures would give us only a glimpse of our infinite, transcendent, eternal, all-powerful Father. However, the more we seek to understand and know Him, the deeper and more meaningful our worship will be.

We all need to grow in this area, and the best way to begin is in our private time with the Lord. Each time you read a Bible passage about Him, let it take root in your mind, overflow to your heart, and pour out in worship.