Maybe I am just not as spiritual as others but if I’m honest sometimes I don’t feel like worshiping. I’m there, I came to church, made the effort to honor the Lord. But I am just missing that drive to worship that I have other times in abundance. Maybe it’s due to being worn out from work, not feeling the best, a migraine, an attack of the enemy, or because life is just hard at the moment. Whatever the reason there are few things to remember in those times when you simply don’t feel like worshiping.
Remember Small Things Count
In the Apostolic church, we often witness and even exhibit great displays of worship. So when you aren’t feeling the best it can feel as though you can’t worship. But it’s important to remember that running the isles, shouting, or jumping are not the only ways to worship God. One of the most prevalent forms of worship we read in the scripture is the simple act of lifting one’s hands.
1 Timothy 2:8 (ESV)
8 I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling;
Psalm 63:4 (ESV)
4 So I will bless you as long as I live;
in your name I will lift up my hands.
Psalm 141:2 (ESV)
2 Let my prayer be counted as incense before you,
and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice!
With that Scripture puts an emphasis on simply singing and making a joyful noise to the Lord. You may face days with less energy than normal but that doesn’t mean you can’t honor and worship the Lord by singing along. You don’t have to be the loudest voice in the crowd but just one among the many glorying the Lord.
Psalm 100:1–2 (ESV)
1 Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!
2 Serve the Lord with gladness!
Come into his presence with singing!
Colossians 3:16 (ESV)
16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
Psalm 147:1 (ESV)
1 Praise the Lord!
For it is good to sing praises to our God;
for it is pleasant, and a song of praise is fitting.
Simply lifting your hands and signing along may hardly seem like praise in the Pentecostal church. But they are still forms of worship that honor our God and they can be done no matter how you may feel on a given day. Don’t just stand with your hands in your pockets during a worship service but lift your hands to God. Who knows it may even make you feel better.
Praise While You Still Can
My pastor will often point out that the elderly saints in the church can’t praise like they used to. But if they could they would still be running, jumping, and shouting before the Lord. Giving Him thanks for all the blessings He has provided. From the first time, he said that it has stuck out to me because one day we will all share that feeling. A day is approaching where we will no longer be able to praise like we once could.
So you may not feel like worshiping today but one day you will want nothing more than to praise like you did when you were younger but not be able to. Choose to still worship today while you have the ability to. So that one day you do not look back with regret but with joy knowing that you always praised God with your whole heart even on those tough days.
Gods is still so good and worthy of praise
More often than not people find themselves in the church not feeling like worshiping because they are going through hard times. Which to an extent can be understood but if you still have clothes, food, shelter, a job then you still have reasons to praise the Lord. Because those things and everything else good are gifts from God. They are a reason to be thankful and because of them, we should be willing to worship the Lord.
Even if everything has fallen apart you are not without a reason to praise God. For God works all things for the good of those who believe. You may not be able to see it but your situation is leading you to something greater. So keep on honoring God with your praise even in the worst times. Even if that just means offering thanks for the promises in Scripture. Paul and Silas found themselves beaten and imprisoned for preaching the gospel yet kept on praising loud for all to hear. If they could worship then you can still worship where you stand.
Romans 8:28 (ESV)
28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
Acts 16:23–25 (ESV)
23 And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them safely. 24 Having received this order, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. 25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them,
Even When You Don’t Fell Like It Keep Worshiping
The moral is that even in those times that you don’t feel like worshiping you still should. Even if that means just offering the simple acts of praise that still honor God. Or focusing on the fact that one day you won’t have the opportunity to praise like you can today. Or that you push through the tough times to honor God for all He has done and will do for you.
The matter of fact is that God is worthy of praise and nothing can change that. So just keep worshiping our great God even on those days you don’t feel like it. I can guaruntee that you will never regret the days you pushed through and praised. But you will regret those days that you choose not to.
Revelation 4:11 (ESV)
11 “Worthy are you, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they existed and were created.”
Psalm 96:4 (ESV)
4 For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;
he is to be feared above all gods.
Psalm 150:6 (ESV)
6 Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord!
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