Worship is no small undertaking. It's so great that it engulfs the very meaning and purpose of our lives. I've been careful to state that the essence of worship is not in our methods. But at this point I feel it's important to state some principles that will prevent distractions from interrupting our worship. These principles in themselves will not necessarily produce a heart of worship, but they will assist an already worshipping heart toward regularity and consistency in worship.

Principle 1:
Solitude. We need a time and place in which we can meet alone with God. Genuine love breaks the barriers of superficiality. Love is deep. My wife and I have grown in our love relationship over the past twenty-one years. When we were first married, I thought I could never love a human as much as I loved her. But I discovered that was not true. I love her more now than I did then. I have watched others whose love relationships have fallen apart. I've asked myself what the difference is between the two types of love relationships - those which last and those which fall apart. I've drawn one major conclusion: The love between my wife and me has grown, because we have committed ourselves to times of intimate communication. We plan time each week to be alone and to share our deepest feelings. We take special time to be with each other to discover one another's dreams and goals.

The same principle applies to our relationship with God. We must plan time to be alone with Him and learn what's on His heart. And we must share with Him the deep things on our hearts. Our love relationship with God must never become superficial. We need to schedule times of solitude with Him.

Principle 2:
Meditation. Solitude brings us to the place of worship, but meditation introduces us to the Person we worship. Meditation is at the very heart of Christian worship. It's much more than some sort of mystical approach to God. It places our focus on the person of Christ and allows His divine attributes and moral character to transform our inner being. David was a man after God's own heart, and he didn't live as a monk, alienated from society. His life was productive and useful. Yet he speaks of meditating on the law of God day and night. He knew how to be still and acknowledge God as God.

The term meditation frightens many western Christians because of its usage among the eastern religions. However, biblical meditation is entirely different from Eastern mysticism. Meditation for the Christian is not emptying his mind of all his thought. It's just the opposite. It's filling his mind with the One who is altogether pure, lovely, and honorable.

Christian meditation focuses on the Word of God. From Genesis to Revelation, the Scriptures point us to Jesus. In them, we are able to see the marvelous nature of Jesus. In Genesis, He's in the beginning, but, in Revelation, He's the beginning and the end - the Alpha and Omega. In Daniel, He's the Ancient of Days and in Colossians, He's the firstborn of all creation. In John, He's the only begotten Son of God and in Hebrews, He's the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of His nature. So much of His glory and so many of His attributes are described in the Bible. Every day we should find ourselves in some lonely spot at a specified time with our Bibles open and our hearts quiet. We will then gain true appreciation for the Savior.

Principle 3:
Adoration. The natural response to the fresh insight of the nature and character of Christ we gain will be adoration. As our hearts and minds focus on Jesus, a deep sense of love will begin to flow from the innermost part of our lives. We will worship Jesus Christ. It's to this end that all prayer should be directed. Many Christians have not experienced the joy of prayer, because they have never really understood the ultimate objective of prayer.

The "asking," "seeking," and "knocking" of prayer is not a form of self-indulgence. We ask, because we are needy children. We seek Him, because He is everything we need. We knock, because we desire to enter into a sweet fellowship and daily walk with Him. Through that kind of prayer, we will come to know God as the Father who is perfect in His goodness. The true objective of prayer is the adoration of God through His Son, Jesus. Find a quiet place on a regular basis and open the Book. Behold the Lamb of God. Fall on your face and worship Him.