Can you believe we are at the start of a new year?? Like many of you, this morning I opened my brand new planner, complete with fresh, clean pages, ready to be filled with my daily to-do lists and appointments. I started this method last year by sitting down on Monday morning and planning out my week, but not being so rigid that a cross or postponement is not allowed. Lol.
I don’t know about you, but I find freedom in to-do lists. It clears my mind to carry the week through my head and makes my activities much easier. After all, who doesn’t love checking items off a to-do list?
In the Old Testament, the Lord gave the Israelites a “to-do list” called the Law of Offerings. “Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Command the children of Israel and say to them, “You will be careful to present my grain offering, my food for my grain offerings by fire, with a sweet odor for me, at the appointed time. » Numbers 28:1-2 The times appointed for some of these offerings were daily, morning and evening. Some offerings were to be given seasonally. Others, during certain holidays. And still others offered rest as part of the offering.
Have you noticed how the Lord referred to the Israelites’ offerings as a “soothing aroma” to Him? The Law of Offerings established a means of connection with God not only throughout the year, but throughout the day. The Lord desired to be in relationship with His people – “a soothing aroma.” The aroma signified that God accepted the sacrifice and was pleased with the act, bringing peace and satisfaction to the relationship between God and the worshipper. More important than the physical smell was the posture of the heart behind the offering: obedience, love and dedication to God.
Some might view the laws as restrictive, living in slavery to rules and regulations. It could turn into this if we are not careful, BUT when the Lord integrated the practice of worship into the daily routine of the Israelites, He was actually setting them free. This allowed them to worship God by remaining focused on Him, thus giving the Lord the power to facilitate their obedience.
We may be New Testament Christians now, but that doesn’t mean we can’t learn from the Old Testament, OR that that makes it null and void. We may not have the requirement for a “law of offerings” complete with animal sacrifices, BUT what we do have is a call to worship God throughout our day.
What does this daily worship look like? Let’s take a look at five ways we can incorporate worship into the ebb and flow of our days.
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Prayer of worship
“Come, let us fall down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Creator” Psalm 95:6
Recently I was convicted about my prayer life. I always felt guilty if I didn’t set aside time to pray each day, but what I recently realized was that those prayers were MY “God To Do List” for him. I wasn’t spending time connecting with God; I gave him tasks that I wanted him to complete.
Our verse above provides us with a posture for approaching the Lord in prayer. This is not to say that we become legalistic in the way we pray or that we cannot cry out to the Lord in a moment of crisis or that we cannot talk to God throughout the day, but what this verse reminds us of is WHO God is and the motivation of our heart when we come before Him.
When we cry out to the Lord in crisis, we acknowledge that He is sovereign and relinquish all control, depending on Him. That’s worship. Spending our day communicating with the Lord, as we would talk to a friend, is indeed spiritual worship. By desiring his company and presence, we worship him.
Of course, there is a time we should set aside in our day for formal prayer of worship. To come before the Lord in complete worship, acknowledging who He is and all that He has done. In total respect and admiration, each time, soaking in the Glory of the Lord. After which, you present your requests to God. As you pray in this way, you will find your faith strengthened and your prayers emboldened because you have put God in His rightful place, not as jolly old Santa receiving your Christmas wish list, but as the God of the Universe, who is in control of all things and who loves you with an everlasting love.
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Time in Scripture
Let the message of Christ dwell richly among you as you teach and admonish one another in all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs of the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. Colossians 3:16
Having an understanding of all that Scripture means to us is paramount to approaching our time in the Word from a posture of worship. Our verse reminds us that Scripture is not just something we pick up and put down, but is a message from Christ that is meant to be absorbed, transformative, taken with us, and shared.
Indeed, when we ABIDE in God’s Word, we actively seek Him and commune with Him, a true act of worship. This is interesting because the Word dwell in this case means to meditate or meditate, but the other definition of abide could also apply: “to reside, dwell, or make one’s permanent abode.”
When we dwell on the Scriptures, whether in meditation or reverence, we are indeed worshiping through the Word. Come to your biblical time in a spirit of worship
will have far more impact than thinking of it as something to “check off your spiritual to-do list.”
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Sing praises to the Lord
“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with joy; come before him with joyful singing!” Psalm 100:1-2
Years ago I read a book called “A Thousand Gifts” by Ann Voskamp. The idea was to strive to record every day of the year everything you are grateful for. At the end of the year, the author noted that she had discovered “1000 gifts”. By guiding you through this process, the author shows you that something as simple as a bird singing outside your window that made you smile is something to be grateful for, a gift from God.
When we have a heart of gratitude to the Lord, we have a heart of worship. Those of us who tend to complain (unfortunately, my hand is up) are not in a prayerful heart posture at all. If, instead, we planned this new year to keep a gratitude journal of all the gifts the Lord gives us throughout our day, we would find that this practice would transform our complaints into gratitude and our hearts into worship.
And, of course, the most obvious way to lead your heart in worship is to literally sing praises to Him. Turn on your radio, listen to some worship music, and sing to the Lord. You will find your mood changes as you focus on giving God all the Glory in prayer.
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Be calm in front of him
Stay still and know that I am God. Psalm 46:10
I am fascinated by how, from the very beginning, when God created the world, he built rest into the human fabric. Not only did I suggest it, I ordered it. The Old Testament Sabbath commandment asks you to stop working on the Sabbath to honor and worship God.
We are always called to set aside a day of rest, a time to recharge our batteries in order to better serve God. After all, “the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever.” (Westminster Shorter Catechism). Now it’s worship!
A time of silence before the Lord does not have to be limited to just one day. Each day you can set aside time to sit quietly before the Lord and worship Him. You can meditate on the names of God. Think about these many times in the
In the past he has been faithful to you, OR remember those stories from the Bible that describe his faithfulness. You can meditate on a verse that struck you last week. Or sit in fellowship with Him. All of these means of stillness are acts of worship and will enrich your relationship with the Lord.
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Sacrificial service
“And do not neglect good and sharing, for such sacrifices please God. » Hebrews 13:16
So far we have looked at some very personal ways of worshiping the Lord. Means which, in certain respects, are only known to us. But there are ways of worship that are outward in appearance and will bring glory to God.
Any opportunity to do good to others or share what you have with them is a means of spiritual worship when your heart posture is to bring Glory to God, not to make yourself look good.
What does this type of sacrifice look like? “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothing and you clothed me, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you came to visit me. “Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you as a stranger and invite you in, or when we needed clothing and clothed you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you? “The king will answer, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me. » Matthew 25:35-40
When we engage in this type of service, we worship God by serving others.
Today’s world offers us many opportunities to worship in this way. I always say that our homes are the training ground for sacrificial service. When we integrate this type of worship into our daily lives with our families, how much easier will it be to serve others outside of our home?
The next time you feel the Lord tugging at your heart to do good or share what you have, do not neglect the feeling, but remember it as an opportunity to worship God.
Dear Heavenly Father, may you create in us a heart posture of worship throughout our day, in Jesus Name, Amen.
How will you incorporate worship into your daily routine?
If there is an area of worship that doesn’t come easily to you, what can you do to change that?
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Originally published on Tuesday January 6, 2026.
