Article June 8, 2009 Issue

WHAT IS DAILY WORSHIP?

BY BILL MOODY

When many people think of worship, it's probably associated first with church attendance—something that occurs once or twice a week or, perhaps, on special religious holidays. Devout worship is, of course, at the heart of any church service. In fact, one definition I found for the word worship is "Chiefly and eminently, the act of paying divine honors to the Supreme Being; or the reverence and homage paid to Him in religious exercises, consisting in adoration, confession, prayer, thanksgiving and the like."

Yet even in that definition, we can see something of broader relevance to our relationship with God that clearly goes beyond the once or twice a week we might be sitting in church. What if "the act of paying divine honors" to God were an integral part of our daily lives? Think of the inspiration that might be brought to every aspect of our experience if worship truly included a regular, day-to-day honoring and praising of God.

As I was considering the question, "What actually is daily worship?" I decided to ask a few friends for their thoughts. They are people in different fields of endeavor, with different life experiences, but with something quite profound in common: a deep love for God and a reliance on prayer for direction in their lives every day.