Ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name; bring an offering and come before Him. Worship the Lord in the splendor of His holiness (1 Chron. 16:29).
The pattern that Jesus provided in the Lord’s Prayer serves as a guide for approaching God in prayer. He begins with worship– revering the Father and honoring Him for who He is. I intentionally try to begin my prayers this way rather than going directly to petitions–my need and want list, which in Jesus’s prayer is near the bottom of the list. But instead of worshipping, I usually find myself thanking God. I thank Him for my family, for answered prayers, and for situations that demonstrate that His response exceeds anything I could imagine.
Now gratitude is not a bad thing, in fact Scripture tells us to have grateful hearts, but it is different than worship. They are interconnected, but not at all the same. Gratitude centers on recognizing God’s blessings and being appreciative of them, recognizing God’s goodness in my life.
But in worship, the focus shifts from what God has done to who God is—His character, traits, and sovereignty, all motivated by His loving nature.
Gratitude is about me, but worship is about Him. It lifts the conversation to a higher level and deepens our relationship with Him.
In John 4:23, Jesus tells us that true worshipers worship the Father in Spirit and Truth (note the Trinity). True worship connects with the Holy Spirit, flowing from the depths of our heart, and honors God, our Father, for who He is.