My Worship-Full Life

Last January, I began a variation of “My Grace-Full Life,” focusing on different ways to be “full.” This year, we’ve covered “Peace-Full,” “Mercy-Full,” “Joy-Full,” “Faith-Full,” “Hope-Full,” “Truth-Full,” “Fruit-Full,” “Mind-Full,” “Prayer-Full,” and “Thank-Full.” This is the final one– “My Worship-Full Life.”

“Worship” was my 2022 Word of the Year. And true to form, as is always the case when I get to the end of a word study–the major takeaway is that I still have so much to learn. Still–this has been one of my favorite word studies to date.

The act of worship is so simple, yet often neglected. It’s part of the reason I chose this word. I often have a bad habit that when I pray, I just dive straight into my divine to-do list without first recognizing the almighty power of the God to Whom I am praying! This year, I’ve been trying very hard to start my prayers with a sense of awe and reverence that the God to whom I pray is the Creator of all…. He deserves my respect. After all, I was created for Him, not the other way around.

I’m not saying there’s never a time to just jump right into prayer…. In an emergency–we get to the point. But as a general rule, our prayers should begin from a place of worship. It’s how Jesus taught us to pray. He said, “Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name” (Matthew 6:9b). “Hallowed” means holy, sacred, or revered. The prayer Jesus taught immediately started with praise to God, an acknowledgment of who He is.

Beyond worshiping God in prayer, we worship Him when we sing to Him (don’t worry about carrying a tune…. We’re told to make a joyful noise to the Lord in Psalm 98:4. He never said we have to be on key!). We worship Him when we acknowledge the beauty of His world (Psalm 19:1). We worship Him when we express our gratitude towards Him (1 Thessalonians 5:18). We worship Him when we work for Him, taking care in using the gifts and talents He’s given (Colossians 3:23). The list is endless. So, worship isn’t just a Sunday kind of thing.

Being intentional in my worship has been a game-changer for me this year. And I’m grateful. Especially as I move into 2023 with a new word…. “Purpose.” It’s a good segue word…. I’ve studied worship, and since my purpose as a created being is to bring God glory and worship to Him, that feels like a good plan for the new year.

And that, my friends, is a wrap. Not only for this special “full-ness” series. But the “My Grace-Full Life” column. I’m so grateful to Robin Bralley for her willingness to publish this column each month since January 2017. I’m stepping away from my position as Senior Writer for Forsyth Magazines, but please know that I am thankful to you for reading and your words of encouragement. While MGFL will no longer be published in Forsyth Family, the blog on which this column was founded will continue. Every day, I post a Bible verse and prayer, and on Sunday morning, a blog post. If you are interested in subscribing, you can do so at MyGraceFullLife.com or follow along on Facebook or Instagram. Again, my sincere thanks for reading!

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Verse of the Month: But at midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them (Acts 16:25 NKJV).

Song of the Month: “How Great Is Our God,” by Chris Tomlin