What comes to mind when you consider the word “worship”? Is there a specific scene you envision or a particular environment that springs to mind?

When it comes to worship, many of us think of Sunday mornings spent with our local congregation, hymns and songs of praise spilling from our lips. Perhaps our hands are raised toward the ceiling, bodies instinctively seeking the Father like sunflowers turning toward the light; or perhaps we’re simply trying to get through the song without anyone noticing how off-key we sound.

But worship isn’t confined to a certain day of the week, nor does it have to look like that Sunday-morning picture in our heads. In fact, worship is something we can do every single day, in a variety of ways. And while I’m sure your worship playlist has been curated to perfection, I’d like to explore some more ways in which we can worship the Lord (things you may not even realize are worship!). Let’s take a look at Scripture and consider a few examples of how we can draw closer to God through the intentional practice of worship.

Foster Community with Other Believers

Building relationships with other Christians is a vital part of our walk with the Lord. After all, we were not made to be alone; God wants us to be in community with each other, to lift each other up and hold each other accountable (Ecclesiastes 4:9–12, Galatians 6:2, James 5:16).

Community was especially important for the early church, who met frequently to celebrate the resurrection of Christ and God’s promise of salvation through Him. The book of Acts depicts that the growing community of believers “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer. . . . Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple, and broke bread from house to house. They ate their food with joyful and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people” (Acts 2:42, 46–47a).

Gathering as believers is a testament to the love and faithfulness of God and is something we should strive for even outside of Sunday fellowship. If you aren’t sure where to start, here are a few ways you might engage with your church community:

Join a group Bible study.

Host a meal for your small group (even a small-scale gathering of just a few people will encourage fellowship!).

Volunteer at your church.

Look for ways to serve others (this could be organizing a fundraiser, lifting up a local family in need, partaking in a charity event, assisting the homeless, etc.).

When you “pass the peace” or greet your neighbor in the pew on Sunday morning, ask that person how you can be praying for them.

Spend Time in the Word

When it comes to personal worship, there is no better way to know God intimately than to study His Word. Carve out time each day to sit with Scripture, whether that’s ten precious minutes in your hectic morning or a full, hour-long study. Any time spent with the Word of God is time well spent, as 2 Timothy 3:16 tells us that “All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness.”

Pray and Repent

Prayer is another vital component of our spiritual life. In 1 Thessalonians 5:17, Paul exhorts us to “pray constantly”—and this is no mere suggestion. How well do you know the people you don't keep in touch with? Not very well, I’d guess. The same is true for our relationship with God: If we forsake prayer, we are robbing ourselves of the joy that comes with being heard by our Creator.

Repentance, too, is paramount to our relationship with God. It is in our repentance that we act out our devotion to God by turning from the things that try to pull us away from Him. Confessing our sin opens the door for forgiveness (1 John 1:9) and allows us to exercise humility before God’s throne, trusting Him to cleanse us of our sins and mold us more closely to His own image.

Behold God’s Creation

One thing I look forward to every day is the walk I take around my neighborhood in the evenings. I may not live in a particularly “beautiful” city—there’s more concrete than greenery most days—but I try to be intentional about recognizing the artistry of God’s creation no matter where I am. I’m often struck by the beauty of the setting sun, casting brilliant reds and oranges across a fiery sky or deep pinks and purples that converge in the clouds, reminding me of God’s sovereignty over the earth, even in the unfathomably huge expanse of sky above my head. The wildflowers pushing up between the cracks in the sidewalk—literally growing out of concrete—are a testament to God’s providence, for He allows us to bear fruit even through hardship. Even something as small as a snail’s shell showcases, in its perfect Fibonacci spiral, God’s talent for fine-tuning the tiniest of creatures.

Spending time in nature—away from our screens and other distractions—is not only refreshing to our bodies but to our souls. So take some time to marvel at God’s work, which He displays all around you: It is a living, breathing tribute to His majesty.

A beautiful encouragement to soak in the splendor of creation, Psalm 8:3–4 reminds us:

When I observe your heavens,

the work of your fingers,

the moon and the stars,

which you set in place,

what is a human being that you remember him,

a son of man that you look after him?

Work with Intentionality

The sound of your alarm blaring at 6 a. m. on a Monday morning probably isn’t the moment you look forward to all weekend long, but for most of us, work is a reality of life. Whether you’re clocking in to a 9–5 every day, keeping up with college classes, or juggling kids and household tasks, it can be all too easy to give in to exhaustion and miss the value in the work we do day after day.

A couple of years ago, in a season that necessitated my waking up at 4 a. m. every day, I would remind myself of this line from Marcus Aurelius’s Meditations: “At dawn, when you have trouble getting out of bed, tell yourself: ‘I have to go to work—as a human being. What do I have to complain of, if I’m going to do what I was born for—the things I was brought into the world to do?’”

It rang true because it’s a biblical sentiment—for work was always part of God’s good plan. He intended for Adam and Eve to tend to creation and its creatures, not to live in purposeless pleasure or stagnant limbo. The Creator Himself designed us to work and to do it joyfully. Colossians 3:23 reminds us, “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for man” (ESV). Similarly, 1 Corinthians 10:31 says, “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.”

So although work may not always feel fulfilling or enjoyable, we can worship God by doing our work well and looking for ways to bring Him glory through the work we do. Don’t let yourself be discouraged if your job isn’t your passion or even if you’re feeling burnt out; God sees your effort regardless.

Share Your Faith

Surely one of the most fundamental ways to praise God is to share His message of salvation with the world. Whether it’s a coworker, family member, friend, or even a stranger you’re chatting with in the DMV line, there are always opportunities to share the gospel, and I encourage you to thoughtfully seek out these important conversations. Jesus instructed us to “go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19a), and every time we strike up a dialogue about our Savior with someone who needs to hear it, we are worshiping Him.

Without a doubt, Sunday morning worship services are a wonderful way to give God praise, but worship doesn’t have to end when you walk out of church. By seeking out opportunities for authentic worship in everyday life, your relationship with God will grow stronger and deeper. Practice reflecting Him in everything you do—whether that’s praying over Scripture in solitude or chasing after kids who won’t sit still. If it’s worthwhile, we can use it to worship our Creator, who sees us trying and will always close the gap between our best efforts and His perfection.

Notes:

Marcus Aurelius, Meditations. Book V, Section I.

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Author Bio

Audrey Dial is a Staff Editor for The Daily Grace Co.® She lives in Houston, Texas, where she serves as the neighborhood chronicler of toadstools and her cat’s emotional support human. In her spare time, she can be found writing, reading medieval poetry, or enjoying a cup of tea.

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