Prayer Journal Entry #7: Worship

Dear God, (June 27th, 2007)
I found something about the concept of worship. We usually think of it as going to church and singing CCM songs with our eyes closed and our hands raised. But according to Romans 12:1, that’s not at all what it is.
"I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship."
This verse doesn’t say, "singing praise and worship songs with your hands raised is your spiritual act of worship." No, it says giving your entire life to God, laying everything down on the altar before Him to be used by Him--that is worship. But first, you must be holy and acceptable before God. God can’t use someone who is living in sin. It doesn’t bring honor to You, Father. We must be clean vessels to be used by You--we must have clean hands and a pure heart to enter into Your temple to praise You with our mouths; we must also be pure in heart to be used by You, for our lives to praise and worship You. So often (too often) we forget that You have called us to be holy and we try to live our own life, do our own thing and then go to church and "worship." But unless our lives and hearts worship You, our songs cannot.
Yours Forever,
Rachel