The Pattern of Worship

Have you ever started noticing something, and then suddenly you see it everywhere? Like when you buy a car you’re convinced is completely unique to you, and then all of a sudden, you see that exact car everywhere. You didn’t start seeing more of them, you just started noticing what had been there all along.

There are patterns like that all throughout Scripture. And once you start noticing them, you can’t unsee them. One of those patterns is revelation and response. It’s a simple pattern: God reveals himself, and his people respond. Most often, that response takes the form of confession, worship, or praise.

Think about Moses and the burning bush. God reveals himself to Moses in a miraculous and unmistakable way, and Moses responds by taking off his sandals and hiding his face because he recognizes he is standing on holy ground.

Or think about Isaiah. He receives a vision of God: “I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne…” And his response? “Woe to me! I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips…” God reveals himself, and Isaiah responds.

There is a lot we can learn from the patterns of biblical worship, but here’s the main thing: Worship begins with recognizing who God is. It’s easy to come into worship focused primarily on ourselves—our needs, our problems, our circumstances. But what if instead we asked, “God, what do you want to reveal to me about who you are.

Because when we see God for who he really is, it changes our response.

Don’t rush past the revelation to get to the response. Slow down, see who God is, and let what you see shape the way you worship. Worship is our response to the revelation of who God is.