Fueling Your Zeal Through Worship

“We suffer from the “4 F’s” in life– fear, failure, frustration, and fatigue.”

While attributed to various authors, these 4 challenges are widely recognized in the realm of psychology. They constitute the commonality of experiences and emotions of all human kind. And Christians are not exempt.

These challenges can dampen our zest for life, diminish our passion for projects we once enjoyed, and severely decrease our get-up-and go. This is also true regarding our spiritual fervor.

Just like a fire requires the fuel to ignite it, your zeal for God and spiritual matters requires the proper fuel. In past posts we have addressed the fuel of knowledge, wisdom, courage, energy, and diligence. Today, consider how worship can fuel your zeal.

Through the years, we’ve heard various “reasons” why Christians have neglected the worship service.

• “I’ve just gotten out of the habit.”
• “I didn’t feel like going.”
• “I’ve just lost interest.”
• “Church just doesn’t excite me anymore.”
• “I’m depressed and didn’t want to be around people.”
• “Attending feels like a duty or a burden.”
• “I just feel stagnant spiritually.”
• “God doesn’t seem close to me anymore.”
• “I feel burnt out.”
• “I’m struggling with lots of guilt.”
• “There’s a lot of conflict in my life right now.”

Ironically, the very “reasons” why people fail to attend worship, are the very reasons why they need to attend to rekindle their zeal. When we attend worship services and really put our heart into worship it has the power to affect some amazing changes.

• Worship touches the heart.
• Worship enlighten the mind.
• Worship refreshes the spirit.
• Worship penetrates the soul.
• Worship probes the conscience.
• Worship renews.
• Worship revives.
• Worship inspires.
• Worship awakens.
• Worship enlivens.
• Worship invigorates.
• Worship even relaxes.
• Worship has the power to recharge our drained spiritual batteries.

No wonder the Psalmist could exclaim, “I was glad when they said unto me, let us go into the house of the Lord” (Ps. 122:1).

Worship provides the fuel to…

#1 Reconnect your purpose in life.

In the busyness, distractions, and weight of life’s daily grind, it’s easy to lose focus. To forget who we are, why we are here, and where we are going. Worship reconnects us with what and who really matters in life.

#2 Provides a special encounter with God’s presence.

Obviously we are in God’s presence daily. And we can access His throne through prayer and hear His voice through Bible reading. But collective, Lord’s day worship is special. Unique.

#3 Awaken your spiritual senses.

It may be a song, a prayer, a Bible reading, an observation at the Lord’s supper or something said from a sermon that provides a much needed spark that awakens us and provides a much needed jolt. And, of course, it may be a combination of all of the above.

#4 Gives birth to our mission and ministry.

When we worship we turn from an inward reflection to outward action. True worship triggers the desire to give back to God. To serve Him. To share His love. To speak His Truth.

In short, there is great power in worshiping God “in spirit and in Truth.” Through the years, we’ve heard people remark following a worship service, “I didn’t feel like coming to worship today, but I forced myself. I feel better now than when I arrived.” Try it and see what happens the next time you want to skip worship.

One final thought. Worship will get you through the hardest, most difficult times in your life. Because it shifts your focus from the problem to the problem solver.

–Ken Weliever, The Preacherman