Worship With Humility

When Abraham climbed up the mountain to sacrifice his son, Isaac was around 33 years old- if you really look at the history. When he looked around, Abraham had the wood and all the material- except the lamb to sacrifice! This was when Abraham said “the Lord will provide”. In the Old Testament, the preparations for worship were many. 

In the New Testament, God simplified it as much as possible. 
For example, salvation comes simply through believing and confessing Christ. 
But the preparations that God did for it started even before the world began- and even on earth, Jesus spent 33 years preparing. How much more should we prepare?
God accepts a heart of repentance and faith. We must also give God first priority. God looks at our heart- He only accepts worship that comes from the heart. 

Humility is another necessity in worship. 
Luke 18:9-14
9 To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’
13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’
14 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

The Pharisees were a very strict and religious sect that people thought were the epitome of righteousness. And the tax collectors were compared to sinners because of their lawless style of working. 
The Pharisees sometimes spoke to themselves while praying. They praise themselves. The tax collectors, in humility and shame, cry out to God asking for mercy. Jesus said that it is the tax collector who would be forgiven over the Pharisee!

Whenever we enter God’s presence, we must always humble ourselves. We should rid ourselves of all pride and sense of self. We should prepare our hearts accordingly. 

In heaven, the 24 elders lay down their crowns and bowed down before God. This shows that they are laying down all their glory or exaltation- which God gave them in the first place. They fall face down in front of God and worship. 

When we humble ourselves, the presence and glory of God that comes down is amazing! It is just like in nature, water flows from heights to the lowly areas. 

Orderliness is also important in worship. 
1 Corinthians 14:26 and 40
26 What then shall we say, brothers and sisters? When you come together, each of you has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation.
Everything must be done so that the church may be built up. 
40 But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way.

What we say and do in church should be such that it builds up the church. Jesus made Himself the manna in the New Testament by giving us Himself. He became the food for the church and we were built up by this. 

John 1:1
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
It was through Jesus (the Word) that God revealed Himself to us. 
In worship, many people receive different experiences- vision, tongues, etc. 
Through this the church must be built up. But also, everything must be done in a fitting and orderly way. 
Worship in heaven is orderly. The Seraph uses two wings each to cover their face, to cover their body, and to fly. There is an order and a way that things must happen. 
In our personal and corporate prayer, we must have order and discipline in worship. We must receive the grace of worship. 
This doesn’t mean to worship in a ritualistic way- the Bible says that God despises this as well. We need the Holy Spirit to guide us in the right way of worship.