by Todd Elder at Exploring Creation
The Almighty created the Heavens and the Earth including the plants, the animals, and mankind. He spoke them into existence in a literal seven day act of creation.
Within Scripture, the Almighty has instructed us on how to have a close relationship with Himself. The disciplines of worship are not an end to seek after, rather they are a means to a close relationship to the One Most High. The results of learning these disciplines include knowing His will for our lives, living in His blessing, and being effective in our work for the Kingdom of Heaven.
The disciplines of worship are mostly about our relationship with the One Most High. Every relationship has rules and guidelines on how things are expressed one to another. This is true for a husband and wife, for a father and son, co-worker to co-worker, king to person in kingdom, etc. One of the most striking ways to look at this relationship is as from Creator to creation. In such a relationship, there are certain character traits that help keep things in perspective. We, as the creation, should love, honor, appreciate, and value the Creator. This makes Him important in our lives and a relationship in which we want to invest our time and energies. It is a relationship in which we must recognize the need to humble ourselves before His majesty. It is a relationship in which, if we want it to be genuinely good, we must learn to follow the rules of the relationship.
All sin is a hindrance in our relationship with the Almighty and in our ability to enjoy life. Confession, as a part of repentance, is a means of restoring the soul to a peaceful state. The One Most High is always ready to forgive and bring us close when we have moved away.
Without faith, very little is possible. Faith is the most difficult of the disciplines. We are constantly challenged by our flesh and logic to trust in the Almighty's promises of love and care. We are further challenged by patiently waiting on actions to occur in the spiritual that we cannot see.
The time of fasting is not always much in quantity, but it is high in quality since it focuses on the spiritual aspects of life and the One Most High. While fasting is a physical act of not eating food, the spiritual effects are astonishing and can be summed up in the word 'intensifying'. Our perception of the Almighty's will for our lives and our prayers to Him both become more intense.
The act of humility simply means to not lift oneself up or to not praise oneself. Genuine humility does not require putting oneself down which often leads to a form of false humility which is a lie. Humility is a prerequisite to all forms of worship and can sum up the fruits of the Spirit as well.
There are two levels of righteousness in the Scriptures. The first is the Righteousness of the Messiah that leads to Salvation. This is very different from the righteousness of our actions that lead to the Almighty's blessing in our life. Our righteousness is to follow the example of our Savior. In this regard, our righteous actions can be viewed as a fruit of our salvation.
In many places of the world, persecution for one's religious beliefs is a reality. Wherever one lives, the physical and mental preparation for this event is a necessity for a believer in the Messiah. An active relationship with the Almighty, before trouble comes, is what carries a person through the tough times.
To praise the Almighty is to publicly give honor to authority where it is due. Elohim is our master and guide, the one who makes provision through all our life. When we speak to others of the wonderful things He has done in our lives, we are sharing the praise that He deserves.
Prayer is the greatest form of worship. When we speak to the Almighty, we are working in the spiritual. This is directly in contrast to attempting our own actions in the physical. Seeking His solution to our problems shows how much greater are His ways than ours.
Simplicity is an important element in the modern world. Understanding simplicity enables a person to place priorities and possessions in proper order. It allows a person to discern between the important and the urgent and to realize what is complicating life needlessly. It produces time to use with Scripture and the Almighty.
The sharing of personal testimonies, the events which one has experienced and witnessed in life, is one of the best ways possible to encourage other believers or open the gospel message to non-believers. Sometimes, by recalling for others what the Almighty has already done in our lives, it can encourage and strengthen the faith of oneself to move on to even greater events in life.
The disciplines of worship ask a person to humble themselves and let the Almighty be the Master. This type of worship allows the One Most High to work in a believer's life in ways not otherwise possible. A rich and full relationship is the reward for those who learn to worship as He has instructed and do not follow man-made traditions.