As Christians, we are commanded to assemble on the first day of the week (Hebrews 10:25).  The primary reason for doing so is to worship God.  Every first day of the week we gather together to engage in five specific acts of worship (observing the Lord’s Supper [Acts 20:7], giving of our prosperity [1 Corinthians 16:1-2], singing praises to God [Colossians 3:16], praying [Acts 4:31], and studying God’s Word [Acts 20:7]).

Too many people have come to believe that we can worship God any way we choose.  Such is not the case.  Jesus tells us how we must worship God.

John 4:23-24 (ESV)
²³  But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. ²⁴  God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”

This is the only way to properly worship Him.  What does it mean to worship God in spirit?  The Greek word for “spirit” is pneuma.  The word is used to denote a variety of things, from a current of air to the Holy Spirit.  In John 4:24, it refers to one’s mental disposition.  To worship God in spirit is to worship Him with the right attitude or mindset.

What kind of mindset must we have to worship God properly?  First, it should be one of focus.  We cannot properly praise God when our minds are scattered.   When we come to worship God, we must leave all of our thoughts of this world behind and give God our full attention.  With every song we sing and prayer we utter, and with every other act of worship in which we engage, our hearts must be filled with thoughts of God and serving Him.

If we are to worship God properly, we have to always be filled with a reverent heart.  We sometimes allow our worship services to become too casual.  Let us remember what worship is.  The Greek word for worship is proskuneo.  Vine says it means to kiss towards, denoting an act of homage.  Strong says it means to “prostrate oneself in homage; to do reverence to or to adore.”  What do we do each time we go to a worship service?  Well, I can tell you what we are supposed to be doing—bowing down before God, figuratively speaking, with reverent adoration.

Something else needed to worship God properly is a godly life.   We cannot live wrong and worship right.  We may go through the motions of worshipping God, doing everything, at least from an outward standpoint, just right; but if we are not living a godly life, God will turn His face from us.  The Jews found this out when they attempted to worship God while living sinful lives that even involved the worshipping of idols.

Jeremiah 6:20 (ESV)
²⁰  What use to me is frankincense that comes from Sheba, or sweet cane from a distant land? Your burnt offerings are not acceptable, nor your sacrifices pleasing to me.

Finally, any proper worship must be according to the truth.  Remember, Jesus did not just say we must worship God in spirit; he said in spirit and truth.  The truth He was referring to is God’s Word (John 17:17).  Any act of worship that is not according to God’s Word is vain (Matthew 15:7-9).  The Word of God matters when it comes to worshipping Him.  Better to remember this now than to learn it the hard way like Cain did (Genesis 4:1-5).

As you wind down for the night, think about these things.