We will on Sunday have the opportunity to worship God once again. While worship is wonderful, its repetitive nature can, over time, cause some Christians to lose sight of the reverence due to God in the assembly.

We can then appreciate the psalmist's reminder in Psalm 89:7. He said, “God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him."

The Hebrews writer further emphasizes the importance of worshiping God with reverence, stating, "Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear" (Hebrews 12:28).

These verses clearly teach us how important it is to hallow God when we gather with fellow saints in worship. As we approach the throne of God by faith, we must regard Him as perfect in purity. Our attitudes and behaviour should reflect the holiness of God. We must always remember the awesome nature of God's power and love.

We should worship God with hearts that are prepared to adore Him and to respond in submission to the privilege that we have to come into His presence (Ephesians 2:18). Our speech, posture, and actions should all convey a profound sense of respect for God, acknowledging His greatness and majesty (Genesis 1:1; Psalm 19:1-2; Romans 1:20). Reverence for God should permeate our attitudes and behaviours during our times of church worship.

Reverence for God also means that we heed His guidance on the acts of worship He has prescribed. God has in the New Testament outlined five items of worship, and He expects us to faithfully participate in each one. These are: prayer (Colossians 3:17), singing (Ephesians 5:19), giving (1 Corinthians 16:1-2), communion (1 Corinthians 10:16), and teaching (Acts 20:7). They constitute the avenues we use to access God’s throne (Ephesians 2:18). By engaging in these prescribed items of worship, we demonstrate our reverence for God and our desire to honour Him according to His own instructions.

Why should we worship God the way He wants and thus show respect for Him? The Bible gives several reasons:

(1) God is the Almighty Creator of all that exists (John 1:3). The sheer magnificence and greatness of our God should fill us with a deep sense of awe that leads us to revere Him.

(2) God created us in His own image and endowed us with the unique ability to communicate with Him (Genesis 1:26).

(3) We must respect God because of His wondrous works. As the psalmist marvels, "O LORD, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches" (Psalm 104:24).

(4) God, through Christ, has saved us from eternal damnation and bestowed upon us countless blessings because of Christ's sacrificial death on the cross (Ephesians 1:3).

(5) God has made great promises to us, including the promise of eternal life – a blessing we could never have attained through our own efforts.

As we meditate on God's magnificent creation and the countless blessings He has bestowed upon us, our hearts should be filled with profound gratitude and praise.

Our gathering as God's people is not a social event, but a sacred time to come together and glorify the Lord. We are not here to indulge in our own personal preferences or to be entertained, but to humbly present ourselves before the King of kings and offer Him the worship He deserves.

If our worship has become lifeless, it is a clear sign that we have lost our reverence for the Almighty. Let us allow the Word of God to renew our hearts and minds, so that we may rediscover the wonder and majesty of our Heavenly Father (Colossians 3:10, 16). As we do so, our worship will become joyful and rewarding, drawing us ever closer to the One who is worthy of all our praise.

I pray for this to happen in churches around the world this Sunday.

Constant Coulibaly