Worshiping Facedown

Have you ever stopped to think and consider what it means to worship? What about how you worship or even what you worship? 

In the Christian circle, we know and understand, for the most part, that we worship the One true God and that we are only to worship Him. Yet, if we stop to consider the definition of worship – the condition or state of being worthy and when used as a verb, worship has the sense of ascribing worth to a being or object; there are many things, people, or places that we worship.

How do we ensure that we truly worship Him in spirit and truth when we worship God? (John 4:23)

In the ladies' small group, we've begun to dive into these questions, and this week we began to look at some of the Hebrew and Greek words used to describe how the Israelites and the early church worshipped God. One of those words was Shachah (שָׁחָה).

The Hebrew word Shachah, when translated, means to bow down and prostrate oneself. (Strong's H7812)

There are three ways we can apply this act of worship to our lives:
1.   Humility. Worship is about humbling ourselves before God. We bow down because there is no more incredible or powerful being, and He is worthy of our complete surrender.
2.  Submission. Worship is about submission of ourselves. Bowing before our King is a recognition of His superiority. 
3.  Physical Response. Worship is not just an inward heart response. When we physically bow, it reminds us and helps our hearts to submit. 

A true revelation of God brings us into a place of reverent awe of Him and an understanding of who we are in the light of who He is. Although facedown is a physical posture where the worshiper prostrates before God, it is a spiritual position we must live day in and day out of reverent submission of His Kingship. Facedown is a symbol of total surrender and helplessness. 

When we worship God, we must reverence Him in revelation of how mighty He is and how insignificant we are. God is the King of the universe, and all creation inevitably bows down before His Majesty. Jesus is the King of all Kings and Lord of all Lords (Rev 17:14, 19:16,) and the scripture says that "One day, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess to Him (Isa 45:23, Rom 14:11, Phi 2:10)." That is the future.

"Worship changes the worshiper into the image of the One worshiped." - Jack Hayford

"The revelation of God is the fuel for the fire of our worship." - Matt Redman

As you worship this week, ask yourself these questions:
1.    Am I coming to God in humility?
2.    Am I willing to physically kneel or bow down before God as I worship and pray?