“He said to his servants, ‘Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.’”
— Genesis 22:5 NIV
When we hear the word worship, most of us think of music, lights, and raised hands in church. But according to God’s Word, worship is much more than a song — it is a way of life.
God responds to worship with His presence, but music is just a tool. Worship is not meant to make us feel good, but to give God the honor He deserves.
The biblical words for worship — Hebrew shachah and abad, Greek proskuneó and latreuo — speak of bowing down, serving, surrendering… none of them mention singing. That means if we sing or play instruments without surrendering our hearts, we have not truly worshiped (Luke 17:10).
The English word worship comes from worth-ship: to ascribe worth, to declare how valuable someone is. Worship is about declaring God’s worth with our lives.
In Genesis 22, God asked Abraham for the one thing he loved the most: Isaac. Abraham obeyed and began a three-day journey toward Mount Moriah.
Worship began three days before the altar, when Abraham decided in his heart to obey.
Every step was an act of surrender.
We can imagine his thoughts, tears, and the weight of that decision.
When they finally reached the place, Abraham said:
“We will go over there and worship…” (Genesis 22:5)
The word used is shachah, which means to bow down. Abraham was going to bow before the King and give Him what was most valuable to him. God responded by providing a ram and blessing Abraham’s family line — the very line that would one day bring Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
Jesus explained this in John 4:23-24:
“Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.”
The Father is looking for sincere worshipers who worship Him with all their being — spirit, soul, and body — authentically.
It’s not about the place, the ritual, or the song. It’s about the heart. Our worship must be real — not the most perfect-sounding, but the most honest.
As Danilo Montero often says, what matters is not having the best voice, but having the right character. God uses those who are willing, not necessarily the most talented.
True worship happens in the ordinary moments:
In the way you work.
In how you treat your family.
In how you steward what God has entrusted to you.
In how you respond in the middle of trials.
Jesus said:
“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much…” (Luke 16:10)
If we learn to worship in the secret place, His presence will naturally manifest when we step into the altar.
Ask yourself today:
What do I value more than my relationship with God?
Am I willing to surrender it if He asks?
Is my worship just a song or also my daily decisions?
Lord, I want to worship You in spirit and in truth. Today I choose to surrender my plans, my dreams, and what I value most. Teach me to worship You not only with my songs, but with my decisions. May every step I take be an act of love and obedience to You.
As you sing, bow before the King and surrender what you know He is asking of you. He is worthy.