What is the meaning of worship and prayer?

In order for me to answer the question, I think we first need to understand the meaning of worship and prayer, and then to look at it within the context of church meetings.

When Jesus explained to the woman at the well in John 4:23 that “true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth”. Jesus referred to the command mentioned in Matthew 22:37 that said“‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ andPaul explained to Timothy in 1 Timothy 1:5 “Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith.

Based on the mentioned, our relationship with God, including worship and prayer, is not about the method but rather the attitude, and this is confirmed in 2 Chronicles 16:9, where we read that “the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him”

To answer the question with reference to my understanding of worship and prayer in the church, I think the focus on the method, and not the attitude of heart, is instrumental in leading followers of Christ astray. In Hebrew, the word for both praise and prayer can be translated as hymn, meaning a religious song or poem of praise to God, with the focus on the attitude of praising God from a pure heart, a clear conscience and a true believe.

Within the church the tendency to categorised praise and prayer as intersession, supplication, confession and more, directs the worshipper to a method rather than to a living relationship with the one and only Living God. If however we focus our attention on how God saw worship and relationship, the first directive we received is when God directed Moses to build the tabernacle as a pattern of worship or a tent of meeting.  In Psalm 22:3 we read that God inhabit the praise of Israel, and it says in 2 Corinthians 6:61 that “we are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” The tabernacle was not intended to be the place of meeting, it was given only as a pattern or a shadow of the things to come. Jesus came to show us the Way, the Truth and the Live to enter into the relationship with our Father in Heaven. God used the pattern of the tabernacle and the furniture therein to show us the method of worship that will create a dwelling place for Him in the Spirit.

So in my understanding, if we understand the pattern God showed us in the tabernacle we will understand the meaning of worship and praise.

The first part of the tabernacle describe the sacrifice that God gave us in His Son Jesus Christ, so to cleanse us and open the way for us to enter into His presence. The second part of the tabernacle, the Holies, was the place of worship, where the priest would acknowledge they came into God presence that is described by the show bread, or the bread of His presence. The Lamp with 7 flames (Menorah) represented the Truth of God’s Word given to us through the Holy Spirit and the incense altar the place of praising or thanking God for all we received. The Holy of Holies represent the place where we receive God’s divine guidance, authority and provision by the mercy of God.

As mentioned praise and prayer is a song or poem of praise unto God. In the tabernacle praise unto God is given unto Him at the incense altar, based on the revealed truth that we received through the pattern we followed.

The purpose of the church is to prepare a way for the people so that they can worship God from a praising heart, whether by prayer or praise. In 1 John 1:1-4 John explained that the purpose of their testimony concerning Jesus as the Word of life, is that the receivers of the message may have fellowship with the Father and His Son so that their joy may be full.

Worship and prayer in the church is when we overflow with praises of living water and joy because we once again drink of the living water of God’s revealed Truth. Worship and prayer that is done as a praise unto God is a testimony that will result in people being saved. Paul and Silas is an example of how prayer and worship of praise unto God resulted in people being saved. The church through worship and prayer testify of a relationship with our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and our Father in Heaven, the mentioned is what God desire when He said in Isaiah 56:7 Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called a house of prayer for all people.