How to Fix Lethargic Worship

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(Whenever I am trying to remember how big God is and if he can handle my current problems, I look at this picture and remember: God is good.)

1 Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;
His faithful love endures forever.
2 Let the redeemed of the Lord proclaim
that He has redeemed them from the hand of the foe

3 and has gathered them from the lands-
from the east and the west,
from the north and the south.  – Psalm 107:1-3

How to Fix Lethargic Worship

The cure for lethargic worship is a good memory.

In Psalm 107, the psalmist expresses praise to God based upon his faithfulness in the past. He reminds the worshipers that God is always good and deserves our gratitude.  He had rescued them from the hands of their enemies.  He had rescued them from their circumstances and gathered them back together again.

Have you ever felt in worship that you were just going through the motions?  You stood up and sat down when you were instructed.  You mouthed the words to some songs on a screen or in a hymnal.  You left the same way in which you entered.  The best way to describe your worship was lethargic.

The cure for lethargic worship is a good memory.  God has shown up all throughout your life. When you have called on God, every time he delivers.  The only proper response is worship.  Each new day is a reminder of God’s faithfulness to us.

When we were in the middle of our adoption process, I was forced to remember this fact often.

When we received documentation concerning our son’s health, we were unsure of our abilities to care for this sick child.  When the bills came piling in our mailbox, we became anxious wondering if we could afford all the expenses.  When racist comments came towards our family, we questioned if we made the right decision.

Whenever we got to one of those places, we took a trip down memory lane.  We reminded ourselves of how God had delivered us each time we were in trouble.  We looked back to see how he did the impossible time after time.  The impending circumstances were still before us, but all of a sudden, we knew someone who was able to combat them.

Has God delivered you?  Has he shown up for you in the midnight hour?  Did he come through when you thought there was no way?  I bet that if you began to list out all of God’s miraculous deeds that he has done in solely your life, you would be propelled into worship.

Maybe the best thing for you to do (right now, before you worship with your church on Sunday, etc.) is to list out how God has been good to you.  Get specific.  As you begin to remember God’s faithfulness, your worship will heighten.  You will begin to praise God for all that he is and all that he is done.