Private Worship

Private Worship

Private worship is the obedient giving our adoration to God in solitude - Chuck Beckler

We often describe our quiet time as devotional time. Devotional time usually involves a time of Bible reading or the reading of a devotional that someone wrote about the Bible. I have no problem with a daily devotional…I write one each week. I would, however, encourage you to think of your time with God each day as more broad than just the devotional. Think of it as your time of private worship. This should include some Bible reading and thoughtful application perhaps with the aid of a devotional, but it is not limited to that. Especially if you feel like your devotional time each day is a little stifling or you just hustle through it to check it off your to-do-list, I’d encourage you to reimagine this time and create a practice of private worship that helps you commune with God. Our daily time with the God of the universe should be a joyful, life-giving experience.

To Get Started

  1. Assess your current practice of quiet time or devotions, whatever you call it.
    1. In what ways are you growing through this practice?
    2. How have you encountered God in your current practice?
    3. What’s working and what isn’t working?
  2. Plan a time that you can commit to most days.
    1. Start with 15-30 min.
    2. Think of a time when other people, pets, etc. likely won’t be demanding your attention.
  3. Choose a location where you can have solitude and silence.
    1. Where do you tend to experience peace—outdoors, alone in a quiet room, etc.
    2. Be sure to put your phone on do not disturb or leave it somewhere where it will not be a distraction.
  4. Plan what you will do. Here are some suggestions. (These are only suggestions. Don’t let these stifle your creativity in this. Try some different things until you find a process that really helps you connect with God.)
    1. Quiet your mind. Maybe take a few slow, deep breaths—5s in and 5s out.
    2. Maybe pray through your daily schedule, worries and anxieties, etc. These will likely pop up in your prayer time anyways so it may be a good idea to address them head on.
    3. Maybe read and meditate on or study a passage of Scripture to help focus your thoughts.
    4. Decide how you want to worship:
      1. Maybe pray through a Psalm or other worship text and make it your words in praise to God. This is a great way to learn the language of worship.
      2. Use your imagination. Imagine the throne room of God. Imagine all creation worshipping God. Imagine the creation of the cosmos.
      3. Come up with your own words to worship and tell God how awesome He is. Tell God who He is, how awesome He is, and what He has done.
      4. Listen to worship music and praise God through the songs.
      5. Maybe sit in silence and listen for God.

      A couple of final thoughts:

    5. Be creative with it. God meets all of us in different ways. It is a personal relationship we get to share with him. So if something isn’t working, try something different. The goal is to worship God and in doing so to experience his presence.
    6. Don’t get discouraged. Our practice of private worship is a learned skill that will take time to develop. If you’re struggling with it, don’t give up. Keep going. Enjoying your time each day with God is worth it.

Scripture Reflections

  1. Revelation 5:12-13
  2. Psalm 8
  3. Psalm 42
  4. Psalm 27
  5. Romans 11:33-36

Additional Resources