Worship is submission to God in everything. How that is lived out in life is seen in the Gospel of Luke through an unlikely source. A Roman centurion sent elders of the Jews he was close with to inquire if Jesus would heal his servant that was dear to him. When the centurion heard that Jesus was on His way to his home he worshiped Christ in a unique way that demonstrates worship as being submissive to God. 6 Then Jesus went with them. And when He was already not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to Him, saying to Him, “Lord, do not trouble Yourself, for I am not worthy that You should enter under my roof. 7 Therefore I did not even think myself worthy to come to You. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. 8 For I also am a man placed under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” 9 When Jesus heard these things, He marveled at him, and turned around and said to the crowd that followed Him, “I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!” 10 And those who were sent, returning to the house, found the servant well who had been sick” (Luke 7:6-10, NKJV).

 

Submission to God is more than what a person does. Worshiping God through submission is trusting that the Lord can do more than what we can think or imagine, and accepting that what He does is the best for everyone. The centurion realized the authority Jesus had over all things whether they are physical or spiritual. The centurion recognized that Jesus was the living God in flesh and blood walking around on earth. Therefore, Jesus merely needed to speak and it would be done. The Jews, who knew the Scriptures, neither thought this about Jesus or accepted that He was God.

 

The way a person talks to God speaks volumes concerning what they believe about Him. If a person does not believe God is all-powerful, they will ask things in prayer but only as a last resort. They have the idea it is something that can be handled by themselves which reveals their lack of faith in God’s concern for the smallest of things and their overcompensation of personal strength. If a person does not trust God to do what is best, they will often explain to Him how something should be done and complain to God whenever what was asked of Him turns out differently than they asked.

 

Worshiping God in submission is done through communication with the Lord daily just as much as it is submitting to His Spirit’s guidance in obedience to His Word. It is not wrong to pray for people to be healed, but it must not consume the majority of our conversation with God. People are going to get sick and die because this world is under a curse due to sin. We should be in prayer more about the spiritual condition of people’s hearts than we are about their physical condition. Jesus expressed this when He was teaching the disciples how to pray when He said, “In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:9-10, NKJV).

Prayer can be a beautiful time of worship. Worshiping through prayer begins when we stop pleading with God to do what we think is best and accept that God’s will is perfect even if it does not line up with what we desire. Then our prayers will be more than continual speaking to God and have much more time listening to Him when we accept that God knows more about life and the circumstances we endure than what we do. Prayer that acknowledges God is who He says He is becomes a time of private worship with the Lord, and an expression of the unity of the body of Christ in public prayer. May we seek the Lord to be lifted up and known through continual worship of Him. Let us worship the Lord even in the way we speak to Him, and long to listen to Him who knows all things rather than telling Him what He already knows.

 

Praying beyond the physical: Father, You are my Master and Creator. Help me listen to You in humble submission throughout this day. Jesus, You are my Redeemer and King. Help me reflect Your character in all I say, do, and think today. Spirit, You are my Helper and Strength. Help me rely on You more than myself in all I encounter this day. Pastor Tom