It doesn't matter if we're by ourselves, with a small group, or with 100,000 people; any time we express our love to God, we're worshiping. We believe worship shouldn't be a religious duty. We worship God because we want to magnify and exalt his name.
Below, you’ll find a table with some beginner, intermediate, and advanced next steps to help you grow in your worship. While you may need to challenge yourself to step up to the task, you also need to be realistic in your expectations, otherwise you might become discouraged and give up.
So consider starting off with a crawl step—a target you can easily hit in the next thirty days. Then you can move on to a walk step—a tangible goal that will stretch you over the next sixty to ninety days. Finally, choose a run step—something that will require a leap of faith, but through the power of the Holy Spirit will bring you to a whole new level of spiritual maturity.
When you have selected the step(s) you want to take, we encourage you to share your decision with a trusted friend who can help you stay the course by praying for you and holding you accountable. Don’t try to do this alone. Isolation can lead to procrastination. But a loving friend can encourage you if you’re feeling discouraged and help you up if you fall down.
Below those next steps, you’ll find some resources like books, studies, and bonus suggestions to help you dig deeper.
| GROWTH AREA | CRAWL | WALK | RUN |
|---|---|---|---|
| How I live my life shows that God is my highest priority. | Ask a friend or spouse to help you identify your top priorities. What changes do you need to make? | Spend time reading through the life stories of some of the people in the Old Testament. Journal about the characteristics in their lives that demonstrated that God was a priority. What principles could you implement in your own life? | Make it a daily habit to reflect on your activities for that day. Journal or spend time in prayer over how you saw God in your daily activities. How are your priorities shaped by a recognition of God’s presence? |
| I am dependent on God for every aspect of my life. | Wake up with a prayer of thanks to God every morning. | Read through the Psalms. Note all the times the writer of the Psalms talks about his dependency on God. How do those words describe your own dependence on God? | Fast from food or some object on which you normally depend. Focus on God as you fast, and remind yourself how dependent you are on God for your life. Do this on a regular basis. |
| There is nothing in my life that I haven’t surrendered (kept back) from God. | Take an inventory of your life and note everything you have not surrendered to God. Share your results with a friend. How can you work on these things to surrender them to God? | Set up a plan for giving up one thing you have held back from God. You may need to ask a friend or spouse to hold you accountable to do this. | Regularly fast from the things you have trouble surrendering to God. The “Suggestions” section below lists several helpful tips for fasting. |
| I regularly meditate on God’s Word and invite him into my everyday activities. | Meditate on a verse of Scripture on a daily basis. You may want to take some notes on what you have learned about God. | Set aside time to study God’s Word on a daily basis. Pray and ask God for insight into his Word and how it can apply to your daily life. | Memorize Scripture. Choose some scriptures from your daily reading to memorize. Make it a priority to hide God’s Word in your heart. |
| I have a deep desire to spend time in God’s presence. | Give God a one minute prayer every day. | Set aside some time to go on a spiritual retreat to be alone with God. | Identify a place you can go to focus on God and worship him. Make it a habit to spend time in this place on a regular basis. |
| I am the same person in public that I am in private. | Have a friend or spouse complete the Spiritual Health Assessment on your behalf. | Have a friend or spouse complete the Spiritual Health Assessment on your behalf. | Set up a regular appointment with a friend, spouse, or mentor to discuss how well you are living a life that is transparent. Allow this person to speak the truth to you, and to hold you accountable. |
| I have an overwhelming sense of God’s awesomeness even when I do not feel his presence. | Study the names of God using the Psalms. You may want to keep a journal to remind yourself what you have learned about God. | Prepare yourself for a worship time using the method outlined in the “Suggestions” section below. | Practice the presence of God in your everyday life. Use the methods in the “Suggestions” section below. |