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Jesus said that God is seeking for 'true worshipers' who will worship Him 'in spirit and truth' (John 4:23-24). To worship in spirit means to worship from your heart, rather than merely engaging in a ritual. To worship in truth means to worhip honestly and in accordance with the Scriptural teachings. In Psalms 9:1 David said, 'I will praise You, O LORD, with my whole heart.' This is worhiping in spirit. In Psalms 145:18 he wrote, 'The LORD is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth.' This is worshiping God in truth.
The Bible defines praise as 'the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name' (Hebrews 13:15). Praise is a part of worship, but worship also includes the idea of total submission. It is possible to praise God (vocalize the words) without really worshiping Him (submitting the heart).
We should not make the effort to praise and worship God because we are hoping for some benefit. We should do it out of our deep appreciation for what God has done for us. Some preachers present worship as a means for getting what you want from God. This suggests that God can be manipulated, which He cannot. Let us be content to praise God only because He is worthy of our praise. We can always count on His blessings being upon those who submit to Him.
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