I want to describe a worship service I attended recently. The congregation numbered around 25. Though small in number, this did not diminish the significance of their gathering. This was a different kind of service: there were no bulletins telling us what would happen next, there was no worship team, no instruments (exept for the shofar), and only one congregational song (This Little Light of Mine) co-led by one of the younger members of the congregation. The service lasted for almost two hours and most people there seemed to want it to continue longer. Now, one might surmise that this must have been a chaotic or boring time with little to commend it to others. But one would definitely be wrong! This service left me wanting more and also left me with a powerful sense of the presence of God in our midst.

I cannot reproduce it by describing it, but I will try to give a glimpse into what transpired. First, a very enthusiastic leader encouraged the congregation to engage in the worship time. Then there were Scripture readings and testimonies. One young lady read the passage about the importance of loving one another and then confessed that she was harboring hatred in her heart. She came down for prayer and we laid hands on her, anointed her with oil, and prayed earnestly that God would deliver her from that hatred and bitter spirit. She seemed visibly moved by the prayer. There was more sharing and a couple of prayers with the anointing oil applied. The Word was preached and afterward, people gathered, holding hands in a circle around the front and prayed. We closed the service with the Lord’s Prayer. The presence of the LORD was powerfully experienced in that congregation.

It may be time for some churches to re-evaluate their worship. We have an order of worship, patterns and habits of practice, and a certain ritual that we follow. I don’t want to give the impression that these are bad or that worship cannot take place where these are present. But I do know that the forms and rituals we practice may become so familiar and comfortable that we often miss the most important thing they are communicating. We think that we have worshiped because we have gone through the order of worship published in the bulletin. A prayer, a hymn, announcements, offering, another hymn or special music, a sermon, and a closing hymn and prayer. Done!

But have we experienced the presence of the LORD, have we experienced His Spirit’s work in the lives of the congregation, have we given people opportunity to be involved in the service (other than singing, but I have observed that the congregation does not sing like they once did)? Are we expecting God to work among us in the lives of the congregation as we meet togehter? Do we expect the practice of the 25 Reciprocal Commands (one-another commands) to occur during our gatherings? Forms and rituals may be aids to worship, but are not worship in themselves.

Worship flows from a heartfelt connection with God and interaction with Him through His Word and prayer. Celebration and joy characterize our relationship with Him, as we recognize who He is and praise Him for what He has done. Worship is especially powerful when His people join together to do these things.

True worship is God-centered worship. People tend to get caught up in where they should worship, what music they should sing in worship, and how their worship looks to other people. Focusing on these things misses the point. Jesus tells us that true worshipers will worship God in spirit and in truth (John 4:24). This means we worship from the heart and the way God has designed. Worship can include praying, reading God’s Word with an open heart, singing, participating in communion, and serving others. It is not limited to one act, but is done properly when the heart and attitude of the person are in the right place.

https://www.gotquestions.org/true-worship.html